Salam sale

Question

Question: A certain person is utterly poor and has nothing to eat. He was given ten rupees on the condition: “Whatever grain there will be, for example wheat or maize, at reaping I will take it at two seers (a unit of weight, ≈ 0.93 kg) or three seers.” Suppose the market rate turned out to be one and a half seers. Is it now valid to take grain from him at three seers, according to the promise, or not, given that it is an agreed transaction? Or will it become interest?

Answer

This is a salam sale. For the grain that is agreed to be given, its safekeeping (?), rate and so on should be fixed in such a way that no fear of dispute remains; then, whatever the market rate at the time may be, it will not be taken into account; rather, it must be given at the rate that was agreed. So it is in “Shami”.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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