IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL
THE SECOND KHUTBAH FOR THE MONTH OF RAJAB, 24/7/1446 AH – 24/1/2025 CE
TOPIC: THE ETIQUETTE OF BUYING AND SELLING IN ISLAM
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation, the One who said in His decisive revelation sent down to the best of His creation, peace and blessings be upon him: (ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا الْبَيْعُ مِثْلُ الرِّبَا وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا) “That is because they say, ‘Trade is [just] like interest.’ But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:275)
We praise Him, glorified and exalted is He, and we thank Him, seek His aid, guidance, and forgiveness, and turn to Him in repentance. Whomever Allah guides, none can mislead; and whomever Allah allows to go astray, there is no guide for him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, with no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
O Allah, send blessings and peace upon him, and upon his family, companions, and all those who follow them in goodness until the Day of Judgment.
As to what follows:
Servants of Allah, I enjoin you and myself to fear Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, in private and in public, for it is the ultimate purpose behind all acts of obedience, commands, and prohibitions. Allah, glorified and exalted is He, has said: (يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ) (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:21) “O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous.”
Brothers in faith, this is the second gathering in the month of Rajab, the seventh of the Islamic lunar months and one of the four sacred months. The topic of our khutbah today is: The Etiquette of Buying and Selling in Islam.
O Noble Muslims, In the Arabic language, trade (البيع) refers to taking something and giving something else in exchange. It is derived from the word bā‘ (بَاعَ), as each party in the transaction extends their hand to give and take. In Islamic terminology, trade means exchanging wealth for wealth with the intent of ownership. In the context of commerce, it refers to transferring ownership in exchange for compensation and sometimes includes both buying and selling.
Servants of Allah, One of the aspects of ease in Islamic law is that it has established rules and regulations for financial transactions. These enable people to meet their needs from what others possess while ensuring justice and fairness. They also eliminate harm and hardship, which could otherwise prevail in people’s lives if financial transactions were left unregulated. Among these regulated dealings is trade, with its specific conditions and pillars.
Conditions for the Validity of Buying and Selling:
Allah, the Exalted, has legislated buying and selling among Muslims and has established certain conditions that must be met for a sales contract to be valid. These include:
- Qualities of the contracting parties:
- The contracting parties must possess maturity, intellect, discernment, and freedom.
- Ownership of the item being sold:
- Both parties must own the item being sold. It is not permissible for the seller to sell something that they do not own.
- Ability to deliver the sold item:
- The seller must be capable of delivering the item being sold. For instance, it is invalid to sell a bird in the sky because it cannot be delivered.
- Permissibility of the item being sold:
- The item must be lawful and beneficial, such as homes, shops, and household items. It is not valid to sell items that have no benefit, nor is it permissible to sell what Allah has prohibited, such as alcohol and pork.
- No harm caused to the seller due to the sale:
- For example, a seller cannot sell a piece of cloth cut from a garment while leaving the rest, as this would render the remaining garment unusable, resulting in loss.
- Permanence of the sale:
- The sale must not be for a specified period. For instance, selling a garment to someone for only a month contradicts the nature of a sale, which is to transfer permanent ownership.
- Absence of uncertainty (gharar):
- This includes uncertainty in description. For instance, if a person sells a cow claiming it produces milk, but the buyer later discovers it does not, the sale involves deception and is invalid.
Dear Servants of Allah,Among the important aspects that concern the Muslim community is the establishment of markets where they can exchange goods and commodities. Markets have held significant importance even before the advent of Islam. In the pre-Islamic era, Arabs had famous markets such as Mijannah, Majaz, and ‘Ukkādh.
O Muslims, when Allah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the Muslims initially refrained from participating in those markets. Then Allah revealed:
(لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أن تَبْتَغُوا فَضْلاً مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ) “There is no blame upon you for seeking bounty from your Lord.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:198)
This permitted them to enter markets, engage in buying and selling, and pursue trade. Allah also said:
(يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَكُونَ تِجَارَةً عَنْ تَرَاضٍ مِنْكُمْ) “O you who have believed, do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly, but only [do so] in lawful business by mutual consent.” (Surah An-Nisa, 4:29)
And He said: (فَإذا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلاةُ فَانتَشِرُوا فِي الأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ) [الجمعة:10]، وقال: (رِجَالٌ لا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلا بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ) “And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah.” (Surah Al-Jumu’ah, 62:10)
He further described the righteous, saying: (رِجَالٌ لا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلا بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ) “Men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah.” (Surah An-Nur, 24:37)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave great importance to markets. He would supervise and monitor them, establishing regulations, etiquettes, and rulings for them. The Prophet himself inspected market prices and inquired about practices like hoarding.
