Chapter on Currency Exchange and Its Forms

Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 3|Book 2|Chapter 29

Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

Volume 3, Book 2, Chapter 29

Chapter on Currency Exchange and Its Forms
11 Aḥadīth
Ḥadīth 1

4036 - رُوِيَ عَنْ عَمَّارٍ السَّابَاطِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ‌ قُلْتُ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ‌ يَبِيعُ الدَّرَاهِمَ بِالدَّنَانِيرِ نَسِيئَةً قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ‌.

Hadith.4036 - It is narrated from Ammar al-Sabati, from Abu Abdullah (as), who said: I asked him about a man who sells dirhams for dinars on credit. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in it."

Ḥadīth 2

4037 - وَ رَوَى حَمَّادٌ عَنِ اَلْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ : "اَلْفِضَّةُ بِالْفِضَّةِ مِثْلٌ بِمِثْلٍ وَ اَلذَّهَبُ بِالذَّهَبِ مِثْلٌ بِمِثْلٍ لَيْسَ فِيهِ زِيَادَةٌ وَ لاَ نَظِرَةٌ اَلزَّائِدُ وَ اَلْمُسْتَزِيدُ فِي اَلنَّارِ".

Hadith.4037 - Hammad narrated from al-Halabi, from Abu Abdullah (as), who said: "Silver for silver must be equal, and gold for gold must be equal, there should be neither an increase nor a delay. The one who gives extra and the one who demands extra will be in the Fire."

Ḥadīth 3

4038 - وَ رَوَى أَبَانٌ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ : قُلْتُ لِأَبِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ اَلرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ لَهُ عَلَى اَلرَّجُلِ اَلدَّنَانِيرُ فَيَأْخُذُ مِنْهُ دَرَاهِمَ ثُمَّ يَتَغَيَّرُ اَلسِّعْرُ قَالَ "هِيَ لَهُ عَلَى اَلسِّعْرِ اَلَّذِي أَخَذَهَا يَوْمَئِذٍ وَ إِنْ أَخَذَ دَنَانِيرَ وَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَرَاهِمُ عِنْدَهُ فَدَنَانِيرُهُ عَلَيْهِ يَأْخُذُهَا بِرُءُوسِهَا مَتَى شَاءَ".

Hadith.4038 - Aban narrated from Ishaq ibn Ammar, who said: I asked Abu Ibrahim (Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as)) about a man who is owed dinars by another man, but he accepts dirhams instead. Then the price changes. Imam (as) said: "It is based on the value at which he accepted them on that day. However, if he had accepted dinars and not dirhams, then his dinars remain owed to him, and he may take them in their original amount whenever he wishes."

Ḥadīth 4

4039 - وَ رَوَى اِبْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ حَنَانِ بْنِ سَدِيرٍ قَالَ : قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ إِنَّهُ يَأْتِينِي اَلرَّجُلُ وَ مَعَهُ اَلدَّرَاهِمُ فَأَشْتَرِيهَا مِنْهُ بِالدَّنَانِيرِ ثُمَّ أُعْطِيهِ كِيساً فِيهِ دَنَانِيرُ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ دَرَاهِمِهِ فَأَقُولُ لَكَ مِنْ هَذِهِ اَلدَّنَانِيرِ كَذَا وَ كَذَا دِينَاراً ثَمَنُ دَرَاهِمِكَ فَيَقْبِضُ اَلْكِيسَ مِنِّي ثُمَّ يَرُدُّهُ عَلَيَّ وَ يَقُولُ أَثْبِتْهَا لِي عِنْدَكَ فَقَالَ "إِنْ كَانَ فِي اَلْكِيسِ وَفَاءٌ بِثَمَنِ دَرَاهِمِهِ فَلاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ".

Hadith.4039 - Ibn Mahbub narrated from Hanan ibn Sadir, who said: I said to Abu Abdullah (as): "A man comes to me with dirhams, and I buy them from him with dinars. Then I give him a pouch containing more dinars than the value of his dirhams. I say to him: 'From these dinars, such and such amount is the price of your dirhams.' He takes the pouch from me, then returns it and says: 'Keep it with you for me.'" Imam (as) said: "If the pouch contains enough to cover the value of his dirhams, then there is no harm in it."

Ḥadīth 5

4040 - وَ رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ : جَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ سِجِسْتَانَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ عِنْدَنَا دَرَاهِمَ يُقَالُ لَهَا اَلشَّامِيَّةُ تَحْمِلُ عَلَى اَلدَّرَاهِمِ دَانِقَيْنِ فَقَالَ "لاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ يَجُوزُ ذَلِكَ".

Hadith.4040 - Muhammad ibn Muslim narrated from Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) that a man from Sijistan came to him and said: "We have dirhams called al-Shamiyyah that are valued two daniqs more than regular dirhams." Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in it; it is permissible."

