Aslam

It is, therefore, prohibited to hoard up food stuffs for getting greater profit, but it is connected with the kinds of food and time.
It is not prohibited to hoard up such kinds of thing which are not principal food stuffs for livelihood, such as medicine, Ja'afran, etc. There are differences of opinion with regard to the hoarding of things which are near principal food stuffs, such as meat, fruits and such kinds of food which appease hunger and which are taken as alternatives of principal crops. There are things which become unlawful for hoarding regard being had to the time when food stuffs are not easily available and there are needs of men for them. To make delay in selling food stuffs is harmful to the public. But when there are no such circumstances, it is lawful to make some delay as the public do not suffer by it. When there is famine, it is harmful then to hoard up even honey, clarified butter, meat and such things. So the legality and illegality of hoarding of food stuffs becomes according to the harms caused or not caused to the public .

Use of counterfeit coins: It is an oppression on the public to use counterfeit coins. The first man who uses such coin will get the sins of every person who subsequently transfers it to other persons. This is like introducing a bad custom. A certain sage said : To transfer a counterfeit coin to another is worse than the theft of a hundred coins, as theft is confined to a sin, while the circulation of a counterfeit coin is not limited and it continues years after years unless they are destroyed. God says ; I shall write what they sent in advance (during their life time) and what they will, send (after their death). God says : Man will be informed what they sent in advance before and what they latter.

FIVE RULES OF COUNTERFEIT COINS

(1) If a man has got such counterfeit coins, he will throw them in wells, rivers and tanks, (2) knowledged of counterfeit

VoI-II Trade and Commeree 53

coins is necessary to every merchant to save him-self and to protect the Muslims from them. (3) If he communicates their nature to others, he will not be absolved from its sin if he knows about its nature at the time A receiving it. (4) He who receives counterfeit coins to destroy them is absolved from it sin and receives the blessings of the Prophet : May God show kindness to one whose buy is easy, whose sale is easy, whose clearance of debt is easy and whose demand is easy . (5) A counterfeit coin is one which has got nothing of gold or silver. The coin in which there is something of gold or silver cannot be called counterfeit.
But in a place where a certain kind of coin is prevalent, another kind of coin is not lawful there.