Social Media Erupts as Pakistani Cleric Calls Dollar Hoarding a Grave Sin

A spike in the exchange rate was seen after Pakistan inked a three-year deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $6 billion bailout package. Last week, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered action against dealers and companies selling American dollars at higher rates.

New Delhi (Sputnik): Pakistani Islamic scholar Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani has described buying and hoarding dollars with a hope of value appreciation as a grave sin, amounting to disloyalty to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Mufti Mohammad Taqi, belonging to the Darul Uloom Korangi seminary, recently survived an assassination attempt in Pakistan's port city of Karachi in March 2019. Having served as a judge at the federal Sharia court, he advises eight Pakistani banks on Islamic banking.

According to the mufti, people engaging in hoarding are cursed by Allah.

Purchasing dollars to hoard and earn profit by the increase in its price is a grave sin and disloyalty to the country in the present economic situation. According to some narrations of a Hadith those involved in hoarding are cursed by Allah Taala.

— Muhammad Taqi Usmani (@muftitaqiusmani) May 20, 2019

​READ MORE: Pakistan to Get $6 Billion Over Next 3 Years After Reaching Deal — IMF

 

There were some who found the mufti's views a bit too much to stomach.

This is a disgusting piece of advise & deploying religion & it’s teachings for a political purpose. Where the hell would one go to invest their hard earned money if the system is failing them and the dollar is rising. Let people take necessary economic choices that make sense!

— fatima hijazi (@QQiyamat) May 21, 2019

READ MORE: Pakistan to Sign Second Free Trade Agreement With China to Boost Ailing Economy

One Twitter, users rued that the mufti refuses to criticise the government, which is responsible for the devaluation of the Pakistani rupee vis-a-vis the US dollar.

Dollar is not available in the market for sale and even a kid knows how the rupee is devalued against dollar by Govt on IMF's condition yet Mufti refrains to criticize Govt.

— Kashif Khan (@mkk_sa999) May 20, 2019

This is a disgusting piece of advise & deploying religion & it’s teachings for a political purpose. Where the hell would one go to invest their hard earned money if the system is failing them and the dollar is rising. Let people take necessary economic choices that make sense!

— fatima hijazi (@QQiyamat) May 21, 2019

So leave this country and its nationality

— Muhammad Awais (@MAwaisTariq7) May 20, 2019

There were also those who took the words of the Islamic scholar with reverence.

thanks mufti sahib for such valuable and comprehensive analysis

— Shahzd Rasool (@ShehxadRasool) May 21, 2019

Really appreciate your on time contribution towards matters which means to society and Pakistan. We need good guiding voices from mimber & masjid. Others should follow

— Naeemuddin Meyo (@MeyoNaeemuddin) May 21, 2019

Very beneficial information never thought of such thing…. thanks a lot

— Mohammed Abdul Mujee (@mujeebkhan9426) May 21, 2019