Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaah my brothers in Islam. I am a trader selling flour products like bread, cakes, and so on in our city (Nigeria), such products can last for about 3 to 7 days irrespective of their ingredients and expenses. Thus, anyone who wishes to buy wants to buy the fresh ones (baked that same day); they ask us wether it is fresh or not. In order not to suffer a loss (if it expires we incur a loss), we try to say that it is fresh. What does Islam say about this? Thank you and God bless.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. 

Telling the buyer something other than the truth is lying and cheating and is not permissible. Indeed, there is a severe threat for the liar. The Prophet said. “Beware of lying, for lying leads to vice (wickedness, evil-doing), and vice leads to Hellfire, and a man continues to tell lies till he is written in the sight of Allaah as a liar.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The Prophet also warned us against cheating as he said, “Whoever cheats is not one of my followers.” [Muslim]

Accordingly, if the buyer asks you whether or not the bread or any other product is fresh, it is not permissible to tell him that it is fresh, because if it is not so, then this is forbidden deceit and cheating. For more benefit, please refer to fatwa 134924.

You should be truthful in all your matters, especially in your dealings and your trading, as the reward of a truthful trader is great with Allaah. Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri narrated that the Prophet said, “The truthful and trustworthy trader is with the Prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, and the martyrs.” [At-Tirmithi graded it hasan (good) and Al-Albaani labeled it saheeh lighayrih (sound due to external corroboration)]

Allaah knows best.