Ḥadīth 6

4041 - وَ رَوَى اِبْنُ مُسْكَانَ عَنِ اَلْحَلَبِيِّ قَالَ : سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنْ رَجُلَيْنِ مِنَ اَلصَّيَارِفَةِ اِبْتَاعَا وَرِقاً بِدَنَانِيرَ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا لِصَاحِبِهِ اُنْقُدْ عَنِّي وَ هُوَ مُوسِرٌ لَوْ شَاءَ أَنْ يَنْقُدَ نَقَدَ فَيَنْقُدُ عَنْهُ ثُمَّ بَدَا لَهُ أَنْ يَشْتَرِيَ نَصِيبَ صَاحِبِهِ بِرِبْحٍ أَ يَصْلُحُ قَالَ "لاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ".

Hadith.4041 - Ibn Muskan narrated from al-Halabi, who said: I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about two moneychangers who bought silver with dinars. One of them said to his companion, "Pay on my behalf," even though he was capable of paying if he wished. So the companion paid for him. Then later, he decided to buy his companion's share with a profit. I asked: "Is this permissible?" Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in it."

Ḥadīth 7

4042 - رُوِيَ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ قَالَ : قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ اَلدَّرَاهِمُ بِالدَّرَاهِمِ فِي إِحْدَاهُمَا رَصَاصٌ وَزْناً بِوَزْنٍ قَالَ أَعِدْ فَأَعَدْتُ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَعِدْ فَأَعَدْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ "لاَ أَرَى بِهِ بَأْساً".

Hadith.4042 - It is narrated from Umar ibn Yazid, who said: I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about exchanging dirhams for dirhams, where one of them contains lead, but they are equal in weight. Imam (as) said: "Repeat the question." So I repeated it to him. Then Imam (as) said: "Repeat it again." I repeated it again, and Imam (as) said: "I see no harm in it."

Ḥadīth 8

4043 - وَ رَوَى صَفْوَانُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ عَبْدِ اَلرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ اَلْحَجَّاجِ قَالَ : سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ اَلصَّرْفِ وَ قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ اَلرِّفْقَةَ رُبَّمَا عَجِلَتْ فَلَمْ نَقْدِرْ عَلَى اَلدِّمَشْقِيَّةِ وَ اَلْبَصْرِيَّةِ وَ إِنَّمَا يَجُوزُ بِنَيْسَابُورَ اَلدِّمَشْقِيَّةُ وَ اَلْبَصْرِيَّةُ فَقَالَ "وَ مَا اَلرِّفْقَةُ " فَقُلْتُ اَلْقَوْمُ يَتَرَافَقُونَ وَ يَجْتَمِعُونَ لِلْخُرُوجِ فَإِذَا عَجِلُوا فَرُبَّمَا لَمْ يَقْدِرُوا عَلَى اَلدِّمَشْقِيَّةِ وَ اَلْبَصْرِيَّةِ فَبِعْنَاهَا بِالْغِلَّةِ فَصَرَفُوا اَلْأَلْفَ وَ اَلْخَمْسِينَ مِنْهَا بِأَلْفٍ مِنَ اَلدِّمَشْقِيَّةِ فَقَالَ "لاَ خَيْرَ فِيهَا أَ فَلاَ تَجْعَلُونَ فِيهَا ذَهَباً لِمَكَانِ زِيَادَتِهَا " فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَشْتَرِي اَلْأَلْفَ وَ دِينَاراً بِأَلْفَيْ دِرْهَمٍ قَالَ "لاَ بَأْسَ إِنَّ أَبِي عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ كَانَ أَجْرَأَ عَلَى أَهْلِ اَلْمَدِينَةِ مِنَّا فَكَانَ يَفْعَلُ هَذَا فَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا هُوَ اَلْفِرَارُ وَ لَوْ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ بِدِينَارٍ لَمْ يُعْطَ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ وَ لَوْ جَاءَ بِأَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ لَمْ يُعْطَ أَلْفَ دِينَارٍ وَ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ" "نِعْمَ اَلشَّيْءُ اَلْفِرَارُ مِنَ اَلْحَرَامِ إِلَى اَلْحَلاَلِ".

