Chapter on Usury (Riba)
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 3|Book 2|Chapter 27
وَ سَأَلَهُ عَبْدُ اَلرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ اَلْحَجَّاجِ: عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يَشْتَرِي اَلطَّعَامَ مِنَ اَلرَّجُلِ لَيْسَ عِنْدَهُ وَ يَشْتَرِي مِنْهُ حَالاًّ قَالَ "لاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ" قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنَّهُمْ يُفْسِدُونَهُ عِنْدَنَا قَالَ "فَأَيَّ شَيْءٍ يَقُولُونَ فِي اَلسَّلَمِ" قُلْتُ لاَ يَرَوْنَ فِيهِ بَأْساً يَقُولُونَ هَذَا إِلَى أَجَلٍ فَإِذَا كَانَ إِلَى غَيْرِ أَجَلٍ وَ لَيْسَ هُوَ عِنْدَ صَاحِبِهِ فَلاَ يَصْلُحُ فَقَالَ "إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ أَجَلٌ كَانَ أَحَقَّ بِهِ" ثُمَّ قَالَ "لاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ يَشْتَرِيَ اَلرَّجُلُ اَلطَّعَامَ وَ لَيْسَ هُوَ عِنْدَ صَاحِبِهِ إِلَى أَجَلٍ وَ حَالاًّ لاَ يُسَمِّي لَهُ أَجَلاً إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ بَيْعاً لاَ يُوجَدُ مِثْلُ اَلْعِنَبِ وَ اَلْبِطِّيخِ وَ شِبْهِهِ فِي غَيْرِ زَمَانِهِ فَلاَ يَنْبَغِي شِرَاءُ ذَلِكَ حَالاًّ".
Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj asked Imam عليه السلام about a man who buys food from another man who does not have it in his possession and buys it immediately (without delay). Imam عليه السلام said: "There is no harm in it." I said: "But they consider it invalid among us." Imam عليه السلام said: "What do they say about salam (forward contracts)?" I said: "They see no harm in it because it is for a specified term. However, if it is without a specified term and not in the seller's possession, they say it is invalid." Imam عليه السلام said: "If there is no specified term, then it is even more justified." Then Imam عليه السلام said: "There is no harm in a man buying food that is not in the seller's possession, whether on credit or immediately, without specifying a term, unless it is for items that are not commonly available, such as grapes, melons, and similar goods outside their season. In such cases, it is not proper to buy them immediately."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh, p. 246