Kinds of trade and dealings were already spread among people long before religion came. That is because ways of ethical and material interaction are of the necessities of life and do not depend on revelation from the sky.

Prior to Islam, and in the countries deprived from it after it was revealed, many economical, social, and political relations have been established among people and traveled through paths drawn by thoughts and desires.

When revelation came it took upon itself to clean these dealings from the dirtiness that attached to them and it interfered in their essences and appearance to make them agree with its principles and ideals.

If these dealings were sound and clean then Islam verified them without delay or change.

Let�s take selling and buying as an accustomed dealing. All that Islam asked from such dealing is to rise high above sins of cheating, fraud, deception, usury and so on�

It is known what kinds of dealings might suffer from flaws due to the overcome of special needs and evil interests and that�s why Islam managed them in a way that would secure people�s interest and achieve them justice.

This is what Islam has set for the different natures of contracts, manners, and methods of dealings that were considered sound and straight, and in the best interest and justice.

And because Islam is a religion that confronts people�s conditions by judging with laws that would establish justice and best interest. It is not a technical study of law and its principles, purposes, and means rather it is a practical application that would rule in people�s matters by law that if they were meditated by people of wisdom they would find in them the elite of principles and the best of legislation.

Drought is the nature of law and matters of legislation are almost something that would resemble matters of the soul, actions of hearts and movements of emotions.

But if you followed the method of Islam in curing what might circle among people from dealings you would find it elevating them and inspire in them from its celestial nature.

You find them transform from harsh rigid texts into commandments that can be the least described as legislation of behaviors and courses in literature.

You would see evidences of that of the examples that we would set forward to you.

Another important thing that we would like to clarify:
Building dealings around common interest doesn�t mean that all what people agree upon is a good deed. Absolutely not, because what Islam has set as prohibited can never be considered as common interest like usury or adultery�and consent of concerned parties would never make these two sins something legal even if the whole laws in earth agreed on that.

We have pointed out that the web of religious legislation stretches throughout society not leaving any part of it out. But we can�t of course in this brief discussion cover the paths of direction Islam contained.

Showing models of its legislation in two important sectors of public life would satisfy us.

From these models you can be acquainted with the prevailing nature in these kinds of dealings.

Trading Sector

First: trading sector and what takes place in it from giving and taking, mortgages and reconciliation, credit and fees�etc.
Second: Political sector and what it deals with from war and peace, truces, treaties, invitation, and rejection and acceptance�etc.

There is a group of the Prophet�s Ahadeeth regarding the first sector:
Abdullah bin Aoufa said that a man exhibited merchandise in the market and he swore by Allah that he was offered a higher price than what a man offered him in order to deceive him to buy it so Allah revealed the verse in the Quran:
As for those who sell the faith they owe to Allah and their own plighted word for a small price, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter: nor will Allah (deign to) speak to them or look at them on the Day of Judgment, nor will He cleanse them (of sin): they shall have a grievous Penalty. 3:77

In another occasion the Prophet pbuh passed by a man selling food (grains). The Prophet asked him: How do you sell?
So the man told him then the Prophet pbuh inserted his hand into it and found that it was wet from the inside. The Prophet said, �He who cheats is not one of us.� (Abu Daoud)

In another narration the Prophet asked the man, �What�s this owner of this food?� The man said the rain messenger of Allah wet it. The Prophet pbuh said, �Couldn�t you have placed it on top so people can see it? Then he said, �He who cheats is not from me.� (Muslim)

In another narration Hakeem bin Huzam narrated that the Prophet pbuh said, �The seller and buyer have a choice until they part. If they were honest and clear of what they deal then Allah would bless their trade, but if they lied and hid the truth then the blessing of their trade would be washed away.� (Bukhari)

Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet pbuh said, �Don�t stand in the way of those riding to go to market and people of the city should not buy things people of the nomads coming to sell things in the market to buy from them and then sell things later with a higher price in the market.�

In another narration, �If one met those coming to sell into market and bought from him then the choice would remain open for the original owner to acknowledge or refuse the sell once he reaches the market.� (Muslim)

Ali said:
A time will come on people where hardships would prevail. In this time the rich and wealthy will keep a tight grip on what�s in their hands despite not being ordered to do so. And Allah said �and do not forget liberality between yourselves. For Allah sees well all that ye do.

And people in need would sell their belongings though the Prophet prohibited the selling of those in need. (Abu Daoud)

Jaber said:
�The Prophet pbuh cursed the one who takes usury, the one who asks for it, the one who writes it and the two who testify on it, and said they are all the same.� (Muslim)

Ibn Omar said:
I used to sell white camels with Dinars (type of money) and then I would buy dark colored camels then sell them for money. I came to the prophet pbuh coming out of Hafsa�s house (his wife) and I asked him about that and he said, �It�s alright since you deal with the value (money)� (Asahab Al-Sun�nen)


Ibn Abbas said:
The Prophet pbuh came to Madinah while its people are used to credit the fruits for a year or two, so he said, �whom ever gives credit in Dates - and in a narration in anything - let him credit a known weight and value and for a known time.� (Abu Daoud)

Abi Hurairah narrated that the prophet pbuh said that Allah almighty said, �I�m the third of the partners unless one of them betrays the other. If one of them does so I walk out from between them.� (Abu Daoud)

