Merchandise Sold on Credit Is Purchased Back for Cash at a Lower Price Called (‘ Aynah )

“I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), about the case of a man to whom someone owes a certain amount of goods and payback time becomes due. His party sells to him a pearl worth a hundred dirham for a thousand dirham and extends the payback time to another appointed time. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful. My father commanded me to do so and did such a deal.’ He (the narrator) thinks that he had asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about it and he (the Imam) had given a similar answer.”

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man with whom I like to arrange an al-’Aynah. He already owes me a certain amount of goods. He asks me for additional goods. Is it right to provide him additional goods and sell to him a pearl worth a hundred dirham for a thousand dirham and I say, ‘I sell to you this pearl for a thousand dirham so I can extend the payback time for this and what you already owe to me up to so and so many months.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’”