Trade and honest dealing in the legacy of Imam al-Bukhari
The famous collection of the Bukhara scholar Imam al-Bukhari contains a separate book devoted to buying and selling. We take an impartial look at how its idea of truthfulness and not concealing defects is in harmony with today's market and accounting discipline.
A market consists of more than prices and goods: at its foundation lies trust. If the buyer does not trust the seller, even the lowest price will not save the sale. This idea also holds a special place in a work compiled more than a thousand years ago by a son of Bukhara.
Key points
- About the scholar. Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari was born in Bukhara in 810 and died in 870 in the village of Khartank near Samarkand. Britannica calls him one of the greatest compilers and scholars of hadith.
- A culture of checking sources. His work "Al-Tarikh al-kabir" ("The Great History") is mentioned in the sources as a collection of information about the people who transmitted hadith. In other words, al-Bukhari relied on the principle that not only the information itself but also who transmitted it must be checked.
- A separate book on trade. His "Sahih" collection contains the "Kitab al-buyu'", the "Book of Sales"; in the widely used numbering it is Book 34. In the English translation of widely used hadith databases such as Sunnah.com it is given the title "Sales and Trade".
- Truthfulness and disclosing defects. Hadith 2079 in this book (narrated by Hakim ibn Hizam) states that the buyer and the seller retain the option to confirm or cancel the deal until they part; if both speak truthfully and disclose the defects, their sale is blessed, but if they conceal and lie, the blessing of the sale is lost.
- In today's language. This idea is in harmony with modern market concepts: disclosure of information, accurate presentation of the quality of goods, and voluntary confirmation of the agreement by both parties.
- The link to accounting. Accounting has the same spirit: every transaction is supported by a document, the invoice shows the actual quantity and price, and defective goods are reflected separately.
- An impartial note. This article does not issue religious rulings and does not discuss questions of jurisprudence (for example, scholars' views on how "parting" is to be understood). We have only shown the economic aspect of a historical and cultural heritage.
Example: the price of a concealed defect
The "Ziyo Mebel" shop can take two different paths (prepared by the author, hypothetical figures). Of the 10 tables in the warehouse, 2 have scratches.
| Path | Today's takings | Later consequences |
|---|---|---|
| Hide the defect and sell all of them at 1 500 000 soum | 15 000 000 | 2 buyers come back: the money is refunded, two customers are lost, the shop's reputation suffers |
| Sell 8 at 1 500 000 and, openly disclosing it, the 2 defective ones at 1 100 000 | 14 200 000 | No returns, buyers are satisfied, the markdown of the defective goods is supported by a document in the accounts |
On the first path 800 000 soum more comes in today, but returns, lost customers and the cost of rework quickly eat up this difference. Openness is not only an ethical choice but also a long-term economic calculation.