34. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan alSaffar said, on the authority of Ayyub ibn Nuh, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Abu `Umayr, on the authority of Abu Hamzah al-Thumali that `Ali ibn al-Husayn said: “Verily, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has assigned an angel to regulate prices, who manages them with His Command.” Abu Hamzah alThumali sys: Charging high prices was mentioned to `Ali ibn al-Husayn so he said: “I do not have the right to raise prices. However, whoever raises or lowers prices will have to answer for that.” The Compiler of this book says: Charging high prices is increasing the prices of things so much so that the thing is sold for more than what it would be sold for in that place. Lowering prices means to decrease the price. Therefore, whether the low or high prices are due to excess or shortage of commodities, it is from Allah, the Mighty and High, and it is obligatory for people to accept the prices and to be satisfied with them. If the high or low prices are caused by hoarding when there ws no shortage or excess of commodities, without the approval of the people, or because one person purchased all the food in the town in order to raise the price of food, then he is a price-fixer like Hakim ibn Hizam who used to buy all the food that entered Medina. The Prophet passed by him and said: “O Hakim ibn Hizam! Beware of hoarding.”