The Ruling on Hoarding

The following message was sent by our brother, Muhammad Ahmad Turki, a Sudanese resident of al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. He says: We have found some people among us who hoard consumer goods during times of abundance, especially grains. They then store them until their prices rise and become exorbitant—as they say—and sell them from their locations for whatever they please. What does Islam advise such people to do, and what is the position of the Shari'ah regarding their earnings?
Answer: The hoarder is the one who buys goods when people are in distress. It has come in the hadith that he is cursed and threatened. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and he said: meaning: so he is sinful.
The scholars said: They are those who buy goods, meaning food and the like of what people need, during times of hardship, and store it when prices become high so that they can sell it for more. This is not permissible, it is an abomination, and its owner is sinful. It is obligatory for the one in authority, if there is a one in authority in the lands who enforces the matters of the Shari'ah, it is obligatory for the one in authority to prevent him from that, and to compel him to sell the food at the price of its equivalent, at the current market price, and not allow him to keep it in his storage. This is if it is during a time of hardship.
As for the one who buys food or other things people need during times of ease and abundance in the markets, without harm to anyone, and then when the goods move, he sells them with the people without delaying them until the time of dire necessity, but rather whenever they move and the profit comes, he sells them, then there is no blame on him. This is the practice of merchants in the past and the present. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.