Question 1376: I sold my house for cash to someone, and he gave me an amount of money and then left to get the rest of the money for the house and has not been heard from. How long am I obligated to wait?

Answer
✅Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:
1 عن عبد الرحمن بن الْحَجَّاجِ قال: اشْتَرَیْتُ مَحْمِلًا فَأَعْطَیْتُ بَعْضَ ثَمَنِهِ و تَرَکْتُهُ عِنْدَ صَاحِبِهِ ثُمَّ احْتُبِسْتُ أَیَّاماً ثُمَّ جِئْتُ إِلَی بَائِعِ الْمَحْمِلِ لآِخُذَهُ فَقَالَ قَدْ بِعْتُهُ فَضَحِکْتُ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ لَا و اللَّهِ لَا أَدَعُکَ أَوْ أُقَاضِیَکَ فَقَالَ لِی تَرْضَی بِأَبِی بَکْرِ بْنِ عَیَّاشٍ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ فَأَتَیْتُهُ فَقَصَصْنَا عَلَیْهِ قِصَّتَنَا فقال أَبُوبَکْرٍ بِقَوْلِ مَنْ تُرِیدُ أَنْ أَقْضِیَ بَیْنَکُمَا أَبِقَوْلِ صَاحِبِکَ أَوْ غَیْرِهِ قال قُلْتُ: بِقَوْلِ صَاحِبِی قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ یَقُولُ مَنِ اشْتَرَی شَیْئاً فَجَاءَ بِالثَّمَنِ مَا بَیْنَهُ وَ بَیْنَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَیَّامٍ و إِلَّا فَلَا بَیْعَ لَهُ
📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 172
Abd al-Rahman ibn Hajjaj said: I bought a saddlebag and paid a part of its price and left it with its owner, and I was busy for a few days, and then I came to the saddlebag's seller to take it from him. He said: I sold it! I laughed and said: 'No, by Allah! I will not leave you or I will take you to the judge!' He said: 'Are you content with Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash?' I said: 'Yes!' So I went to him and we told him our story!
He said: 'By whose saying do you want me to judge between you? By the saying of your own Imam or someone else?' I said: 'By the saying of my Imam and my master!' He said: 'I heard from him (meaning from Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him) that he said: 'Whoever buys something and does not bring its price within three days, then there is no sale for him (the sale is void)!'
2 عن زرارة عن أبی جعفر قال: قُلْتُ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ یَشْتَرِی مِنَ الرَّجُلِ الْمَتَاعَ ثُمَّ یَدَعُهُ عِنْدَهُ فَیَقُولُ حَتَّی آتِیَکَ بِثَمَنِهِ قَالَ إِنْ جَاءَ فِیمَا بَیْنَهُ و بَیْنَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَیَّامٍ وَ إِلَّا فَلَا بَیْعَ لَهُ
📚Al-Faqih, Vol. 3, p. 202
Zurarah said: I said to Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): 'A person buys an item from someone and leaves that item with him and says: Let it be here until I bring its money for you.' The Imam said: 'If he comes within three days, then fine, otherwise there is no sale for him!'
3 'An Ali ibn Yaqtin anna-hu sa'ala Abil-Hasan 'an al-rajul yabi' al-bay' wa la yaqbiduhu sahibuhu wa la yaqbid al-thaman qala fa-inna al-ajal baynahuma thalathata ayyam fa-in qabada bay'ahu wa illa fala bay'a baynahuma
📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 7, p. 22
Ali ibn Yaqtin asked Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) about a person who sells an item but its owner does not take possession of it and he also does not take possession of its price; the Imam said: 'The grace period between them is three days. If he takes possession of his item, then fine, otherwise there is no sale between them!'
3 'An 'Abd Salih qala: man ishtara bay'an fa-madat thalathatu ayyam wa lam yaji' fala bay'a lahu
📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 7, p. 22
Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever buys something and three days pass and he does not come, then there is no sale for him!'
4 'An Abi Abdullah wa Abi al-Hasan fi al-rajul yashtari al-shay' alladhi yafsid min yawmihi wa yatrukuhu hatta ya'tiyahu bil-thaman qala in ja'a fima bayna-hu wa bayna al-layl bil-thaman wa illa fala bay'a lahu
📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 172
Imam Sadiq and Imam Kazim (peace be upon them) said about a person who has bought something that spoils on the same day and has left it with the seller to bring its price: 'If he brings its price from that time until night, then fine, otherwise there is no sale for him!'
6 'An Abi Abdullah fi hadith qala: al-'uhda fima yafsid min yawmihi mithl al-buqul wa al-bittikh wa al-fawakih yawm ila al-layl
📚Al-Faqih, 3, p. 203
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'The guarantee regarding what spoils on the same day, such as vegetables, melons, and fruits, is from day until night!'
✅Based on the above narrations and others, if an item is traded but:
1. The full price of the item has not been given to the seller.
2. And the buyer has not taken possession of the item.
3. And they have not stipulated a period for the time of paying the price of the item or a part of it.
4. And they have not stipulated a period for the time of the delivery of the item or a part of it.
The validity of this transaction is for a period of three days, and if the buyer does not come to take possession of the item and pay its price within three days, there is no sale between them, and the seller can sell the mentioned item to another person.
✅This period is from day until night for things that spoil in one day.
✅Deferred sale and pre-sale are not subject to the above rulings.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ و آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ و الْعَافِیَةَ و النَّصْر