One day, he entered the market, placed his hand into a pile of food, and found dampness underneath. He asked: “What is this, O seller of the food?” The seller replied: “It was affected by rain, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet said: “Why did you not place it on top so people could see it? Whoever cheats us is not of us.”
While Islam permits trading in markets, it also purifies these transactions from the harmful practices of pre-Islamic times, such as deception, uncertainty, and ignorance. It prohibits Muslims from trading in unlawful items.
General Etiquettes and Rulings of Markets in Islam:
Islam has set general etiquettes for markets, including those specific to buyers and sellers.
General Etiquettes:
- Remembrance of Allah in Markets:
Islam prescribes the remembrance of Allah while engaging in trade. This remembrance should be accompanied by lawful earning, as Allah says:
“And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah often that you may succeed.” (Surah Al-Jumu’ah, 62:10) The remembrance of Allah revives hearts and strengthens faith.
- Spreading the Greeting of Peace:
Spreading salam (peace) fosters love, strengthens bonds, and removes enmity among people. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Shall I not guide you to something that if you do it, you will love one another? Spread peace among yourselves.” - Commanding Good and Forbidding Evil: Markets often involve noise, false statements, and excessive oaths. A Muslim is commanded to enjoin good and forbid evil, as Allah says: (كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنْ الْمُنكَرِ) “You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong.” (Surah Aal Imran, 3:110) By doing so, immoral practices and vile behaviors diminish, truth prevails, and society thrives. When this duty is neglected, immorality, evil, and corruption spread.
Specific Etiquettes in Buying and Selling:
- Educating Traders Through Media: Public awareness campaigns, such as informative publications and beneficial guidance, should be promoted to ensure people understand proper conduct in trade. Educating the nation in matters of their religion and worldly affairs is essential.
- Avoiding Excessive Oaths, Even Truthful Ones: Whoever swears truthfully is likely to end up swearing falsely. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Oaths may promote the sale of a product, but they wipe out the blessings.” Among those whom Allah will not speak to on the Day of Resurrection is a man who makes oaths his primary means of selling, whether truthful or false. Therefore, O Muslims, trade and purchase while avoiding excessive oaths. Be cautious and preserve the sanctity of oaths.
- And among these prohibitions is lying in buying and selling, and lying through oaths to promote goods. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Three people whom Allah will not speak to on the Day of Judgment, nor will He purify them, and for them is a painful punishment: the one who lets his garment trail below his ankles (out of arrogance), the one who reminds others of his favors, and a man who promotes his goods through false oaths.” So, beware, my brother, of false oaths to promote your merchandise. Beware of swearing by your oaths; adhere to honesty, for Allah’s provision will come, by His will.
- Among the etiquettes in markets is also avoiding deceit, for deceit is prohibited for a Muslim. Among the essential etiquettes of selling is that the seller must avoid deceit in their transactions, selling transparently and ensuring their goods are free from fraud or betrayal. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever carries weapons against us is not of us, and whoever deceives us is not of us.”
- Deceit takes many forms. One type is deceit in construction. A person may build a store, structures, or buildings, giving the appearance of high standards due to the visible decoration, yet the builder deceives in the actual construction, neglecting quality. If this building were for his private use, he would ensure its strength and adherence to standards, but since it is for commercial sale, he does not care about the deceit. His betrayal soon becomes evident as defects appear in the sale, stemming from the deceit.
- Another form of deceit, my brothers, is deceit in supplying goods. A supplier might know that certain devices or products are destined to fail within a short time, but he does not care. He might sell them at exorbitant prices or place fake labels on them, disguising their true origin, to promote and market them. Even though he knows these goods are faulty and will quickly deteriorate, he is unconcerned due to weak faith in his heart and a lack of fear of Allah.
- Another type of deceit, O servants of Allah, is selling goods whose expiration date has passed. The seller is indifferent to this. Any food or drink whose validity period has expired is prohibited for you to sell to others. It is forbidden to sell such items while you are aware that their expiration date has passed.
- How often do we read in newspapers that some authorities have discovered tons of expired food products! Where, then, is the faith in your heart, O Muslim?
THE SECOND SERMON
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds, who said in His Noble Book: (سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ) “Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” [Al-Isra: 1]
We praise Him, glorify Him, and send blessings and peace upon the best of His creation, our master and beloved Prophet Muhammad, his family, companions, and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
AL-ISRA AND AL-MIRAJ
O servants of Allah, the journey of Al-Isra and Al-Miraj is an extraordinary event that occurred at night in the year 621 CE, between the 11th and 12th years of the Prophethood. Muslims consider it one of the miracles of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and a significant event in the history of Islamic da’wah.
