Buying and Selling: Ruling on Claiming Compensation After Inflation in Unfulfilled Sale

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Imam Khamenei

Buying and Selling: Ruling on Claiming Compensation After Inflation in Unfulfilled Sale

English:

Question #1517:

I sold my property to a person who gave me a down payment by way of a check. While some considerable time has passed and the inflation rate has gone up, he still refuses to cash it and there is no money in the account. Should I claim only the amount of the check or am I entitled to demand a higher price because of inflation?

Answer #1517:

The seller has no right to demand an increase over and above the agreed price. However, assuming that the interests of the seller were damaged due to a diminishing purchasing power precipitated by the delay in paying the money by the buyer, there is a caution to make muṣālaḥah with the buyer on the difference in the price.

-Imam Khamenei, Practical Laws of Islam, Importance and Conditions of Buying and Selling