From Zaid bin Thabit that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) permitted selling in Al-'Araya by estimating it. [Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih. The Hadith of Abu Hurairah is Hasan Sahih. And this is acted upon according to some of the people of knowledge. Among them Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad and Ishaq. They said Al-'Araya is an exception from the general scope of the prohibition of the Prophet (ﷺ) when he prohibited Al-Muhaqalah and Al-Muzabanah. They argued using this Hadith of Zaid bin Thabit and the Hadith of Abu Hurairah. They said that he may buy what is less than five Wasq. According to some of the people of knowledge, this means that the Prophet (ﷺ) wanted to make less restriction for them on this matter because they complained to him saying: "We dont by anything with dried dates except fruit." So he permitted them to buy less than five Wasq worth so they could eat fresh dates.
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَرْخَصَ فِي بَيْعِ الْعَرَايَا بِخَرْصِهَا . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَحَدِيثُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَيْهِ عِنْدَ بَعْضِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْهُمُ الشَّافِعِيُّ وَأَحْمَدُ وَإِسْحَاقُ وَقَالُوا إِنَّ الْعَرَايَا مُسْتَثْنَاةٌ مِنْ جُمْلَةِ نَهْىِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذْ نَهَى عَنِ الْمُحَاقَلَةِ وَالْمُزَابَنَةِ وَاحْتَجُّوا بِحَدِيثِ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ وَحَدِيثِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَقَالُوا لَهُ أَنْ يَشْتَرِيَ مَا دُونَ خَمْسَةِ أَوْسُقٍ . وَمَعْنَى هَذَا عِنْدَ بَعْضِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَرَادَ التَّوْسِعَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي هَذَا لأَنَّهُمْ شَكَوْا إِلَيْهِ وَقَالُوا لاَ نَجِدُ مَا نَشْتَرِي مِنَ الثَّمَرِ إِلاَّ بِالتَّمْرِ فَرَخَّصَ لَهُمْ فِيمَا دُونَ خَمْسَةِ أَوْسُقٍ أَنْ يَشْتَرُوهَا فَيَأْكُلُوهَا رُطَبًا .
Tirmizi
The Book on Business • Hadith 1312