such-and-such, and if you sew it such-and-such, then you have such-and-such." This is unlike his saying: "Every bucket for a date."

Section: Muhanna narrated from Ahmad regarding a man who hired a porter to Egypt for forty dinars; if he gets off at Damascus, his wage is thirty, and if he gets off at al-Raqqah, his wage is twenty. He said: If he hires him to al-Raqqah for twenty, and hires him to Damascus for ten, and hires him to Egypt for ten, it is permissible, and the porter may not return. The apparent meaning of this is that he did not rule on the validity of the first contract, because it is in the meaning of "two sales in one sale" (bay'atayn fi bay'ah), due to him giving him the choice between three contracts. It can be extrapolated that it is valid, based on the two issues before this. Al-Burzati narrated from Ahmad regarding a man who hired a man to carry a letter for him to Kufa, and said: "If you deliver the letter on such-and-such day, you have twenty, and if you are delayed by a day after that, you have ten." The lease is invalid, and he is entitled to his fair wage. This is similar to the one before it. 'Abd Allah narrated regarding someone who hired an animal, and said: "If you return it tomorrow, its rent is ten, and if you return it today, its rent is five." There is no harm in this. This narration indicates the validity of the lease, while the apparent position from Ahmad, in the narration of the group regarding what we have mentioned, is the invalidity of the contract, and it is analogous to "two sales in one sale." And Allah knows best.

Section: On the issues of the heap (subrah). There are ten issues therein. The first: He said, "I have hired you to carry this heap for me to Egypt for ten." The lease is valid, without any disagreement that we know of; because the heap is known by the observation with which its sale is permissible, so hiring for it is permissible, just as if its weight (kayl) were known. The second: He said, "I have hired you to carry it for me, every qafiz for a dirham." It is also valid. Al-Shafi'i held this view. Abu Hanifa said: It is valid for one qafiz, and void for anything beyond that. The basis of the disagreement is the disagreement regarding its sale, which we have already mentioned.