As for our position, this expression does not necessitate the option absolutely, nor does it necessitate restricting it to three [days]. The principle is to interpret the expression according to what it entails. The report, in the manner they cited as evidence, was only narrated by Ibn Majah as mursal (a report with a broken chain of narrators), and they do not view the mursal as an authoritative proof. Furthermore, they did not follow the hadith according to its [apparent] meaning; rather, they only accepted it in the case of one who knows that its implication is the establishment of the three-day option. Yet no one can know that, because the wording does not entail it; so how could he know that its implication is something that is not its implication? Moreover, it was specific to Habban, as evidenced by what we have narrated, and because it established the right of return for him against someone who did not know its implication.

Section: If one stipulates the option as a ruse to derive benefit from a loan, in order to acquire the yield of the sold item and its benefit during the period the borrower is benefiting from the price, then returns the item via the option upon returning the price, there is no good (33) in that, because it is among the ruses. It is not lawful for the receiver of the price to benefit from it during the option period, nor to dispose of it. Al-Athram said: I heard Abu Abd Allah being asked about a man who buys something from a man and says: "You have the option until such and such [time]," like real estate? He said: "It is permissible if it is not a ruse; he intended to lend it to him, so he takes the real estate from him to derive profit from it, and grants him the option in it, to gain profit on what he lent him through this ruse. If he did not intend this, then there is no harm." It was said to Abu Abd Allah: "What if he intended to facilitate [the matter] for him; he intended to lend him money he feared would be lost, so he bought something from him and granted him the option, without intending a ruse?" Abu Abd Allah replied: "This is permissible, except that if he dies, the option is terminated; it does not pass to his heirs. [And Ahmad's statement regarding permissibility in this issue is interpreted to refer to an item that cannot be benefited from except by consuming it, or to the fact that the purchaser does not benefit from the item during the option period, so as not to lead to a situation where a loan draws a benefit] (34).

Section: If he says: "I have sold to you on the condition that you pay me the price within three [days], or a known period, otherwise there is no sale between us," then the sale is valid. He stipulated this explicitly. Abu Hanifa, al-Thawri, Ishaq, and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan held this view. Abu Thawr also held this view if the condition is for up to three [days]. A similar view was narrated