Grand Mufti Asks Govt to Fix Price Problem
JEDDAH, 3 February 2008 — Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, the Kingdom's grand
mufti and top religious authority, yesterday urged the government to fix
prices of essential commodities in order to control rising prices.
"Every effort should be made to contain rising prices of goods all over the
Kingdom," the mufti said in comments published yesterday. "When we check
prices of goods we can clearly see the greediness of traders who increase
prices without any justification."
He said increasing prices without any genuine reason was against the
teachings of Islam. "There is nothing wrong in making profit but it should
be within a reasonable limit and it should not harm others."
He emphasized the need for price ceilings of every product in order to
prevent traders from inflating prices by exploiting consumers' assumptions
that those price increases are due to inflation.
The mufti made this comment during Friday sermon at Imam Turki ibn Abdullah
Mosque in Riyadh. He urged businessmen to fear God and warned them against
making gains through prohibited activities and being greedy, without
considering the interest of the country and people.