Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 260
260 A buyer must not resell goods purchased by him without seeing or weighing them, for this opens the door to disputes and disagreements. If there is a shortage or defect in the quality of the goods each seller will, in such a case, try to shift the responsibility on to the one from whom he had himself purchased the goods. Again, Islam forbids false competition, or swell- ing prices at an auction by false bids, or deceiving a prospective buyer as to prices by procuring fictitious offers. Traders and purchasers are forbidden to go out of the market and make bargains with intending sellers coming into a town with articles and goods for sale. The goods must be permitted to come into the market so that the owners may ascertain the state of the market with regard to their wares to avoid their becoming the vic- tims of any sharp practices. Islam forbids trading in unascertained goods; the goods must be ascertained and specified either by the buyer himself or his agent. Sales in the form of lotteries are prohibited and so is speculation in connection with the fluctuations of prices, for these are merely different forms of gambling and do not fall within the category of legitimate trade or commerce. Another aspect of social relations is that relating to conferences, meetings and social functions. These are intimately connected with the social life of man and have deep and far reaching consequences. I shall, there- fore, state the teachings of Islam concerning these matters also.