Orwah bin Al-Baqi narrated that the Prophet pbuh gave him a Dinar to by a goat with it but he bought two goats then sold one of them for one Dinar and came to the Prophet with a Dinar and a goat. The Prophet made Duaa for more blessing to him when he sells and buys and it happened that if he bought sand he would make profit out of it. (Abu Daoud)

Omar bin Aouf Al-Muzni narrated that the Prophet pbuh said, �Reconciliation among Muslims is acceptable unless it makes something prohibited legal or prohibits something allowed. And Muslims are free to put on it their own conditions unless these conditions make it something Halal Haram or makes something Haram Halal.� (Tirmidi)

Kaab bin Malik said that a man argued a debt he had taken from another one in the Masjid and they argued until their voice reached the Prophet pbuh in his house. The Prophet came out and asked Kaab to take half of the debt on him. Malik accepted then the Prophet pbuh asked Kaab to pay what he owes. (Bukhari)

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Political Sector

And here is a group of Ahadeeth regarding the Political Sector:
Ataa� bin Yasar narrated that the Prophet pbuh sent Ali on an army for some people and told him, �Go and don�t turn back.� He asked, Oh messenger of Allah, how should I treat them?
He said, �If you reach their grounds don�t fight them until they kill one of you and if they did don�t fight them until you show them the one they killed.
Then tell them: would you testify that there is only one God?
If they agreed tell them: would you make Salat?
If they agreed tell them: would you pay charity from your money?
If they agreed then don�t ask anything else from them�I swear that if Allah guided one man on your hands to Islam is better from all that the sun rises and sets on.� (Ahmad)

Abd Al-Rahman bin A�iz said that when the Prophet wanted to send an army to some people he would tell them, �Be friendly to people and be patient with them. Don�t attack them until you ask them to Islam. If you bring them to me Muslims is more beloved to me than to bring their women and children as captives after you have killed their men.�

And when Abu Bakr sent Yazeed bin Abi Sufian on a head of an army. They brought Abu Bakr with his camel to ride it but he refused and took of his shoes and walked bare feet desiring that his feet get dusty in the sake of Allah then he said to Yazeed I advice you with ten matters so don�t forget them:
You are going to meet people who claim that they dedicated themselves to God in chapels so let them with whatever they are dedicated to.
And you�re going to meet people who shaved their heads from the middle (warriors) so cut their heads with the swords but don�t kill a child, nor a woman, nor an old man and don�t cut any tree that is about to bloom. And don�t burn any palm trees nor vine and don�t slaughter any cows or sheep or any kinds of animals except what you slaughter for food.�

In another Hadeeth Abi Hurairah narrated that a man said, oh messenger of Allah I want to ask about a man who fights for the sake of Allah but he is fighting to achieve some of this life�s rewards in addition? The Prophet replied, �No reward is for him.� People told the man to ask the Prophet again and he did 3 times. The Prophet pbuh gave the same answer in each time he asked. (Abu Daoud)

At one time the Muslim army besieged one of the Persian places and the leader of the Muslim army was Salman Al- Faresi (the Persian). The army asked Salman to let them attack them but he said No let me call them as I heard the Prophet pbuh call. He came to them and said, I�m one of you a Persian and the Arabs obey me. If you accept Islam then you get and do as we do. If you refused we would accept tribute from you. They said we are not the kind of people who pay tribute, we will fight you. He kept asking them for 3 days and after that he ordered his army to fight and they opened that palace. (Tirmidi)

On another occasion, Muawiah, one of the Muslim Caliphs, had a treaty with the Romans and when the time of the treaty expired he attacked them. After that came a man name riding a horse saying Allahu Akbar (Allah is the greatest) fidelity not betrayal.
Muawiah asked him and he said, I heard the Prophet pbuh say, �Whoever had a treaty with some people he shouldn�t free himself from that treaty until it�s time is over or until he rejects the treaty and tell them about that.� Muawiah pulled his army back from the Romans territory after that. (Tirmidi)

Abu Hurairah said, we went out with the Prophet in the year of Khaibar (when Muslims fought the Jews of Khaibar) and we didn�t capture any gold or silver but some clothes and furniture and food. After that the Prophet headed to a valley called (Wadi Al-Qiraa) and with him was a slave given to him as a gift and his name was Mid�ama.
While the slave was guiding the camel of the Prophet an arrow hit him and he got killed. People said, congratulation he earned the Jennah.
The Prophet pbuh said, �No, I swear that the cloak that he stole from the booty on the day of Khaibar is burning fire on him.�
When people heard that a man came and surrendered a shoelace or two to the Prophet. The Prophet pbuh said, �a shoelace or two from fire.�

Abi Masoud said, the Prophet pbuh sent me as a messenger to collect charity money and said, �Go Abu Masoud but don�t come to me on the day of Judgement carrying on your back one of the charity camels you had stolen from charity.�
Abu Masoud said, then I shouldn�t go. The Prophet pbuh said, �Then I will not force you.� (Bukhari)

Abi Bukrah said, I heard the Prophet pbuh said, �who ever kills a man with a vow without having the excuse to kill him Allah will make Paradise forbidden on him.� And in another narration �Allah will deprive him from its smell.�

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