Wa `alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear questioner, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His Sake.
In times of crises or disasters, Muslims are supposed to help each other. In such circumstances, a Muslim is absolutely prohibited to raise the price of commodities. Rather merchants in such areas are required to help the afflicted and rescue people as much as they can. People in nearby areas are most required to give free help and it is the responsibility of Muslims all over the world to assist in such humane activity which is meant for giving a helping hand to those in dire necessity. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever meets the need of his brother, Allah will meet his needs.” (Reported by Muslim)
In his response to your question, Dr. Monzer Kahf, a prominent economist and counselor states:
Raising prices under such circumstances is absolutely forbidden. Rather merchants in nearby areas are required to give food and other necessities such as medicine, clothing, and shelter with or without cost even if it meant that such giving will consume all their inventory and wealth. People in nearby areas are most required to give free help and all other Muslims are also required to provide help.
