Does agreeing with a wholesaler to purchase goods that will be delivered later and paid for upon receipt or after a month count as selling what is absent (bay' al-gha'ib) or selling deferred for deferred (bay' al-kali' bi al-kali')?

These transactions are common and can be rectified as a sale of an absent item if the goods are owned by the merchant and are in his possession. In this case, it is not a condition for the price to be paid in cash at the time of the contract. However, if the goods are not owned by the seller but are described as being a future obligation (fi al-dhimmah), it is not permissible to purchase them with a deferred price (selling future debt for future debt – bay' al-kali' bi al-kali'). Nevertheless, the Malikis made an exception for a short deferral period. The solution is for the request for the item to be merely a promise to buy, not a sales contract, and for the transporter to act as an agent. The transaction would then be concluded upon taking possession of the goods, at which point the price becomes fixed.