BARTER DISAPPROVED

In some matters, the Prophet was modern.  He disapproved of the barter system and in its place stood for money-exchange.  The collector of the revenues from Khaibar once brought Muhammad some fine dates.  Muhammad asked whether all the dates of Khaibar were of such fine quality.  The collector said: �No.  We got one sA [of fine dates] for two sAs [of inferior dates].� Muhammad disapprovingly replied: �Don�t do that; rather sell the inferior quality of dates for dirhams[money], and then buy the superior quality with the help of dirhams� (3870).

author : ram swarup

IMPROPER EARNINGS

Muhammad also �forbade the charging of price of the dog, and earnings of a prostitute and sweets offered to a KAhin[soothsayer]� (3803).  He said that �the worst earning is the earning of a prostitute, the price of a dog and the earning of a cupper� (3805).

Muhammad had a great dislike for dogs.  He said: �It is your duty to kill the jet-black [dog] having two spots [on the eyes], for it is a devil� (3813).  �Abdullah, �Umar�s son, tells us that the Prophet �ordered to kill dogs, and he sent men to the corners of Medina that they should be killed. . . . and we did not spare any dog that we did not kill� (3810, 3811).  Later on, on representation, an exception was made in the case of dogs meant for hunting and for protecting the herds.  With the exception of these dogs, anyone who kept a dog �lost two qIrAt [the name of a measure] of reward every day� (3823).

Muhammad also forbade the sale of wine, carcasses, swine, and idols.  �May Allah the Exalted and Majestic destroy the Jews; when Allah forbade the use of fat of the carcass for them [see Leviticus 3:17], they melted it, and then sold it and made use of its price� (3840).

author : ram swarup

THE PROPHET AS A LANDLORD

Several ahAdIs (3758-3763) show that Muhammad�s own business practices could be sharp.  �Abdullah, the son of �Umar, reports that �when Khaibar had been conquered, it came under the sway of Allah, that of his Messenger and that of the Muslims� (3763).  Muhammad made an agreement with the Jews of Khaibar that they could retain the date-palms and the land on the condition that they worked them with their own wealth (seeds, implements) and gave �half of the yield to Allah�s Messenger� (3762).  Out of this half, �Allah�s Apostle got the fifth part,� and the rest was �distributed� (3761).  This lends credence to the common observation that those who control the funds, whether in the name of Allah or the state or the poor, are apt to spend them first on themselves.

These acquisitions enabled Muhammad to give each of his wives 100 wasqs (1 wasq = about 425 English pounds), 80 wasqs of dates, and 20 wasqs of barley per year.  When �Umar became the KhalIfa he distributed the land and gave the wives of Allah�s Apostle the option of taking the land or the yearly wasqs.  Their reactions to this offer differed.  �Aisha and Hafza, two wives of the Prophet, �opted for land and water� (3759).

author : ram swarup

TENANCY

Muhammad also forbade the leasing of land.  �He who has land should cultivate it, but if he does not find it possible, he should lend it to his Muslim brother, but he should not accept rent from him� (3719).

author : ram swarup

CONTRACTS

Muhmmad recognized the contract system.  Unless otherwise laid down in the contract, �he who buys a tree after it has been fecunded, its fruits belongs to one who sells it. . . . and he who buys a slave, his property belongs to one who sells him� (3704).

author : ram swarup