Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered to the Prophet ﷺ barley bread with some rancid fat on it. The Prophet ﷺ had had pawned his armor with a Jew in Al-Madeenah for some barley for his family. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) heard him saying, "The household of Muhammad did not possess even a single Saa‘ of wheat or food grains for the evening meal,” although he ﷺ has nine wives to look after..
Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ led one of the most ascetic lives, and he ﷺ was content with his little share of Rizq (i.e., provision), and generously spent all the spoils of war conferred upon him by Allah, Exalted is He, on the poor and needy and in the Cause of Allah.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet ﷺ was once invited over by a Jew - as recorded in Musnad Ahmad – for a meal of barley bread with some rancid fat on it. He ﷺ accepted his invitation and graciously ate that food.
He ﷺ once bought some barley from a Jew for a deferred price, and pawned him his armor that he ﷺ used as protection in war in return for that, because there was no food left in his house. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) heard the Prophet ﷺ say: "The household of Muhammad did not possess even a single Saa‘ of wheat or food grains for the evening meal." It means, ‘There had no wheat or barley left in their houses.’ It is noteworthy that he ﷺ did not say those words out of resentment, nor was he complaining, Allah forbid. Rather, he ﷺ said so as a justification for accepting the invitation over such humble food, and for pawning his armor with the Jew.
Then Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “He ﷺ had nine wives (to look after),” meaning: while he ﷺ had nine wives, who were in dire need of food, and this clarifies the reason for his purchase of barley on credit and pawning his armor.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to sell and buy food or other commodities on credit.
It is also inferred therefrom that a noble and knowledgeable man should buy his own needs, even if he has someone else to shoulder this task, because all the believers were keen on fulfilling the Prophet’s needs, seeking to win his pleasure and earn rewards for their Hereafter (yet he ﷺ undertook such tasks himself).
It is also deduced from it the permissibility of accepting an invitation for small (and humble) food.
The permissibility of engaging in sales transactions and pawning items of wealth with the People of the Book (i.e., the Christians and Jews) is also deduced from the hadeeth..