Original Question: Nowadays, we buy goods just by looking at their picture and descriptions, not the actual goods itself. Are there any issues with this contemporary arrangement? #

There are no issues with buying and selling through a photo advert with proper descriptions with no ambiguity.

In fiqh, it is called bay’ ‘ainul mausufah (selling of described goods).

It is essential to highlight that the permissibility of this transaction boils down to how clear it is from any ambiguity, either product description or mode of delivery.

Al-Mualamasah and al-Munabazah are examples of prohibited transactions due to product description ambiguity. The former is the buying and selling goods based solely on touching the object without looking at it.

For instance, if the item is a shirt, a buyer would only feel it without looking at its colour, size, and design. The latter can be interpreted as buying and selling by throwing. The seller throws the goods to the buyer while the buyer throws money to the seller (in a busy and packed marketplace).

All and all, issues will arise if the description given in the advert is different from the product being sold due to fraudulent intentions.

Thus, consumers should exercise caution when purchasing products in this manner.