Friday 19 Ramadan 1445 - 29 March 2024
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He imports goods and sells them before they arrive

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Publication : 14-02-2005

Views : 8074

Question

I import goods for trade, then I sell them before they arrive and I receive them. What is the ruling on that?.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Selling goods before they arrive is not permissible, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade selling goods in the place where they were bought, until the merchants have taken them to their own place. So it is essential first to take possession of them, then you can sell them. As for selling them when they are in another country, and you do not know whether they will arrive in good condition or not, this is not permissible. 

If someone were to say that the purchaser is obliged to take the goods whether they are faulty or not, we say: not even if he agrees to that, because he may agree to it when making the deal because he wants to make a profit, then after that he may regret it, and there may be a dispute between him and the seller. Islam – praise be to Allaah – has blocked all the ways that may lead to regret and disputes. Similarly if the goods are destroyed, there may be a conflict between the two parties. The point is that it is not permissible to sell goods until they reach their destination with the seller, then he may dispose of them. 

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Source: Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him)  - Liqaa’aat al-Baab il-Maftoohah, 3/183