is established; when some of the fruit on a single tree shows these signs, that counts as proof that all the fruit on that tree is sound, and the same principle applies to every tree of that species within the same orchard. In dates the mark is redness or yellowness, whereas for other fruits soundness is reached when the whole crop tastes good and its maturity is plainly visible. Grain, for its part, is deemed sound once the kernels have hardened.
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The wisdom behind the ban is that, before ripeness appears, fruit is highly vulnerable to many blights. If it should perish or be damaged after the sale, the loss would fall upon the purchaser, who has gained nothing from it; this would amount to consuming wealth unlawfully. Moreover, selling it before ripeness serves no useful purpose, since no benefit can yet be taken from it. The ruling also forestalls quarrels and disputes between the contracting parties and removes the causes of enmity and hatred that might arise between them.
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The text therefore forbids devouring other people’s property without right, even when the outward form of the transaction shows mutual consent.
Third Ḥadīth
On the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with them both: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade muzābanah. Muzābanah is for a man to sell the fruit of his orchard—if it is date-palms—for a measured quantity of dates; or, if it is a vineyard, to sell it for a measured quantity of raisins; or, if it is standing crops, to sell them for a measured quantity of grain. He forbade all of that.
Unfamiliar Terms
• muzābanah: with ḍammah on the mīm, fatḥah on the zāʾ and bāʾ, and sukūn on the nūn, on the pattern mufāʿalah. It derives from zabn, meaning “forceful pushing,” as though each of the two parties is pushing the other away from his rightful share.
Overall Meaning
The Prophet ﷺ prohibited muzābanah, which is the exchange of a known quantity for an unknown quantity of the same genus. Such a sale causes harm because the equality of the two items is unknowable, a situation that leads to ribā. The ḥadīth offers concrete examples: selling the dates on one’s palms for a measured amount of dates, selling grapes on the vine for a measured amount of raisins, or selling standing crops for a measured amount of grain of the same type. He forbade all of these because of the attendant evils and harms.
Difference of Opinion Concerning the Meaning of Muzābanah
The scholars unanimously agree that the form mentioned in the ḥadīth constitutes muzābanah.