Buying and Selling: Conditions of the Seller and the Buyer

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Ayatullah Sistani

Ruling 2091

Six conditions must be fulfilled by the seller and the buyer [for the transaction to be valid]:

1. They must be of the age of legal responsibility (bāligh);

2. They must be sane (ʿāqil);

3. They must not be foolish with finances (safīh); i.e. they must not spend their wealth in futile ways;

4. They must have an intention to buy and sell. Therefore, if, for example, someone jokingly says, ‘I sell my property’, the transaction is void;

5. They must not be compelled by anyone [to carry out the transaction];

6. They must, respectively, be the owners of the commodity being sold and the payment made in exchange.

The rulings about these conditions will be explained below.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Buying and Selling