Riba al Fadl is a term describing the deal exchanging the same type of commodities in different quantities favoring one of the parties and this is strictly forbidden in Islam even if the quality is different.

One: Riba al-Fadl (i.e. an increase in quantity)

This means that the two items exchanged in a particular deal are of the same type but the quantity of one of them is more than the other. To give an example, a deal stipulates that the purchaser buys 1,000 kilograms of wheat for 1,200 kilograms of wheat. The two parties make the exchange when the deal is made and the increase of 200 kilograms of wheat is extra and is given for nothing in return.

Islamic law forbids this type of usury in six kinds of commodity: gold, silver, wheat, barley, dates and salt. If any of these six kinds is sold for the same kind, there can be no increase in the two quantities exchanged. 

"Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said

‘If gold is sold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, or salt for salt, then it must be one for one, and immediate exchange. Whoever gives or asks for extra commits usury. The giver and the taker are the same’

Related by Muslim, hadith No. 1,584

Anything that shares the same reason for prohibition is likewise forbidden. The reason that makes such an exchange usurious is measure and weight. 

Therefore, any extra given in a deal that exchanges quantities of the same kind that is determined by measure or weight is usurious and forbidden, even though the exchanged quantities of the same kind may differ in quality.[1]

references

  1. Ibn al-Qayyim, I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in, vol. 2, p. 140.

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