The government provides rationed goods to merchants at reduced prices so that they may sell them to the people after adding a reasonable profit. If this merchant hides
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The government provides rationed goods to merchants at reduced prices so that they may sell them to the people after adding a reasonable profit. If this merchant hides some of these goods to sell them in the black market, and tells the people that they are sold out, is this excess profit, beyond what is permitted for him, lawful or forbidden? Knowing that one of the merchants consulted a scholar among us, and he issued a ruling that it is valid, we ask for your guidance. May Allah guide you?
The Shaykh : This question is close to what we were discussing just a moment ago.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If a man consults a scholar whose words he trusts and believes that what he said is the truth, then it is not permissible for him to ask another scholar. However, if the question was from someone else and he heard that he was asked and answered, there is no harm in asking, as we have mentioned before.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And I hope that this brother is of this type, meaning that he heard that a scholar was asked and answered.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And we do not agree with this scholar who answered with validity and permissibility. This is because the government reduced the price out of consideration for the citizens. So as long as it has reduced the price, that means this commodity is worth more were it not for the government's reduction.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And if that is the case, then it is obligatory for him to take his share of the profit in the amount determined by the government, because it—the government—when it reduced the value of the commodity, is as if it is saying: I sold you this commodity for such-and-such, on the condition that you sell it for such-and-such.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So if you sell it for more, you have broken the condition between you and the government. And Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:1] And He the Exalted said: [Al-Isra 17:34] Then, this, in addition to its contradiction of these verses, is in reality greed that contradicts the perfection of faith, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan an-Nasa'i 2560Sahih (Darussalam) and he interlaced his fingers.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 13 And this greedy, covetous person: the government wants to benefit the people, and he wants to harm them. And this is a blameworthy selfishness that contradicts the perfection of faith.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So we see that it is not permissible for a person who took rationed goods from the state to increase the profit beyond what the state determined.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because this is a sale with a condition, and because this contradicts the perfection of faith, which requires that a person loves for his brother what he loves for himself.
The questioner : Yes, you have done well, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : This question is close to what we were discussing just a moment ago.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If a man consults a scholar whose words he trusts and believes that what he said is the truth, then it is not permissible for him to ask another scholar. However, if the question was from someone else and he heard that he was asked and answered, there is no harm in asking, as we have mentioned before.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And I hope that this brother is of this type, meaning that he heard that a scholar was asked and answered.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And we do not agree with this scholar who answered with validity and permissibility. This is because the government reduced the price out of consideration for the citizens. So as long as it has reduced the price, that means this commodity is worth more were it not for the government's reduction.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And if that is the case, then it is obligatory for him to take his share of the profit in the amount determined by the government, because it—the government—when it reduced the value of the commodity, is as if it is saying: I sold you this commodity for such-and-such, on the condition that you sell it for such-and-such.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So if you sell it for more, you have broken the condition between you and the government. And Allah the Exalted said:
O you who have believed, fulfill [all] contracts
يا أيها الذين ءامنوا أوفوا بالعهودAnd fulfill [every] commitment. Indeed, the commitment is ever [that about which one will be] questioned.
وأوفوا بالعهد إن العهد كان مسئولاًThe believers are like a building they support one another.
المؤمن للمؤمن كالبنيان يشد بعضه بعضاًThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself.
لا يؤمن أحدكم حتى يحب لأخيه ما يحب لنفسهThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So we see that it is not permissible for a person who took rationed goods from the state to increase the profit beyond what the state determined.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because this is a sale with a condition, and because this contradicts the perfection of faith, which requires that a person loves for his brother what he loves for himself.
The questioner : Yes, you have done well, may Allah reward you.