What is the ruling on one who hoards a commodity and then brings it out and increases its price?

The questioner : Is it permissible for a merchant who has stored goods at an old price to increase the price when prices rise? May Allah reward you with good...?

The Shaykh : Of course, it is permissible; because trade does not take place except in this way. However, we must distinguish between this kind of storage when prices rise due to a scarcity of goods, and we must distinguish between this and hoarding. The Messenger (peace be upon him) said regarding the prohibition of hoarding: Note that in the Arabic language, *kha'it* (wrongdoer) is not the same as *mukhtai'* (one who errs). *Kha'it* means a sinner; whereas *mukhtai'* is one for whom a person is not held accountable for his error if it resulted from his independent legal reasoning. So his saying (peace be upon him): means a sinner, meaning he deserves accountability and punishment from Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). So what is hoarding? So that we can distinguish between this forbidden hoarding and this merchant who bought goods during a time of cheapness, a time when goods were abundant in the markets. This is a natural system in economics: the more the supply of goods, the lower the price, and vice versa. So the skilled, shrewd merchant is the one who tracks opportunities and buys goods when they are cheap and stores them until the day the price of these goods rises. There is nothing wrong with this. As for hoarding, it is when a person goes to the market and collects from this place and that place and that place, and stores these goods with him such that he controls the price and imposes it on every buyer and seller. So this person, when he needs to buy, has to go to his second neighbor, the third, the fourth, and so on, and he does not find the goods. Why? Because this person is shrewd in committing the forbidden act. This is different from the first case. This one bought the goods from the merchants themselves and stored them in his warehouse, then raised the price and controlled the necks of people. So this is a hoarder, a wrongdoer. As for the first one, he is nothing but a merchant, as we said. Yes.

The questioner : If you please, regarding the previous issue, is the condition considered...

The Shaykh : What is the issue?

The questioner : Regarding the previous issue, the condition mentioned is not considered...The questioner : ...that he does not speak while going to perform ablution. Is this considered a condition that he does not speak while going to perform ablution?

The Shaykh : Yes, it is considered a condition... Because you know that this tape being recorded now will be of benefit to people in all the lands of the world, if Allah wills. So if you are, as is presumed of you, orderly in your questions, that is what will spread the benefit of this tape now, if Allah wills... But what do you think about the benefit being thousands upon thousands and millions? No doubt that the benefit would be more widespread and more blessed, if Allah wills. Yes.