whoever increases or seeks an increase has engaged in Riba. Sell gold for silver as you wish, hand to hand; sell wheat for dates as you wish, hand to hand; and sell barley for dates as you wish, hand to hand." Recorded by Muslim (1). These specific items mentioned in the text have Riba established in them by both text (Nass) and consensus (Ijma'). Scholars have differed regarding other items; it has been narrated from Tawus and Qatada that they restricted Riba to these specific items, stating that it does not apply to others. This was also the view of Dawud and the deniers of analogy (Qiyas), arguing that everything else remains upon the original principle of permissibility, due to the words of Allah the Almighty: {And Allah has permitted trade} (2). Those who hold to the validity of analogy agree that the establishment of Riba in these items is due to a reason ('illah), and that it applies to everything in which that reason is found, for analogy is a legal proof, and it is mandatory to extract the reason for this ruling and establish it in every instance where the reason is found. The statement of Allah the Almighty: {And He has forbidden Riba} requires the prohibition of every increase, since Riba in the language means an increase, except for what we have reached a consensus to exclude. This contradicts what they mentioned. Furthermore, scholars have agreed that Riba al-Fadl (usury of excess) does not occur except in items of the same genus, except for Sa'id ibn Jubayr, who said: It is not permissible to sell one of two things of which the usage is similar for the other with an excess, such as wheat for barley, dates for raisins, and millet for sorghum; because their benefit is similar, they are treated as two types of the same genus. This contradicts the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Sell gold for silver as you wish hand to hand, and sell wheat for dates as you wish." Thus, it cannot be relied upon. Furthermore, it is invalidated by the case of gold for silver, as it is permissible to have an excess between them despite their similarity in benefit. Those who engage in reasoning the 'illah (Mu'allilun) have agreed that the 'illah for gold and silver is one, and the 'illah for the four items is one, yet they differed in the 'illah for each of them. Three narrations have been reported from Ahmad regarding this; the most famous of which is that the 'illah of Riba in gold and silver is
(1) In: "Chapter: Exchange and selling gold for paper currency for cash," from the Book of Sharecropping. Sahih Muslim 3/1210, 1211. It was also recorded by Abu Dawud, in: "Chapter: On exchange," from the Book of Sales. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/222, 223; Al-Nasa'i, in: "Chapter: Selling barley for barley," from the Book of Sales. Al-Mujtaba 7/240, 241, 242; Ibn Majah, in: "Chapter: Exchange and what is not permitted to be sold with an excess hand to hand," from the Book of Trades. Sunan Ibn Majah 2/757, 758; and Al-Darimi, in: "Chapter: On the prohibition of exchange," from the Book of Sales. Sunan al-Darimi 2/259. (2) Surah Al-Baqarah: 275.
زَادَ أوِ ازْدَادَ فَقَدْ أرْبَى، بِيعُوا الذَّهَبَ بِالْفِضَّةِ كَيْفَ شِئْتُمْ يَدًا بِيَدٍ، وَبِيعُوا الْبُرَّ بِالتَّمْرِ كَيْفَ شِئْتُمْ يَدًا بِيَدٍ، وَبِيعُوا الشَّعِيرَ بِالتَّمْرِ كَيْفَ شِئْتُمْ يَدًا بِيَدٍ". رواه مُسْلِمٌ (١). فهذه الأعْيانُ المَنْصُوصُ علَيها يَثْبُتُ الرِّبا فيها بالنَّصِّ والإجماعِ. واخْتَلَفَ أهلُ العلمِ فيما سواها، فحُكِىَ عن طَاوُسٍ وقَتادَةَ أنَّهما قَصَرا الرِّبا عليها، وقالا: لا يَجْرِي في غيرِها. وبه قال دَاوُدُ ونُفَاةُ القِياسِ، وقالوا: ما عدَاها على أصلِ الإباحَةِ؛ لقولِ اللهِ تعالى: {وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ} (٢). واتَّفَقَ القائِلُونَ بالقِياسِ على أنّ ثُبُوتَ الرِّبا فيها بعِلَّةٍ، وأنه يَثْبُتُ في كُلِّ ما وُجِدَتْ فيه عِلَّتُها؛ لأنّ القِياسَ دَلِيلٌ شَرْعِيٌّ، فيَجِبُ اسْتِخْراجُ عِلَّةِ هذا الحُكْمِ، وإثباتُه في كلِّ مَوْضِعٍ وُجِدَتْ عِلَّتُه فيه. وقولُ اللهِ تعالى: {وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا}. يَقْتَضِي تَحْرِيمَ كُلِّ زِيادَةٍ، إذ الرِّبا في اللُّغَةِ الزِّيادَةُ، إلّا ما أجْمَعْنا على تَخْصِيصِه. وهذا يُعارِضُ ما ذَكَرُوه. ثم اتَّفَقَ أهلُ العلمِ على أنّ رِبا الفَضْلِ لا يَجْرِى إلّا في الجِنْسِ الواحِدِ، إلّا سعيدَ بن جُبَيْرٍ، فإنّه قال: كُلُّ شَيْئَيْنِ يَتَقارَبُ الانْتِفاعُ بهما لا يجوزُ بَيْعُ أحَدِهِما بالآخَرِ مُتَفَاضِلًا، كالحِنْطَةِ بالشَّعِيرِ، والتَّمْرِ بالزَّبِيبِ، والذُّرَةِ بالدُّخْنِ؛ لأنّهما يَتَقارَبُ نَفْعُهُما، فجَرَيا مَجْرَى نَوْعَيْ جِنْسٍ واحِدٍ. وهذا يُخالِفُ قولَ النَّبيِّ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-: "بِيعُوا الذَّهَبَ بِالْفِضَّةِ كَيْفَ شِئْتُم يَدًا بِيَدٍ، وَبِيعُوا الْبُرَّ بِالتَّمْرِ كَيْفَ شِئْتُمْ". فلا يُعَوَّلُ عليه. ثم يَبْطُلُ بالذَّهَبِ بالفِضَّةِ، فإنّه يَجُوزُ التَّفاضُلُ فيهما مع تَقَارُبهِما. واتَّفَقَ المُعَلِّلُونَ على أنّ عِلَّةَ الذَّهَبِ والفِضَّةِ واحِدَةٌ، وعلَّةَ الأعْيانِ الأربعةِ واحِدَةٌ، ثم اخْتَلَفُوا في عِلَّةِ كُلِّ واحَدٍ منهما؛ فَرُوِىَ عن أحمدَ في ذلك ثلاثُ رِواياتٍ، أشْهَرُهُنَّ أنّ عِلَّةَ الرِّبا في الذَّهَبِ والفِضَّةِ
(١) في: باب الصرف وبيع الذهب بالورق نقدا، من كتاب المساقاة. صحيح مسلم ٣/ ١٢١٠، ١٢١١.كما أخرجه أبو داود، في: باب في الصرف، من كتاب البيوع. سنن أبي داود ٢/ ٢٢٢، ٢٢٣. والنسائي، في: باب بيع الشعير بالشعير، من كتاب البيوع. المجتبى ٧/ ٢٤٠، ٢٤١، ٢٤٢. وابن ماجه، في: باب الصرف وما لا يجوز متفاضلا يدا بيد، من كتاب التجارات. سنن ابن ماجه ٢/ ٧٥٧، ٧٥٨. والدارمي، في: باب في النهي عن الصرف، من كتاب البيوع. سنن الدارمي ٢/ ٢٥٩.(٢) سورة البقرة ٢٧٥.