What constitutes the beginning of ripeness (bada’u salah) for various types of fruit?
Chapter on Selling Assets and Fruits
Al-Mughni
Book of Sales
Primary text
For date palm fruit, ripeness begins with the appearance of redness or yellowness. For grapes, ripeness is achieved when they turn sweet (tamyyum) and become soft, and the color shifts to yellow if they are white grapes. For fruits that do not change color, such as apples, ripeness is determined when they become sweet or possess a pleasant taste. For melons and similar items, ripeness is determined by the indication of maturity. For items eaten at any stage of size, like cucumbers and gourds, ripeness is reaching the size customarily eaten. This view is held by Malik, Al-Shafi'i, and many scholars. The evidence supporting this general principle is the Hadith: 'The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, forbade the selling of fruit until it becomes good (tayyib)' and the narration stating that he forbade selling fruit until it becomes fragrant (tazhu), explaining that this means turning red or yellow. Another Hadith states he forbade selling grapes until they turn black.
Supporting text
Al-Qadi and the companions of Al-Shafi'i hold that the beginning of ripeness for non-coloring fruits is reaching their maximum size. This is argued against, as the beginning of ripeness is the initial stage, and maximum size is the end of ripeness. However, if 'maximum size' is interpreted as reaching the customary stage for harvesting, it aligns with the primary opinion. 'Ata' held that fruit should not be sold until a measure, small or large, of dates has been eaten, a view narrated from Ibn 'Umar and Ibn Abbas, though this is interpreted as reaching suitability for eating.