Hadith.4043 - Safwan ibn Yahya narrated from Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj, who said: I asked Imam (as) about currency exchange, and I said to Imam (as): "Sometimes during travel, the caravan may hurry, and we are unable to find the Damascene and Basran currencies. However, only the Damascene and Basran currencies are accepted in Nishapur. Imam (as) asked: 'What is the caravan?' I said: 'It refers to a group of people who travel together and prepare for departure. If they hurry, they may not find the required currencies, so we sell them the lower-quality coins, exchanging 1,050 of these for 1,000 Damascene coins.' Imam (as) said: 'There is no good in this. Why don't you add gold to it to account for the excess amount?'" I said to Imam (as): "Can I buy 1,000 and a dinar with 2,000 dirhams?" Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in it. My father (as) was bolder than us towards the people of Medina. He used to do this, and they would say it is merely a tactic. They would claim that if a man brought a dinar, he would not receive 1,000 dirhams, and if he brought 1,000 dirhams, he would not receive a dinar." Then Imam (as) used to say: 'What an excellent thing it is to flee from the unlawful to the lawful.'"

Ḥadīth 9

4044 - وَ رَوَى صَفْوَانُ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ : سَأَلْتُ أَبَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ لِي عَلَيْهِ اَلْمَالُ فَيَقْضِينِي بَعْضاً دَنَانِيرَ وَ بَعْضاً دَرَاهِمَ فَإِذَا جَاءَ يُحَاسِبُنِي لِيُوَفِّيَنِي جَاءَ وَ قَدْ تَغَيَّرَ سِعْرُ اَلدَّنَانِيرِ أَيَّ اَلسِّعْرَيْنِ أَحْسُبُ اَلَّذِي كَانَ يَوْمَ أَعْطَانِي اَلدَّنَانِيرَ أَوْ سِعْرَ يَوْمَ أُحَاسِبُهُ قَالَ "سِعْرَ يَوْمَ أَعْطَاكَ اَلدَّنَانِيرَ لِأَنَّكَ حَبَسْتَ مَنْفَعَتَهَا عَنْهُ".

Hadith.4044 - Safwan narrated from Ishaq ibn Ammar, who said: I asked Abu Ibrahim (Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as)) about a man who owes me money and repays me partially with dinars and partially with dirhams. When he comes to settle the remaining amount, the price of the dinars has changed. I asked: "Which price should I calculate, the price on the day he gave me the dinars or the price on the day we settle the account?" Imam (as) said: "The price on the day he gave you the dinars, because you withheld their benefit from him."

Ḥadīth 10

4045 - وَ سَأَلَ عَبْدُ اَللَّهِ بْنُ سِنَانٍ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ : عَنْ شِرَاءِ اَلْفِضَّةِ وَ فِيهَا اَلزِّيبَقُ وَ اَلرَّصَاصُ بِالْوَرِقِ وَ هِيَ إِذَا أُذِيبَتْ نَقَصَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ عَشَرَةٍ دِرْهَمَانِ أَوْ ثَلاَثَةٌ فَقَالَ "لاَ يَصْلُحُ إِلاَّ بِالذَّهَبِ".

Hadith.4045 - Abdullah ibn Sinan asked Abu Abdullah (as) about buying silver that contains mercury and lead with silver coins, knowing that when it is melted, it decreases by two or three dirhams for every ten. Imam (as) said: "It is not permissible, except with gold."

Ḥadīth 11

4046 - وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ : قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَكُونُ لِلرَّجُلِ عِنْدِي مِنَ اَلدَّرَاهِمِ اَلْوَضَحُ فَيَلْقَانِي فَيَقُولُ أَ لَيْسَ لِي عِنْدَكَ كَذَا وَ كَذَا أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ وَضَحٍ فَأَقُولُ نَعَمْ فَيَقُولُ حَوِّلْهَا إِلَى دَنَانِيرَ بِهَذَا اَلسِّعْرِ وَ أَثْبِتْهَا لِي عِنْدَكَ فَمَا تَرَى فِي هَذَا قَالَ "إِذَا كُنْتَ قَدِ اِسْتَقْصَيْتَ لَهُ اَلسِّعْرَ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَلاَ بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ" قَالَ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي لَمْ أُوَازِنْهُ وَ لَمْ أُنَاقِدْهُ إِنَّمَا كَانَ كَلاَمٌ مِنِّي وَ مِنْهُ فَقَالَ "أَ لَيْسَ اَلدَّرَاهِمُ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ وَ اَلدَّنَانِيرُ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ" قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ "لاَ بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ".

Hadith.4046 - Ishaq ibn Ammar narrated: I said to Abu Abdullah (as): "A man has some clear silver dirhams with me. He meets me and says, 'Don't I have such and such amount of clear dirhams with you?' I reply, 'Yes.' Then he says, 'Convert them into dinars at this rate and record them for me as dinars.' What do you think about this?" Imam (as) said: "If you had calculated the exchange rate for him on that day, then there is no harm in it." I said: "I did not weigh them or make the exchange in person; it was only a verbal agreement between us." Imam (as) said: "Aren't the dirhams and dinars both with you?" I said: "Yes." Imam (as) said: "Then there is no harm in it."