Hadith 3205a

(1) The statement: To describe her to her husband as if he were looking at her. In Sharh Al-Akmal: Jurists have used this hadith as evidence for the permissibility of forward sales in animals, as it indicates that describing something makes it as if it were seen. Thus, it is something whose characteristics can be precisely defined and its quantity known, like something tangible and observed at the time of sale. Whatever can have its characteristics precisely defined and its quantity known is permissible for forward sale by consensus. I say: The Prophet’s (ﷺ) statements indicate that describing something makes it as if it were seen in what is observed, as evidenced by his saying: As if he were looking at her. The prohibition of forward sales in animals according to Abu Hanifah is not from this perspective, but because animals include internal characteristics that cannot be known by looking at them. Thus, it is something whose characteristics cannot be precisely defined, and what cannot have its characteristics precisely defined is not permissible for forward sale. This is stated in Al-Mirqat.

(۱)قوله: فتنعتها لزوجها كأنه ينظر إليها في شرح الأكمل: قد استدل الفقهاء بهذا الحديث على جواز السلم في الحيوان؛ لأنه أخبر أن وصف الشيء يجعله كالمعاينة، فكان مما يمكن ضبط صفته ومعرفة مقداره كالمحسوس المشاهد حال البيع، وما أمكن ضبط صفته ومعرفة مقداره جاز السلم فيه بالاتفاق. وأقول: إن أخبار النبي ﷺ يَدُلُّ على أن وصف الشيء يجعله كالمعاينة فيما هو منظور بدليل قوله: كأنه ينظر إليها، وعدم جواز السلم في الحيوان عند أبي حنيفة ليس من تلك الجهة، بل من حيث إن الحيوان يشتمل على أوصاف باطنية، لا يطلع عليها بالنظر إليه، فكان مما لا يمكن ضبط صفته، وما لا يمكن ضبط صفته لا يجوز السلم فيه. قاله في «المرقاة».