Originally from the Arabic term “bai’atan fi bai’ah“. It is a type of sale (ba’i) in which a person offers to sell some object (e.g., commodity) for a specific cash price but for a higher price on credit. An example is an offer to sell a vehicle for $20,000 in cash and $23,000 on credit. Two sales in one can also be the case when a person sells something for a specific cash price on the condition that the purchaser will sell it back to him at a higher price on credit (this is known as ba’i al-inah). Effectively, the seller borrows a certain amount of money from the buyer on the agreement to pay off that amount with an excess (riba) at a future date. Ba’i al-inah is typically a contrivance (hilah) used to justify the payment and receipt of riba.

Two sales in one can also refers to a situation where a person offers to sell an item out of two, without specifying which one. This gives rise to uncertainty in the deal, and is, therefore, forbidden by shari’a. In all their forms and variations, “two sales in one” transactions are prohibited by shari’a.