It is narrated by Rafa’h that the Holy Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said: “Traders will be raised on the Day of Resurrection as wicked people, except those who had adopted the way of righteousness, goodness and truth.”
(Tirmidhi)
Righteousness is the key to Ultimate Success. The Holy Messenger always encouraged his followers to adopt the way of righteousness in every walk of life. This hadith highlights the importance of righteousness and fair dealing in business.
People generally display purely materialistic mentality so much so that even the person regarded as ‘religious’ mostly fail to deal justly as required by the Shari’ah. They neither care for what is permissible and what is not. Nor do they worry about honesty and truth. They are concerned only about earning money even at the cost of religious bindings. But the Holy Messenger has warned such traders that if they do not adopt the policy of honest-dealing and good moral conduct, they will have to face the fate of wicked people on the Day of Judgement.
In another hadith, the Holy Messenger said a person who indulges in hoarding is a sinner. To hoard food grains and other commodities of daily necessity with a view to selling them at a higher price, when their scarcity in market is causing great hardship to the people, is to take undue advantage of the people’s difficulties. Islam considers this mentality criminal, for it is selfish and contrary to human sympathy, and is a means of adding to the difficulties of the people.