Selling Goods Sans Possession
QUESTION:
If I get an order from my customer for something I do not have on hand, and I order the goods from my supplier, and the supplier (as a favour to me without charging any extra charges) ships and delivers the goods directly to my customer without me having physical possession of the goods. Is this type of transaction permissible?
I know taking physical or “Hukmi” possession of goods is necessary before selling it, but in this case, the supplier delivers directly to the customer, so can the supplier act as a “Wakeel” on my behalf? To make him a Wakeel, what conditions need to be met? Do I only make a Niyyah that he’s going to be acting as my Wakeel? Just to clarify, this whole transaction is on credit, that means that when the customer places an order, he does not pay me immediately, he only pays me after receiving the stock.
ANSWER:
The prohibition of selling before taking possession is based on the possibility of the following three reasons:
1) Gharar (uncertainty and risk)
2) Profit from that which one has not assumed liability for (Ribh ma lam yudman)
3) The possibility of Riba (Interest)
For these reasons, one should avoid such transactions.
However, Mufti Rashid Ahmad Ludhyanwi Rahimahullah has mentioned certain permissible alternatives for such transactions in Ahsanal-Fatawa. Among them is the option that you have stated above, which is appointing an agent to take possession:
“The purchaser may appoint someone at the place where the goods were purchased, or appoint a freight or shipping company as his agent, to take possession of the goods. Once possession has been taken on his behalf, it becomes permissible to sell the goods.”
(Ahsanul Fatawa, Vol. 6, p. 525)
Concerning the appointment of a Wakeel, the supplier cannot act as your Wakeel; this is not permissible because one person cannot be the seller and the Wakeel at once; a third person must be appointed to act as your Wakeel. Furthermore, it will be best to specify one’s intention to the Wakeel when appointing him as one’s Wakeel. Moreover, this transaction cannot be carried out on credit; the client will have to pay you for the products before you order them from the supplier.
. الْوَكِيلُ بِالْبَيْعِ لَا يَمْلِكُ شِرَاءَهُ لِنَفْسِهِ لِأَنَّ الْوَاحِدَ لَا يَكُونُ مُشْتَرِيًا وَبَائِعًا كَذَا فِي الْوَجِيزِ لِلْكَرْدَرِيِّ. وَلَوْ أَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَبِيعَ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ أَوْ يَشْتَرِيَ لَمْ يَجُزْ أَيْضًا وَكَذَا لَوْ بَاعَ الْوَكِيلُ مِنْ ابْنٍ لَهُ صَغِيرٍ لَمْ يَجُزْ وَلَوْ بَاعَ مِنْ عَبْدِهِ أَوْ مُكَاتَبِهِ لَا يَجُوزُ بِالْإِجْمَاعِ كَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِ الْوَهَّاجِ.
ج3 – ص589 – كتاب الفتاوى العالمكيرية الفتاوى الهندية – الباب الثالث في الوكالة بالبيع
قال: “ومن وكل رجلا بشراء شيء فلا بد من تسمية جنسه وصفته أو جنسه ومبلغ ثمنه” ليصير الفعل الموكل به معلوما فيمكنه الائتمار، “إلا أن يوكله وكالة عامة فيقول: ابتع لي ما رأيت”؛ لأنه فوض الأمر إلى رأيه، فأي شيء يشتريه يكون ممتثلا.
ج3 – ص138 – كتاب الهداية في شرح بداية المبتدي – باب الوكالة في البيع والشراء
؛ (وَمِنْهَا) أَنْ يَكُونَ مَقْبُوضًا فِي مَجْلِسِ السَّلَمِ لِأَنَّ الْمُسْلَمَ فِيهِ دَيْنٌ، وَالِافْتِرَاقُ لَا عَنْ قَبْضِ رَأْسِ الْمَالِ يَكُونُ افْتِرَاقًا عَنْ دَيْنٍ بِدَيْنٍ وَإِنَّهُ مَنْهِيٌّ عَنْهُ لِمَا رُوِيَ أَنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ «نَهَى عَنْ بَيْعِ الْكَالِئِ بِالْكَالِئِ» أَيْ النَّسِيئَةِ بِالنَّسِيئَةِ، وَلِأَنَّ مَأْخَذَ هَذَا الْعَقْدِ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى هَذَا الشَّرْطِ فَإِنَّهُ يُسَمَّى سَلَمًا وَسَلَفًا لُغَةً وَشَرْعًا،
ج5 – ص202 – كتاب بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع – – المكتبة الشاملة
عنِ ابنِ عبَّاسٍ رَضِي اللهُ عنهما قال: ((قدِمَ النَّبيُّ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ المدينةَ وهم يُسلِفونَ في الثِّمارِ السَّنةَ والسَّنَتينِ، فقال: مَن أسلَفَ في تَمرٍ، فلْيُسلِفْ في كَيلٍ مَعلومٍ، ووَزنٍ مَعلومٍ، إلى أجَلٍ مَعلومٍ )
أخرَجَه البُخاريُّ (2240)، ومسلمٌ (1604) واللَّفظُ له.
ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Mufti Muhammad Bhayla
Date: 29 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1448 / 11 September 20226
CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:
Mufti Yacoob Vally Saheb