Bargaining in Business
It was narrated from Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be
pleased with him) that he was riding on a camel of his that had become
exhausted to the point that he wanted to let it go. He said: The Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) caught up with me and offered
supplication for me, and he hit it and the camel started moving (energetically)
as I had never seen it move before. He said: “Sell
it to me for one Uqiyah.” I said: No. He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: “Sell it to me.” So I sold it to him for one Uqiyah and stipulated
that I be allowed to ride it home. When I arrived I brought the camel to him,
and he gave me its price, then I left. He sent someone after me and said: “Did
you think that I bargained with you in order to take away your camel? Take your
camel and its price; they are both yours.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari,
1991 and Muslim, 715)
This shows that even the Prophet (PBUH) participated in
bargaining and accepted it as normal practice in trade.
In Islam, trade and commerce are encouraged, and fairness
and mutual consent are emphasized. Bargaining is generally permissible, as long
as it is conducted in an ethical and just manner, without deception, coercion,
or causing undue harm.
Here's a breakdown of what the Quran and Hadith say about
bargaining and asking for price reductions, along with insights from authentic
Islamic sources:
From the Quran:
While the Quran doesn't explicitly detail the mechanics of
bargaining, it lays down foundational principles for just and ethical
transactions. Key themes include:
Mutual Consent: The Quran emphasizes
that trade should be based on mutual consent between the buyer and seller.
Allah says: "...except it be a trade amongst you,
by mutual consent..." (Quran 4:29). This implies that both parties
have the right to negotiate and agree upon a price they are comfortable with.
Fairness and Justice: The Quran
repeatedly stresses the importance of fairness, giving full measure and weight,
and not defrauding others in their dealings.
"And, O my
people, give full measure and weight justly, and defraud not men of their
things, and act not corruptly in the land making mischief." (Quran
11:85)
"Woe to the
defrauders, who, when they take the measure (of their dues) from men take it
fully, but when they measure out to others or weigh out for them, they are
deficient." (Quran 83:1-3)
Avoiding Unjust Gain: The Quran
prohibits consuming one's property in vanity or through unlawful means, which
includes exploitative pricing or dishonest practices.
From the Hadith:
The Hadith, which are the sayings and actions of the Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him), provide more specific guidance on the etiquette
of trade and bargaining:
·
Permissibility of
Bargaining: There are Hadith that indicate the permissibility of
bargaining. For instance, it is narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) himself bargained when buying items. This shows that negotiating a
price is a recognized practice in Islamic tradition.
A Hadith in
Mishkat-ul-Masabih mentions that the Prophet (peace be upon him) came and
bargained in relation to the price of a lower garment, and they sold it to him.
(Narrated in Mishkat-ul-Masabih)
·
Kindness and Easiness in
Transactions: The Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged Muslims to be kind
and easy going in their buying and selling.
"May Allah
have mercy on a man who is easy going when he buys, when he sells and when he
asks for payment." (Sahih Bukhari)
·
Prohibition of
Undercutting After Agreement: Islam prohibits a person from offering a
lower price for an item that another person has already agreed to purchase, if
the initial deal is close to being finalized. This is to prevent causing harm
and resentment among Muslims.
* "One amongst you should not enter into a transaction when
another is bargaining." (Sahih Muslim) This Hadith indicates that
once a price has been agreed upon or is close to being agreed upon, it is not
permissible for another person to interfere and offer a different price.
·
Avoidance of Deception
and Harm: The Hadith strongly condemn cheating, deception, and causing harm
to others in business dealings. Bargaining should not involve misleading the
seller or taking unfair advantage of their situation.
Authentic Scholarly Sources:
Islamic scholars throughout history have interpreted the
Quran and Hadith to provide rulings on commercial matters, including
bargaining.
·
Most scholars agree that
bargaining is permissible as long as it adheres to Islamic ethical guidelines.
·
It is the right of both the
buyer and the seller to negotiate the price.
·
Selling at a price lower
than the market value is permissible and can even be considered a charitable
act if done with good intention, unless it is intended to harm other merchants.
·
Selling at a price
significantly higher than the market value, especially if the buyer is unaware,
can be considered a form of deception and is not permissible.
·
The principle of "no
harm, no reciprocating harm" (La darara wa la dirar) is applied to
commercial interactions, meaning that bargaining should not lead to undue harm
for either party.
It says in Subul as-Salaam: This indicates that there
is nothing wrong with asking a man to sell you something that he has, or with
bargaining. End quote.
It was narrated that Suwayd ibn Qays said: Makhramah
al-‘Abdi and I brought some garments from Hajar to Makkah. The Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to us on foot and
bargained with us for some trousers, and we sold them to him
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (1305) – he said: it is hasan
saheeh. Also narrated by Abu Dawood (3336), an-Nasaa’i (4592) and Ibn Maajah
(2220).
Bargaining refers to haggling between the seller and the
buyer when deciding the price, as it says in an-Nihaayah (2/425)
This bargaining, in a moderate and reasonable manner, is a
sign of maturity, sound mind and knowledge of the market price. This is
something praiseworthy because such a person is less likely to be given an
unfair deal or be deceived or cheated when buying and selling.
Hence the fuqaha’ said: you may know that the son of a
trader has reached maturity once he knows how to buy and sell and
bargain.
See: al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah (22/215)
In summary:
Islam permits bargaining and asking for price reductions in
trade, viewing it as a natural part of commercial transactions based on mutual
consent. However, this permission is conditional upon adhering to strong
ethical principles, including fairness, honesty, kindness, and avoiding
deception or causing harm to others. Bargaining should be a respectful
negotiation process, not an opportunity for exploitation. The price list in
your quotation is a starting point for this negotiation, and a potential buyer
is within their rights to discuss pricing based on the provided information.
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