Muslims believe that Allah took His Prophet Muhammad on a night journey (Isra) riding on Al-Buraq with the Angel Jibreel, from Masjid al-Haram in Mecca to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. The Quraysh tribe mocked this journey, clapping and whistling in disbelief. However, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stood firm in affirming it. Following this, he ascended on a heavenly journey (Miraj) accompanied by Jibreel on Al-Buraq to the highest heavens, to Sidrat al-Muntaha (the utmost boundary in the heavens), and returned on the same night.
This event was recorded in Surah Al-Isra, which begins with Allah’s words: (سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ) “Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” [Al-Isra: 1].
According to many scholars and historians, this heavenly journey occurred on the 27th night of Rajab.
5TH AL- QUDS GLOBAL WEEK
Brothers in faith, what took place in the month of Rajab this year, 1446 AH, with the ceasefire in Gaza, the land of honor, stands as a testament to the achievements of the mujahideen and steadfast defenders, marking a significant victory over their Zionist enemies.
On the occasion of the anniversary of Al-Isra wal-Miraj and the liberation of Jerusalem by Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi, the International Union of Muslim Scholars—through its leadership, secretariat, and Board of Trustees—launches the activities of the 5TH AL- QUDS GLOBAL WEEK. This initiative runs from Thursday, 23rd of Rajab 1446 AH, corresponding to January 23, 2025, until the following Thursday, 30th of Rajab 1446 AH, corresponding to January 30, 2025.
Analysts consider this ceasefire a political victory for the resistance and a failure for the occupiers. On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani announced the agreement and outlined its main points in a press conference held in Doha.
The agreement includes several terms to be implemented over three phases, each lasting 42 days. The foremost term is the cessation of hostilities, which came into effect on Sunday, January 19, 2025. It also includes the release of approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences and around 1,000 detained after October 7, 2023.
This announcement sparked global and regional reactions, most of which praised the success of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the Israeli government in reaching a ceasefire agreement after more than 15 months of aggression in Gaza.
Looking at history, we see that Allah’s support for His Prophets and righteous servants is a consistent reality. Allah aids the oppressed with His mercy and divine assistance. His help for His allies is an unchanging truth. For those who doubt, let them reflect on the many towns Allah destroyed for their tyranny and the many Prophets who invoked Allah’s help against their people and received His aid without delay. Allah says: (﴿ إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْأَشْهَادُ) “Indeed, We will support Our messengers and those who believe during the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses will stand.” [Ghafir: 51]
Let the believer’s heart find peace and reassurance in Allah’s promise.
In conclusion, we call on everyone to participate in commemorating “Global Jerusalem Week” through the following activities:
- Continuing to support the Palestinian people in Gaza by all available means and working to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.
- Standing in solidarity with Jerusalem residents, particularly the steadfast defenders, women, and prisoners, through all possible means, as well as with our oppressed brothers and sisters throughout Palestine.
- Urging Ministries of Endowments and Islamic Affairs in Muslim countries, scholarly associations, da’wah organizations, and Islamic institutions to adopt and promote “Global Jerusalem Week.”
- Sharing media content across various platforms in multiple languages to enhance awareness of the Palestinian cause.
- Making supplications and dedicating Friday sermons to the topic of Al-Aqsa Mosque and its rights, adhering to a unified sermon as much as possible, on Friday, February 21 and February 28, 2024.
- Organizing events, both in-person and online via Zoom, to mark the occasion and participate in the campaign in the most suitable manner.
DEATH OF SHEIKH QAMARDEEN AJALA
In conclusion, O servants of Allah! Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return! O Muslims, death is something we must always prepare for and remain conscious of its nearness, as it is the closest awaited reality. A person does not know how little time may remain of their life, while they remain engrossed in worldly pursuits and heedless of the Hereafter.
Last night, we received the news of the passing of Sheikh Qamardeen Ajala, a great preacher and renowned scholar among the scholars of Islam. He had a profound impacts and made noble efforts in serving Islam and the Muslims. May Allah have mercy upon him, grant him vast mercy, and admit him into His expansive gardens of Paradise.
Supplication (Du’a):
O Allah, nullify the plots of the enemies of Islam, and thwart their schemes. O Allah, we seek refuge in You from their evil. O Allah, unite the hearts of Muslims upon truth.
O Allah, grant victory to the Palestinian people, lift the siege upon them, and remove their hardship and suffering. Heal their sick and the sick among Muslims. Free their captives and the captives of Muslims everywhere. O Allah, grant us security in our homelands. Guide our leaders to what pleases You. Forgive our deceased and the deceased among Muslims. O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds.
May blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, his family, and companions.