Prohibition of Freezing Capital and Clarifying Its Degree

The questioner:
Is the prohibition of freezing capital a prohibition of forbiddance?

The Shaykh:
It is a prohibition of disliking, not a prohibition of forbiddance. Because if it is frozen, its benefits are neglected. First, it suffers harm by decreasing through zakah and spending. Second, people are deprived of its benefits. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: It is through it that the interests of the servants are established, the interests of the owner and the interests of the people as well. They benefit from loans, they benefit from charity, they benefit from zakah. The benefit of wealth is shared. Yes.
As you see now, the people whom Allah has given wealth, how many people work for them? From the clerks to the workers, and for example the cars that carry all this. All these are benefits of wealth, and all of this is what people benefit from. Families and homes are established upon it, and countries are established upon it. What they now call investment. Investment is good if it is in what is lawful. Yes.

The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, if a person imports...

The Shaykh:
...merchants, they froze their wealth and did not work in it. Many people became idle; they had no jobs, no trades, nothing. Their interests were neglected. You say, "This is my money, I spit on it," and what about the people? You sin by this because you have neglected the interests of the people. Yes.