3349 - Al-Hasan ibn 'Ali narrated to us, Bishr ibn 'Umar narrated to us, Hammam narrated to us, from Qatadah, from Abu al-Khalil, from Muslim al-Makki, from Abu al-Ash'ath al-San'ani, from 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Gold for gold, whether uncoined or coined, silver for silver, whether uncoined or coined, wheat for wheat, measure for measure, barley for barley, measure for measure, dates for dates, measure for measure, and salt for salt, measure for measure. Whoever increases or seeks an increase has engaged in usury. There is no harm in selling gold for silver, the latter being the more abundant of the two, hand to hand, but not on credit. And there is no harm in selling wheat for barley, the latter being the more abundant of the two, hand to hand, but not on credit." (1)

--------------------------------------------

It was also recorded by al-Bukhari (2170) — without his statement "gold for silver" — and Muslim (1586), Ibn Majah (2260), and al-Tirmidhi (1287) via the chain of al-Layth ibn Sa'd, from al-Zuhri, from him. It is also in "Musnad Ahmad" (162) and (314), and "Sahih Ibn Hibban" (5013).

See the complete documentation and discussion of it in "Sunan Ibn Majah" in our critical edition.

Al-Khattabi said: "The meaning of 'ha' wa ha'' is mutual taking possession. The hadith scholars say 'ha wa ha' with shortened vowels, but the correct form is to lengthen them and to pronounce the alif with nasb in both. His statement 'ha'' is what a man says to his companion when he hands him something: 'hak,' meaning 'take.' They dropped the kaf from it and compensated with a lengthened vowel in place of the kaf. It is said to the singular: ha', to the dual: ha'uma, with the addition of the mim, and to the plural: ha'um. Allah, the Exalted, said: {Ha'um uqra'u kitabiyah} [Al-Haqqah: 19]. This is the statement of al-Layth ibn al-Muzaffar."

(1) Its chain of transmission is authentic. Abu al-Ash'ath al-San'ani: he is Shurahbil ibn Adah. Muslim al-Makki: he is Ibn Yasar. Abu al-Khalil: he is Salih ibn Abi Maryam. Qatadah: he is Ibn Di'amah. Hammam: he is Ibn Yahya al-'Awadhi. Al-Hasan ibn 'Ali: he is al-Khallal.

It was also recorded by al-Nasa'i (4564) via the chain of Abu al-Khalil Salih ibn Abi Maryam, and by al-Tahawi in "Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar" 4/4 via the chain of Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, from Muhammad ibn Sirin, both of them (Abu al-Khalil and Muhammad ibn Sirin) from Muslim ibn Yasar al-Makki, from him. =