HOARDING A SHAMEFUL ACT

HOARDING; its Meaning and implications

The act of collecting large amounts of something and keeping it for yourself, often in a secret place or to accumulate money, food, or the likes, in a hidden or carefully guarded place for preservation, future use, etc. is hoarding.  Hazrat Muhammad (May peace be upon him) as saying: No one hoards but the sinner.

When we talk about hoarding than it refers to compulsive need to find and keep objects, animals or trash regardless of their value. Examples of Items commonly hoarded include newspapers, photographs, boxes, clothes, food, furniture, paper and plastic bags, appliances jewelry ,electronics and many more. Depending on how extreme a person’s hoarding is, the behavior can impact their physical or emotional health, relationships, financial and legal stability, and professional aspirations.

As we all know that hoarding is haraam, The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one hoards but one who is in error.” Islam forbids hoarding because of the harm that it causes to other people. The scholars differed as to what is included in hoarding. Some of them said that it refers only to food. Some said that it applies to everything that people need and will be harmed if it is withheld. This is the view of the Maalikis and was narrated in one report from Ahmad. This is the correct view which is in accordance with the apparent meaning of the ahaadeeth meaning that hoarding is haraam without distinguishing between food for humans and animals, and other things. The fact that the word food is specifically mentioned in some reports cannot be taken as specifying the general meaning of the other reports which speak of hoarding in general, rather it is mentioned by way of example

Hoarding of essential items like wheat, barley, rice and oil etc during periods of shortages with the intention of selling them at higher rates to people who are compelled to purchase them is Harām and a Greater sin. It is promised Hell-fire. Surprisingly Muslims and non-Muslims both at this critical time of Corona Virus Pandemic are indulging this heinous element of hoarding just to earn some profit not knowing that if some of their own loved one got hit if this epidemic spreads then what that hoarded money of their will do.

Further Messenger of Allah (S) says that he heard from Jibrīl (a.s.) that there was a valley in hell and fierce fire blazed in it. When he asked the caretaker of Hell about those who would be put there he said that it was for Three groups: The hoarders, the drunkards and those who earned commission on unlawful deals.

However, Hoarding is not Harām under three conditions. A person can hoard essential commodities when people do not need those items or if the need arises it is possible for people to fulfil their needs. Also when hoarding is done to fulfill the future needs of your family and not with the intention of selling it at a higher price. Other than this it is Harām and a Greater sin. It is the duty of the Hakim al-Shara to convince him to sell at a reasonable rate. But if he does not agree the Hakim al-Shara has the authority to purchase it at moderate rates and sell the food grains to the needy people.

What is going around now a days in our surroundings? Almost the entire world is now under Corona Virus Pandemic and it’s there for several weeks and shoppers are still panic buying and raiding the grocery store shelves and medical supply counters.

Under such circumstances what I believe that worst type of human are the hoarders. They are on both sides, sellers who are hoarding things to sell them later at high prices and buyers who are buying in bulk not realizing that once these items will be short on the shelf others won’t have even for their necessity. Even if stores enforces the policy of max two items per person of certain items, sneaky customers would have their kids go through the line with two units and nothing else, or return to the store on multiple occasions, but at least they were playing by the rules. It’s quite understandable that stores are incredibly busy and employees must be swept off their feet and stressed, why have they not established purchase limits? It shouldn’t be up to the online community to hold these lizards accountable.

With this act of such buyers they’re creating safety issues. People are uptight. Some are angry. The last thing we want is vigilante justice in a supermarket because those who play by the rules are incensed with those who don’t. It could turn ugly and it almost has. More serious is the fact that by hoarding food, others might do without.

Here we are not realizing a very basic fact that some people simply don’t have the means or financial abilities to buy in bulk. They can only afford a weekly trip to the grocery store, imagine their anxiety when there’s no bare essentials left on the shelves. This is just one side of the story while the other and the worst side are the sellers, both whole sellers and retailers. Most offensive is some of the hoarders, we’re sure, won’t be putting all of the meat in their freezer or hand sanitizer and toilet paper in a storage room. They will try and resell it.

In their greed to earn heavy profits they are not realizing few basic things that kids may go hungry due to a lack of supplies, others may die, they might be able to make a quick buck from someone else’s unfortunate. People won’t have medicines, masks, hand sanitizers, disinfectants and hand-washes which are the need of hour either they are too expensive or are not available. At this critical juncture being a compassionate human being I was just thinking (dreaming) that stores and manufacturers will start selling some of these items at no profit no loss bases as their little contribution to save the human race, but alas dreams are dreams far from reality, we are just destined to doom.

In the last I just humbly request both type of hoarders that please put limits in place. Hoarders develop a conscience and show some compassion. Someday, it might be you who’s in that same situation. So let’s just think as a human being and let’s play our role in saving the world, saving the man kind and saving the humanity. 

BY: OVAIS ASAD KHAN