Etiquettes of Doing Business

“I heard Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), saying from the pulpit, ‘O people who do business, you must learn fiqh (laws), then go in business, you must learn fiqh (laws) then go in business, you must learn fiqh (laws) then go in…

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘One who buys and sells must not engage in five…

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), lived among you in al-Kufah. He would have one loaf of bread everyday for his lunch and walk in market-places of al- Kufah one by one with a durrah (whip) on…

“He (the Imam) has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, did not give permission to Hakim ibn Hizam for business until the later…

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Once Zaynab al-‘Attarah al-Hawla’ visited the wives of the Holy Prophet, and the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your…

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, once said to me, ‘If someone asks you to buy for him a certain merchandise, you must not buy it for him from your own shop even if the merchandise from your shop be better.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Generosity is of profits.’ The Messenger of Allah…

“Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), once said to a butcher about a slave-girl who had purchased meat from his shop and who was asking for more, ‘You must give her more; it has greater blessings.’”

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘If a man says to another man, ‘Come with me, I will offer you a good deal,’ it becomes unlawful for him to make any profit in that deal.’”

“I (the narrator) once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who had set a price on a certain item of his merchandise. Thereafter whoever purchased that merchandise without asking for any discount, he sold it to them…

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘The owner of merchandise is more rightful to set up…

Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, prohibited bargaining between dawn and sunrise.”

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘I dislike two kinds of transactions: To say, “Drop the merchandise and receive payment”, and buying something without seeing it.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Selling above a fair price to one who has left it (pricing) to the seller is Suht (unlawful and filthy).’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Selling above fair piece to a believing person is unlawful.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one accepts a Muslim’s request to return a merchandise Allah, most High, on the Day of Judgment (returns) reduces his sins.’”

“Once I was at the door of Shihab ibn ‘Abde Rabbihi when the slave of Shihab came out and said, ‘I want to ask Hashim al-Saydananiy about the Hadith on “price and merchandise.’” He (the narrator) has said, ‘I then…

“Abu ’Amamah, a companion of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah saying, “One who has four…

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Most of my clients are from our brothers (in belief). I request you to set for me a limit, how should I deal with them in a transaction so that I will not go beyond that limit.’ He…

“I was told about abu Ja‘far (a.s.), that he disliked two kinds of transactions: ‘Drop the merchandise without turning its other side and receive payment’, and ‘buying merchandise without seeing’.”

“About the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘There are men who do not become distracted from speaking of Allah because of trading and business.’ (24:37) He (the Imam) said, ‘They are the business people who…

“Abu ‘Abdullah (a.s.), has said, ‘A believer’s making profit on another believer is Riba’ except if he buys more than a hundred dirham worth of goods, in which case, he can make a profit equal to the expenses of his day,…

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, ‘If one does business without knowledge, he plunges in Riba ’ again and again.’ Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), would also say, ‘One who does not understand…