Hoarding in trade

Question

Question: What is the ruling on hoarding in trade? Up to what point is hoarding permissible or impermissible?

Answer

If by hoarding is meant that the grain of one’s own town is bought up and kept in store, and despite the need it is not sold — so that it will be sold when it becomes much dearer — then this case is impermissible in the Shari‘a and brings down a curse: [ar]المحتكر ملعون[/ar] “The hoarder (muhtakir) is accursed” (hadith). If something else is meant, then write it out clearly.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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