Muwatta Imam Malik Book of Business Transactions, Hadith 86

86 Malik related to me from Musa ibn Maysara that he heard a man ask Said ibn al-Musayyab, "I am a man who sells for a debt." Said said, "Do not sell except for what you take to your camel."
Malik spoke about a person who bought goods from a man provided that he provide him with those goods by a specific date, either in time for a market in which he hoped for their saleability, or to fulfil a need at the time he stipulated. Then the seller failed him about the date, and the buyer wanted to return those goods to the seller. Malik said, "The buyer cannot do that, and the sale is binding on him. If the seller does bring the goods before the completion of the term, the buyer cannot be forced to take them."
Malik spoke about a person who bought food and measured it. Then some one came to him to buy it and he told him that he had measured it for himself and taken it in full. The new buyer wanted to trust him and accept his measure. Malik said, "Whatever is sold in this way for cash has no harm in it but whatever is sold in this way on delayed terms is disapproved of until the new buyer measures it out for himself. The sale with delayed terms is disapproved of because it leads to usury and it is feared that it will be circulated in this way without weight or measure. If the terms are delayed it is disapproved of and there is no disagreement about that with us."
Malik said, "One should not buy a debt owed by a man whether present or absent, without the confirmation of the one who owes the debt, nor should one buy a debt owed to a man by a dead person even if one knows what the deceased man has left. That is because to buy that is an uncertain transaction and one does not know whether the transaction will be completed or not completed."
He said, "The explanation of what is disapproved of in buying a debt owed by someone absent or dead, is that it is not known what unknown debtor may be connected to the dead person. If the dead person is liable for another debt, the price which the buyer gave on strength of the debt may become worthless."
Malik said, "There is another fault in that as well. He is buying something which is not guaranteed for him, and so if the deal is not completed, what he paid becomes worthless. This is an uncertain transaction and it is not good."
Malik said, "One distinguishes between a man who is only selling what he actually has and a man who is being paid in advance for something which is not yet in his possession. The man advancing the money brings his gold which he intends to buy with. The seller says, 'This is 10 dinars. What do you want me to buy for you with it?' It is as if he sold 10 dinars cash for 15 dinars to be paid later. Because of this, it is disapproved of. It is something leading to usury and fraud."

وَحَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَجُلاً، يَسْأَلُ سَعِيدَ بْنَ الْمُسَيَّبِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي رَجُلٌ أَبِيعُ بِالدَّيْنِ . فَقَالَ سَعِيدٌ لاَ تَبِعْ إِلاَّ مَا آوَيْتَ إِلَى رَحْلِكَ . قَالَ مَالِكٌ فِي الَّذِي يَشْتَرِي السِّلْعَةَ مِنَ الرَّجُلِ عَلَى أَنْ يُوَفِّيَهُ تِلْكَ السِّلْعَةَ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى إِمَّا لِسُوقٍ يَرْجُو نَفَاقَهَا فِيهِ وَإِمَّا لِحَاجَةٍ فِي ذَلِكَ الزَّمَانِ الَّذِي اشْتَرَطَ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ يُخْلِفُهُ الْبَائِعُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ الأَجَلِ فَيُرِيدُ الْمُشْتَرِي رَدَّ تِلْكَ السِّلْعَةِ عَلَى الْبَائِعِ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَيْسَ لِلْمُشْتَرِي وَإِنَّ الْبَيْعَ لاَزِمٌ لَهُ وَإِنَّ الْبَائِعَ لَوْ جَاءَ بِتِلْكَ السِّلْعَةِ قَبْلَ مَحِلِّ الأَجَلِ لَمْ يُكْرَهِ الْمُشْتَرِي عَلَى أَخْذِهَا . قَالَ مَالِكٌ فِي الَّذِي يَشْتَرِي الطَّعَامَ فَيَكْتَالُهُ ثُمَّ يَأْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشْتَرِيهِ مِنْهُ فَيُخْبِرُ الَّذِي يَأْتِيهِ أَنَّهُ قَدِ اكْتَالَهُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَاسْتَوْفَاهُ فَيُرِيدُ الْمُبْتَاعُ أَنْ يُصَدِّقَهُ وَيَأْخُذَهُ بِكَيْلِهِ إِنَّ مَا بِيعَ عَلَى هَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ بِنَقْدٍ فَلاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ وَمَا بِيعَ عَلَى هَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ إِلَى أَجَلٍ فَإِنَّهُ مَكْرُوهٌ حَتَّى يَكْتَالَهُ الْمُشْتَرِي الآخَرُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَإِنَّمَا كُرِهَ الَّذِي إِلَى أَجَلٍ لأَنَّهُ ذَرِيعَةٌ إِلَى الرِّبَا وَتَخَوُّفٌ أَنْ يُدَارَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى هَذَا الْوَجْهِ بِغَيْرِ كَيْلٍ وَلاَ وَزْنٍ فَإِنْ كَانَ إِلَى أَجَلٍ فَهُوَ مَكْرُوهٌ وَلاَ اخْتِلاَفَ فِيهِ عِنْدَنَا . قَالَ مَالِكٌ لاَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُشْتَرَى دَيْنٌ عَلَى رَجُلٍ غَائِبٍ وَلاَ حَاضِرٍ إِلاَّ بِإِقْرَارٍ مِنَ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ الدَّيْنُ وَلاَ عَلَى مَيِّتٍ وَإِنْ عَلِمَ الَّذِي تَرَكَ الْمَيِّتُ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ اشْتِرَاءَ ذَلِكَ غَرَرٌ لاَ يُدْرَى أَيَتِمُّ أَمْ لاَ يَتِمُّ . قَالَ وَتَفْسِيرُ مَا كُرِهَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ إِذَا اشْتَرَى دَيْنًا عَلَى غَائِبٍ أَوْ مَيِّتٍ أَنَّهُ لاَ يُدْرَى مَا يَلْحَقُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الدَّيْنِ الَّذِي لَمْ يُعْلَمْ بِهِ فَإِنْ لَحِقَ الْمَيِّتَ دَيْنٌ ذَهَبَ الثَّمَنُ الَّذِي أَعْطَى الْمُبْتَاعُ بَاطِلاً . قَالَ مَالِكٌ وَفِي ذَلِكَ أَيْضًا عَيْبٌ آخَرُ أَنَّهُ اشْتَرَى شَيْئًا لَيْسَ بِمَضْمُونٍ لَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَتِمَّ ذَهَبَ ثَمَنُهُ بَاطِلاً فَهَذَا غَرَرٌ لاَ يَصْلُحُ . قَالَ مَالِكٌ وَإِنَّمَا فُرِقَ بَيْنَ أَنْ لاَ يَبِيعَ الرَّجُلُ إِلاَّ مَا عِنْدَهُ وَأَنْ يُسَلِّفَ الرَّجُلُ فِي شَىْءٍ لَيْسَ عِنْدَهُ أَصْلُهُ أَنَّ صَاحِبَ الْعِينَةِ إِنَّمَا يَحْمِلُ ذَهَبَهُ الَّتِي يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَبْتَاعَ بِهَا فَيَقُولُ هَذِهِ عَشَرَةُ دَنَانِيرَ فَمَا تُرِيدُ أَنْ أَشْتَرِيَ لَكَ بِهَا فَكَأَنَّهُ يَبِيعُ عَشَرَةَ دَنَانِيرَ نَقْدًا بِخَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ دِينَارًا إِلَى أَجَلٍ فَلِهَذَا كُرِهَ هَذَا وَإِنَّمَا تِلْكَ الدُّخْلَةُ وَالدُّلْسَةُ .