Answer
Can I sell some of the flour I receive at the state-subsidized price at the free market price?
✅ Answer: Please pay attention to the following hadiths:
1 عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ مِنَّا يَشْتَرِي مِنَ السُّلْطَانِ مِنْ إِبِلِ الصَّدَقَةِ وَ غَنَمِ الصَّدَقَةِ وَ هُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَأْخُذُونَ مِنْهُمْ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِمْ قَالَ فَقَالَ مَا الْإِبِلُ وَ الْغَنَمُ إِلَّا مِثْلَ الْحِنْطَةِ وَ الشَّعِيرِ وَ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ حَتَّى تَعْرِفَ الْحَرَامَ بِعَيْنِهِ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 228
Abu Ubaydah narrated from Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him): I asked him about a man from among us (the Shiites) who buys camels and sheep of sadaqah (zakat) from the ruler (sultan), while knowing that they have taken more than the obligatory right from the people. The Imam said: 'Camels and sheep are no different than wheat, barley, and other things; there is no harm in buying it unless you recognize the forbidden (haram) specifically in its essence!'
2 عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ قَالَ: أَرَادُوا بَيْعَ تَمْرِ عَيْنِ أَبِي زِيَادٍ فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَشْتَرِيَهُ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ حَتَّى أَسْتَأْمِرَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فَأَمَرْتُ مُعَاذاً فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ قُلْ لَهُ يَشْتَرِيهِ فَإِنَّهُ إِنْ لَمْ يَشْتَرِهِ اشْتَرَاهُ غَيْرُهُ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 229
Jamil ibn Salih said: They wanted to sell the dates of the spring of Abu Ziyad (a government official), and I wanted to buy them, but I said, let me seek permission from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him). I sent Mu'adh, and he asked the Imam. The Imam said: 'Tell him to buy it, because if he does not buy it, someone else will!'
3 عَنْ عَلِیِّ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِیمَ عَنْ أَبِیهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِی عُمَیْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِیِّ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الشَّرْطِ فِی الْإِمَاءِ لَا تُبَاعُ وَ لَا تُورَثُ وَ لَا تُوهَبُ فَقَالَ یَجُوزُ ذَلِکَ غَیْرَ الْمِیرَاثِ فَإِنَّهَا تُورَثُ وَ کُلُّ شَرْطٍ خَالَفَ کِتَابَ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 212
Halabi said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a condition regarding a slave girl that she should not be sold, gifted, or given as inheritance. The Imam said: 'It is permissible except for inheritance, for it will be inherited, and every condition that contradicts the Quran is rejected!'
4 عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَیْدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: الْمُسْلِمُونَ عِنْدَ شُرُوطِهِمْ إِلَّا کُلَّ شَرْطٍ خَالَفَ کِتَابَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَلَا یَجُوزُ.
📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 7, p. 22
Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Muslims must abide by their conditions, except for any condition that contradicts the Quran, which is not permissible!'
5 عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ الشَّرْطِ فِی الْإِمَاءِ لَا تُبَاعُ وَ لَا تُوهَبُ قَالَ یَجُوزُ ذَلِکَ غَیْرَ الْمِیرَاثِ فَإِنَّهَا تُورَثُ لِأَنَّ کُلَّ شَرْطٍ خَالَفَ الْکِتَابَ بَاطِلٌ.
📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 7, p. 67
Ibn Sinan said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the sale of slave girls on the condition that they are neither sold nor gifted. The Imam said: 'It is permissible, except for inheritance, because it is inherited, for every condition that contradicts the Quran is void!'
6 عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ یَقُولُ مَنِ اشْتَرَطَ شَرْطاً مُخَالِفاً لِکِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَا یَجُوزُ لَهُ وَ لَا یَجُوزُ عَلَی الَّذِی اشْتُرِطَ عَلَیْهِ وَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ عِنْدَ شُرُوطِهِمْ مِمَّا وَافَقَ کِتَابَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 169
Abdullah ibn Sinan said: I heard Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) say: 'Whoever sets a condition that contradicts the Quran, the Book of God, that condition is not permissible for him nor for the one upon whom it was conditioned; and Muslims must abide by their conditions (their conditions are permissible and enforceable) in matters that agree with the Book of God.'
✅ According to the above narrations and others, except for exceptional cases, transaction (sale) with the ruler is valid and permissible.
On the other hand, a condition that is stipulated within a contract and does not contradict the Quran, and does not make the lawful unlawful or the unlawful lawful, must be fulfilled.
Therefore, if the ruler has stipulated a condition within the contract for selling flour to the baker that it must only be turned into bread and sold at a specific price, the baker will not have the right to sell the flour.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر