Islamic Economics Centre (DaruliftaAhlesunnat)
(Dawateislami -Darulifta Ahle Sunnat)
Question
What do the honorable scholars say regarding the situation in which, after selling something, a person needs to buy the same item back? What are the permissible and impermissible forms of such a transaction?
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
After selling an item, there are two basic scenarios of buying the same item back from the buyer:
1. Buying it back before the full payment of the first transaction is received.
2. Buying it back after the full payment of the first transaction is received.
Each of these has three sub-scenarios. Although there is a possibility of expanding these sub scenarios into more, but there are six primary cases. They are as follows:
Buying before receiving full payment of the first sale:
(1) Buying at a lower price than the original sale price before receiving full payment is impermissible, even if the market rate has dropped. However, if the genus of the payment (ثمن) changes or if there's a defect in the sold item leading to the price drop, then buying at a lower price is permissible.
(2) Buying at the same price as the first sale before receiving full payment is permissible. However, if the item was first sold for cash and then bought back for the same price on credit, it becomes impermissible. Similarly, if the item was first sold on short-term credit and then bought back on a longer-term credit for the same price, it is also impermissible.
(3) Buying at a higher price than the original sale before receiving full payment is permissible.
Buying after receiving full payment of the first sale:
(4) Buying at a lower price than the original sale is permissible.
(5) Buying at the same price is permissible.
(6) Buying at a higher price is permissible.
Proofs (جزئیات) regarding the mentioned rulings:
It is stated in al-Hidayah:
"و من اشتری جاریۃ بالف درھم حالّۃ او نسیئۃ فقبضھا ثم باعھا من البائع بخمس مائۃ قبل ان ینقد الثمن لا یجوز البیع الثانی"
Translation: If someone buys a slave girl for one thousand dirhams, whether for cash or on credit, and takes possession of her, then sells her back to the seller for five hundred dirhams before paying the price, the second sale is not permissible.(al-Hidayah Akhirain, p. 59, Lahore edition)
The book Bahar-e-Shariat states:
"جس چیز کو بیع کردیا ہے اور ابھی ثمن وصول نہیں ہوا ہے اس کو مشتری سے کم دام میں خریدنا، جائز نہیں اگرچہ اس وقت اس کا نرخ کم ہوگیا ہو۔"
Translation: Once an item has been sold and the price has not yet been received, buying it back from the buyer at a lower price is impermissible, even if its market rate has decreased. (Bahar-e-Shariat, vol. 2, p. 708, Maktaba-tul-Madina)
It is in Alamgiri :
"ولو اشتری بجنس آخر أو بعدما تعیب یجوز"
Translation: If the item is bought back for a different type of genus, or after a defect has developed in the item, then the transaction is permissible.(Alamgiri, vol. 3, p. 132, Quetta edition)
Bahar-e-Shariat mentions:
"اگر ثمن دوسری جنس کا ہو یا مبیع میں نقصان ہوا ہو تو مطلقاً بیع جائز ہے۔"
Translation: If the payment is in a different genus, or the item has suffered a damage, then the transaction is absolutely permissible.(Bahar-e-Shariat, vol. 2, p. 708, Maktaba-tul-Madina)
The book Fath-ul-Qadeer mentions:
"بمثل الثمن أو أكثر جاز"
Translation: Selling at the same price as the first or at a higher price is permissible.(Fath-ul-Qadeer, vol. 6, p. 397, Beirut edition)
Bahar-e-Shariat mentions:
"مشتری سے اسی دام میں یا زائد میں خریدی یا ثمن پر قبضہ کرنے کے بعد خریدی یہ سب صورتیں جائز ہیں۔"
Translation: Buying from the buyer at the same or higher price, or after receiving the possession of payment, all these cases are permissible.(Bahar-e-Shariat, vol. 2, p. 708, Maktaba-tul-Madina)
The book Al-Muhit-ul-Burhani while explaining the scenario where first sale is on cash and the second is on credit, mentions:
ولا يجوز أن يبيع سلعة بثمن حال، ثم يشتريها بذلك الثمن إلى أجل لأن هذا في معنى شراء ما باع بأقل مما باع لأن الأجل يمكن نقصاناً في المالية لأن المؤجل أنقص من الحال
Translation: It is not permissible to sell an item for cash and then buy it back for the same amount on credit. Because this is considered buying something for less than what it was sold for, as deferred payment is less in terms of profit than immediate payment.(Al-Muhit-ul-Burhani, vol. 6, p. 388, Beirut)
It is in Fatawa Alamgiri :
"لایجوزان یبیع سلعۃ بثمن حال ثم یشتریھا بذلک الثمن الی اجل و لو باعہ بالف درھم نسیئۃ الی سنۃ ثم اشتراہ بالف درھم الی سنتین لا یجوز وإن زاد على الثمن درهما أو أكثر جاز وتجعل الزيادة في الثمن الثاني بمقابلة النقصان المتمكن بزيادة الأجل فينعدم النقصان"
Translation: It is not permissible to sell an item for cash and then buy it back for the same price on credit. If an item is sold on credit for one year and then bought back for the same price on credit for two years, it is impermissible. However, if the second transaction includes an increase of even one dirham or more, then it is permissible, as the (price) increase in the second sale will be against the loss incurred due to the deferment and in this way, the scenario of buying in less price will eliminate.(Fatawa Alamgiri, vol. 3, p. 133, Peshawar edition)
Bahar-e-Shariat mentions:
"اگر اتنے ہی میں خریدی مگر پہلے ادائے ثمن کی کوئی میعاد مقرر نہ تھی اور اب میعاد مقرر ہوئی یا پہلے ایک ماہ کی تھی اب دو ماہ کی میعاد مقرر کی یہ بھی ناجائز ہے۔"
Translation: If the item is bought back for the same price but now a payment term has been specified while no term was set earlier or the term has been extended to two months while it is one month in the first transaction then this is also impermissible.(Bahar-e-Shariat, vol. 2, p. 708, Maktaba-tul-Madina)
Fatawa Alamgiri mentions:
"لوقبض الثمن ثم اشتراہ باقل جاز"
Translation: If the seller takes the price in his possession and then buys the item back for a lower price, the transaction is permissible.(Alamgiri, vol. 3, p. 132, Quetta)
In Radd-ul-Muhtar under the phrase “قبل نقد کل الثمن الاول”, it has been stated:
"قید بہ لان بعدہ لا فساد"
Translation: The condition of "before the full price is paid" is added because there is no corruption (فساد) in buying after the full payment.(Radd-ul-Muhtar, vol. 7, p. 268, Quetta)
It must be noted that the impermissible cases related to buying back before the full payment is received as mention earlier, remain in effect until the full amount is paid. Even if only one rupee remains unpaid, the impermissibility still holds.
As Allama Shami رحمة الله عليه writes:
"ولا یجوز قبل النقد وإن بقی درھم"
Translation: Before receiving payment, the second sale remains impermissible, even if only one dirham remains unpaid.(Radd-ul-Muhtar, vol. 7, p. 268, Quetta)
Answered By: Abu Muhammad Mufti Ali Asghar Attari Madani
Written By: Syed Masood Ali Attari Madani
Ref No: IEC-0570
Date: 25th Jumad-ul-Ukhrah 1445 / 08 January 2024
Translated by Maulana Abdul Wajid Madani
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم