Hadith 2239

Footnotes

1. 1

   [1] A Musarrâh is a sheep or she-camel that is not milked for one or two days, to increase the amount of milk in its udder, so that it can then be sold for a higher price. This kind of deception and cheating is forbidden in Islam.

Commentary

When people want to sell a milch animal (like: a cow, buffalo, goat or sheep etc.), they stop milking it two or three days in advance; due to which the udders become quite full with milk. Looking at the big udders, the buyer thinks that this cow, buffalo, goat or camel will give a good amount of milk; thus he buys it and pays a good price. It is a kind of deception, and deceiving someone is unlawful. Three days deadline is fixed to cancel this transaction. Because the first day's milking does not disclose the secret of cheating; as for the second day, the buyer may think that the milk was less probably because of the change of atmosphere, or because of less or more fodder; but if the milk is less on the third day as well, then it means the milk was definitely stopped by the seller from being milked, and this is how the deception was committed. Paying a Sā' of dates to the owner at the time of returning the animal is ordered on moral ground; because if the owner feels anger due to the cancellation of transaction, it may soothe the anger to some limit. It is not the price of the milk used for three days. If the buyer benefits from milk, he feeds the animal and looked after its necessary needs as well.