Answered by: Alimah Habiba Akhtar
Question:
Salams. What’s the masala of buying mixed pallets? Basically, you are buying a box of random stuff from warehouse clearance. Usually, when warehouses are shutting down, they randomly stuff their leftovers into boxes and sell them off. When you are buying you do not know what is inside, just a box of random stuff. Is this ja-iz?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
In order for Bay’ / a financial or trading transaction to be complete and valid, there are a few conditions or criteria’s to be met.
One of these criteria’s is that the price cannot be absolute as long as the quantity or quality of the item/merchandise hasn’t been specified. (1)
This means that when the description of the item isn’t clear, such a transaction will not be valid. This will be an unseen and unknown item.
Therefore, in response to your query, the bay’ wouldn’t be valid as you are unaware of what the pallet consists of exactly. There may be satisfaction in the purchase and maybe not. The quality may be questionable for the price charged.
Consider the following:
- It is as if the purchase is a lucky draw. You may find something of your use and some not. This is similar to gambling. There is the luck factor involved.
Narrated Abu Hurairah:
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited the Gharar sale, and the Hasah sale.” (2)
The Hadith above clearly mentions the prohibition of deceitful sales. Gharar refers to deceit and Hasah refers to coming to a contract based on pebbles and what it falls on.
Therefore, such transactions should be avoided and purchases should be made for those things necessary.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Alimah Habiba Akhtar
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
1)
والأثمان المطلقة لا تصح عن الإشارة في العقد و إلا أن تكون معروفة القدر والصفة؛ لأن التسليم والتسلم واجب بالعقد، وهذه الجهالة مفضية إلى المنازعة، فيمتنع التسليم والتسلم، وكل جهالة هذه صفتها تمنع الجواز، هذا هو الأصل. قال: ويجوز البيع بثمن حال ومؤجل إذا كان الأجل معلوماً؛
Hidayah, Al Bushra, Vol 5, Page 8
2)
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، أَنْبَأَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ بَيْعِ الْغَرَرِ وَبَيْعِ الْحَصَاةِ
Jami Tirmidhi, 1230