✅ Answer: Please consider the following narrations :

1⃣عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: غَلَاءُ السِّعْرِ یُسِیءُ الْخُلُقَ وَ یُذْهِبُ الْأَمَانَةَ وَ یُضْجِرُ الْمَرْءَ الْمُسْلِمَ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 164

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: The inflation of prices corrupts morals, erodes trustworthiness, harms Muslim individuals, and causes distress.

2⃣عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ عَمَّنْ ذَکَرَهُ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَکَّلَ بِالسِّعْرِ مَلَکاً فَلَنْ یَغْلُوَ مِنْ قِلَّةٍ وَ لَنْ یَرْخُصَ مِنْ کَثْرَةٍ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 162

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Allah, the Almighty, has assigned an angel to assess prices, so prices are not high or low due to scarcity or abundance.

3⃣عَنْ مِسْمَعٍ عَنْ أَصْبَغَ بْنِ نُبَاتَةَ عَنْ عَلِیٍّ علیه السلام قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلی الله علیه و آله: إِذَا غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَی أُمَّةٍ وَ لَمْ یُنْزِلْ بِهَا الْعَذَابَ غَلَتْ أَسْعَارُهَا وَ قَصُرَتْ أَعْمَارُهَا وَ لَمْ تَرْبَحْ تُجَّارُهَا وَ لَمْ تَزْکُ ثِمَارُهَا وَ لَمْ تَغْزُرْ أَنْهَارُهَا وَ حُبِسَ عَنْهَا أَمْطَارُهَا وَ سُلِّطَ عَلَیْهَا شِرَارُهَا

📚 Thawab al-A'mal, p. 229

Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: When Allah becomes angry with a community and does not send punishment upon them, their prices increase, their lifespans shorten, their merchants do not profit, their fruits do not become pure, their rivers do not fill with water, and rain is withheld from them, allowing the wicked to dominate over them.

4⃣مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَبَّاسِ عَنْ عَلِیِّ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ عَنْ حَسَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حُسَیْنِ بْنِ عَجْلَانَ عَنْ مُفَضَّلِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْداللَّهِ علیه السلام عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّوَجَلَ وَ لَنُذِیقَنَّهُمْ مِنَ الْعَذابِ الْأَدْنی دُونَ الْعَذابِ الْأَکْبَرِ قَالَ الْأَدْنَی غَلَاءُ السِّعْرِ وَ الْأَکْبَرُ الْمَهْدِیُّ بِالسَّیْفِ.

📚 Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 51, p. 59

Mufadhal ibn Umar narrated: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the statement of Allah (in Surah As-Sajda, verse 21): 'We will make them taste a lesser punishment before the greater punishment.' The Imam replied: The lesser punishment is the inflation of prices, and the greater punishment is inflicted by Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) with the sword.

✅ According to the above narrations and others, Allah has assigned an angel to regulate prices, and the rise or fall of prices is not solely based on scarcity or abundance. However, the increase in prices is attributed to divine displeasure upon the community, serving as a form of punishment or a substitute for punishment. It is emphasized that this inflation leads to negative consequences, such as moral corruption, loss of trustworthiness, and harm to Muslim individuals. It is crucial to note that the divine displeasure and subsequent rise in prices are consequences of sins and disobedience.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر