LessonsKitab al-Buyu: Offer, Acceptance, Binding Sales and Price ClarityQuiz

وَالْأَثْمَانُ الْمُطْلَقَةُ لَا تَصِحُّ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ مَعْرُوفَةَ الْقَدْرِ وَالصِّفَةِ.
Translation: Unspecified monetary prices owed as an obligation are not sound unless their amount and type or description are known.

When the price is an unparticularized monetary obligation, both amount and description or currency type must be known.

“500 rupees” supplies a numerical amount and named currency. “I will pay you some money later” leaves the price uncertain. Competing currency types make explicit description especially important.

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Amount and Description of the Price

Kitab al-Buyu: Offer, Acceptance, Binding Sales and Price Clarity

وَالْأَثْمَانُ الْمُطْلَقَةُ لَا تَصِحُّ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ مَعْرُوفَةَ الْقَدْرِ وَالصِّفَةِ.
Translation: Unspecified monetary prices owed as an obligation are not sound unless their amount and type or description are known.

When the price is an unparticularized monetary obligation, both amount and description or currency type must be known.

“500 rupees” supplies a numerical amount and named currency. “I will pay you some money later” leaves the price uncertain. Competing currency types make explicit description especially important.