Selling Good Quality Rice In Exchange For Lower Quality Rice

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   What do the scholars of Islam say regarding the following matter: to grow rice, good quality seeds are used. Sometimes the landowner possesses standard quality rice, but they cannot be used as seeds, so he approaches another landowner or shopkeeper and requests they give him good quality rice in exchange for his normal quality rice, so he can use them as seeds.  They then exchange the rice disproportionately. For example, if there are 40 kilos of good quality rice, then 60 kilos of standard quality rice are given in exchange for them.

   The question is: is this method of trade is considered valid according to Islamic law? If it is not valid, please provide a permissible alternative for this, as this method is commonly utilised among landowners, and they have a need for this too.

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   Trading rice for rice disproportionately, due to being usurious, is severely impermissible, haram and a sin, even if there is a difference in their quality.

   There are two causes for usury:

   Qadr (Amount) - the items being sold are makīlī or mawzūnī (makīlī is something sold by volumetric measure, and mawzūnī is that which is sold by weight).

   Genus (Genus): Being of the same type.

   If both causes are found in a transaction, disproportion and deferred payment are both haram. If neither of them is found, then selling the item disproportionately or on credit will both be halal. If one of them is found but the other is not, then disproportion is permitted but credit is haram.

   If we look at rice being sold for rice, then both amount and genus are found: genus due to both items being rice, and amount because they are sold by weight. It will be haram to sell them disproportionately in accordance to the method mentioned in the question. Likewise, credit (e.g. when selling rice for rice, one party hands over the rice and the other party defers the rice) is also haram.

   It should be noted that the difference in the quality of the rice will not be considered here. This is because when amwāl ribawiyyah (those items which when sold disproportionately result in usury, such as rice and wheat) are exchanged for one another, as per the hadith, their quality being good or poor will not be taken into consideration, but their weight instead.

   Exchanging rice for rice disproportionately is a haram and usurious trade.

   Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمَ declared:

الذهب بالذهب مثلا بمثل والفضة بالفضة مثلا بمثل والتمر بالتمر مثلا بمثل والبر بالبر مثلا بمثل والملح بالملح مثلا بمثل والشعير بالشعير مثلا بمثل، فمن زاد او ازداد فقد اربى

   Gold for gold, silver for silver, dates for dates, wheat for wheat, salt for salt, and barley for barley, should be sold like for like. He who gave or took extra has engaged in usury.[1]

   Elucidating the legal causes of usury, Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه explained:

نص علماؤنا قاطبۃ ان علۃ حرمۃ الربا القدر المعھود بکیل او وزن مع الجنس، فان وجدا حرم الفضل والنسا،وان عدما حلا، وان وجد احدھما حل الفضل وحرم النسا، وھذہ قاعدۃ غیر منخرمۃ، وعلیھا تدور جمیع فروع الباب

   All our scholars رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ have openly stated that the legal causes for the impermissibility of usury are the specified amount i.e. measure or weight, along with oneness in genus. If these two legal causes (amount and genus) are found, both surplus and credit are haram, and if neither of them is found then both are lawful. If one of them is found, giving a surplus is lawful but credit is haram. This is a rule which never breaks, and all rulings pertaining to the chapter of usury revolve around it.[2]

   It is weight which will be considered in amwāl ribawiyyah, not quality. In MajmaꜤ al-Anhur:[3]

(ولا يجوز بيع الجيد بالرديء) إذا قوبل بجنسه مما فيه الربا (إلا متساويا) لقوله  عليه الصلاة والسلام:جيدها ورديئها سواء

   Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه wrote about this: “And Islamic law has disregarded quality in amwāl ribawiyyah, so their being of good quality or poor quality is the same.”[4]

   There are various ways in which this can be carried out in a permissible manner, as mentioned below:

   One genus should be purchased for another genus. For example, instead of selling rice for rice, the rice should be sold for wheat or something else. In this case, due to the genus being different, it will be permissible to sell it disproportionately. It is still necessary for the exchange to take place jointly; if one party decides to defer payment, it will become impermissible.

   If one wishes to buy something of a particular genus with something of the same genus, such as rice for rice, then the one who has less rice should offer another thing alongside the rice, like wheat or cash, even if it is a small amount. For example, if 40 kilos of rice are being sold for 60 kilos of rice, then the 40 kilos of rice will be in exchange for the other 40 kilos of rice, and the extra 20 kilos of rice given by one party will be in exchange for the wheat or cash offered by the other.

   Another method is to utilise money. For example, he who has good quality rice should first purchase 60 kilos of the lower quality rice for a specific amount, taking possession of the rice and handing over the cash to the other person. Once this initial transaction has taken place, the other individual should then purchase 40 kilos of the higher quality rice with that money. By doing this, both of their objectives will be achieved and there will be no usury involved either.

   Proof for the permissibility of the first case: The final Prophet of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمَ said:

الذھب بالذھب والفضۃ بالفضۃ والبر بالبر والشعیر بالشعیر والتمر بالتمر والملح بالمح مثلاً بمثل سواء بسواء یدا بید،فاذا اختلفت ھذہ الاصناف،فبیعوا کیف شئتم اذا کان یدا بید

   Gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, and salt for salt, should be bought and sold in the same amounts and at the same price. If these differ, then buy and sell as you wish, provided that the exchange is hand-to-hand.[5]

   Proof for the permissibility of the second case: In Al-Hidāyah, the renowned work of Hanafi jurisprudence:[6]

ولا یجوز بیع الزیتون بالزیت والسمسم بالشیرج حتی یکون الزیت والشیرج اکثر مما فی الزیتون والسمسم،فیکون الدھن بمثلہ والزیادۃ بالثجیر،لان عند ذلک یعری عن الربوٰ

   Proof for the permissibility of the third case: The Companions Abū SaꜤīd al-Khudrī and Abū Hurayrah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا narrate:

ان رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم استعمل رجلا علی خیبر،فجاءہ بتمرجنیب،فقال رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم: اَکُلّ تمر خیبر ھکذا؟قال:لا، واللہ یا رسول اللہ!انا لناخذ الصاع من ھذا بالصاعین والصاعین بالثلاثۃ،فقال رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم:لا تفعل،بع الجمع بالدراھم، ثم ابتع بالدراھم جنیبا

   Translation:Indeed, the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمَ appointed a man as governor of Khaybar and sent him there. He returned with some good quality dates. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمَ asked, “Are all the dates of Khaybar like this?” He replied, “O Messenger of Allah! By Allah, this is not the case! We purchase one ṣāꜤ of these for two ṣāꜤ, and two ṣāꜤ for three ṣāꜤ.” The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمَ declared, “Do not do this! First sell the lower quality dates for dirhams, then purchase good quality dates with those dirhams.”[7]

   After citing hadith like this, Muftī Amjad ꜤAlī al-AꜤẓamī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه said:

These two hadiths make it clear that the matter is the same; they wished to purchase good quality dates, but they did so by handing over more of their own dates, which is usury. If they sell their dates for money and then purchase the good quality dates (with that money), this is permissible.[8]

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari

Ref No: PIN-7067

Date: 17 RabīꜤ al-Awwal 1444 AH/14th October 2022