Purchasing the harvest before it appears

Q: Is it permissible to sell the fruit of a tree before the season of its growth (i.e. before it appears on the tree)?

A: In order for a sale to be valid, the sale item has to be existent at the time of the sale. In this case, since the sale item is non-existent, the sale will not take place.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

(ومن باع ثمرة بارزة) أما قبل الظهور فلا يصح اتفاقا (ظهر صلاحها أو لا صح) في الأصح (الدر المختار 4/555)

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)