Is It Hoarding When There Is No Scarcity?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

I belong to a farmer family. Here if we sell our rice grain just after getting it we will face huge loss, so we delay its sale to avoid that loss. There is no scarcity of rice here in India. Is this hoarding?

Answer

I pray you are well. 

What you do is perfectly permissible seeing as there is no harm caused by your actions to others, and you yourself are keeping yourselves safe from harm.

Hoarding is Forbidden

Hoarding, or ihtikar in Arabic, is purchasing food and keeping it until a time when it is expensive to sell it to people at a high price. The details and situation can change but the main element is to cause harm to people through exploiting them in a a time of economic instability. (Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al Muhtar)

There are a number of  narrations forbidding this, such as the statement of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), “Whoever monopolises he is great sinner!” (Muslim) These narrations clearly determine that this action is impermissible.

A more general narration, which would apply to all its situations, is when the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “[It is not] permissible to harm or reciprocate with excessive harm.” (Daraqutni)

Turn to Allah, ask for stability in your rizq, and sell your rice at a fair price with the intention of serving yourself and Allah’s creation. You’ll find that Allah takes care of you.

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History, he moved to Damascus in 2007, where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital. He was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.