Al-Kāfi - The Book of Commerce

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Commerce Chapter: The Case of Monopolization (Hoarding) Goods in Public Demand 5- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُ٠َّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَحْتَكِرُ الطَّعَا٠َ وَيَتَرَبَّصُ بِهِ هَلْ يَجُوزُ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ الطَّعَا٠ُ كَثِيراً يَسَعُ النَّاسَ فَلا بَأْسَ بِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ الطَّعَا٠ُ قَلِيلا لا يَسَعُ النَّاسَ فَإِنَّهُ يُكْرَهُ أَنْ يَحْتَكِرَ الطَّعَا٠َ وَيَتْرُكَ النَّاسَ لَيْسَ لَهُ٠5.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who hoarded food supplies and waited for higher prices.

Is it permissible?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘If there is plenty of food available to people to buy, then there is no offense in it; but if there are food shortages and people are not able to buy from other places, then it (such hoarding) is undesirable to leave people without food.’” حسن - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (19/156))