Using Proper and Improper Measurements in Business

Al-Kāfi|Volume 5|Book 2|Chapter 60

Al-Kāfi

Volume 5, Book 2, Chapter 60

Using Proper and Improper Measurements in Business
5 Aḥadīth
Ḥadīth 1

1- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنِ ابْنِ بُكَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا يَكُونُ الْوَفَاءُ حَتَّى يَمِيلَ الْمِيزَانُ.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ibn Faddal from ibn Bukayr from Hammad ibn Bashir who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Proper weighing is only when a balance tilts to one side.”’

Ḥadīth 2

2- عَنْهُ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُرَازِمٍ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ قَالَ مَنْ أَخَذَ الْمِيزَانَ بِيَدِهِ فَنَوَى أَنْ يَأْخُذَ لِنَفْسِهِ وَافِياً لَمْ يَأْخُذْ إِلا رَاجِحاً وَمَنْ أَعْطَى فَنَوَى أَنْ يُعْطِيَ سَوَاءً لَمْ يُعْطِ إِلا نَاقِصاً.

2. Through the same chain of narrators as the previous one from Ya’qub ibn Yazid from Muhammad ibn Murazim from a man from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one uses a balance with the intention to weigh for himself properly ends up weighing heavier for himself, and one who intends to weigh equally, ends up weighing less.’”

Ḥadīth 3

3- عَنْهُ عَنِ الْحَجَّالِ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنِّي صَاحِبُ نَخْلٍ فَخَبِّرْنِي بِحَدٍّ أَنْتَهِي إِلَيْهِ فِيهِ مِنَ الْوَفَاءِ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) انْوِ الْوَفَاءَ فَإِنْ أَتَى عَلَى يَدِكَ وَقَدْ نَوَيْتَ الْوَفَاءَ نُقْصَانٌ كُنْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْوَفَاءِ وَإِنْ نَوَيْتَ النُّقْصَانَ ثُمَّ أَوْفَيْتَ كُنْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النُّقْصَانِ.

3. Through the same chain of narrators as the previous one from al-Hajjal from ‘Ubayd ibn Ishaq who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I own palm trees. Instruct me how to be proper in my giving and taking.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said, ‘Keep your intention to maintain it (crop) properly fair; if despite such intention, less proper fairness takes place, you are of those who maintain it properly. On the other hand, if you intended it to be less proper, but maintained it properly, you are of those who maintain it less properly.’”

Ḥadīth 4

4- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ مُثَنًّى الْحَنَّاطِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ نِيَّتِهِ الْوَفَاءُ وَهُوَ إِذَا كَالَ لَمْ يُحْسِنْ أَنْ يَكِيلَ قَالَ فَمَا يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ حَوْلَهُ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَقُولُونَ لا يُوفِي قَالَ هَذَا لا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَكِيلَ.

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Ali ibn al-Hakam, from Muthanna al-Hannat, from some of our companions, from Abu Abdillah al-Sadiq (as), who said: "I said to him, 'A man has the intention of being honest, but when he measures, he does not know how to measure.' He said, 'What do those around him say?' I said, 'They say he does not fulfill (his measures).' He replied, 'This person should not measure.'"

Ḥadīth 5

5- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا يَكُونُ الْوَفَاءُ حَتَّى يَرْجَحَ.

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from more than one person who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not a proper weighing until a side of balance tilts.’”