What is the ruling on trading in currency? And a student recounts a story that happened to him regarding this topic.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : As you know, Shaykh, a huge surge occurred in the Iraqi dinar. On my way, coming from the area, I mean from home, I found some young men, three or four of them with thick beards. I looked at how they were standing; there were more than a hundred people, and everyone was in a commotion and confusion. So I called out to them and said, "My brothers, I hope you are not working in currency." They said, "No, we are not working in it." I said to them, "You must know that this currency is gambling, and it is not permissible to work in it." They said, "We asked the mufti of Zarqa." I said, "You asked the ignorant? Did you not ask a mufti in the true sense, one who says to you, 'Allah said so and so, and the Messenger of Allah said so and so'? These are followers of taqlid (following a scholar without knowing his evidence) without knowledge. So, Shaykh, I brought them something that came to my mind. Subhan Allah, of course, this is a blessing from Allah, and then from you in it.
The Shaykh : Excuse me, excuse me.
The questioner : And I have not read, I mean, but through your conversation, a method came to my mind, Shaykh, I do not know if it is...
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : May Allah honor you. I hope you are successful. I said to them, "Shaykh, the matter is very simple, without a long discussion. I said to them, 'Now, when you want to start buying this currency, do you know that you will profit or lose?' He said, 'No.' I said to him, 'Well, when a gambler sits at the gambling table, does he know that he will lose or win? He knows that thing.' He said, 'No.' I said to him, 'Well, now, my brother, as a merchant, I sell and buy. Is my basis profit or loss?'
The Shaykh : Profit.
The questioner : He said, 'Profit.' I said to him, 'Then is that not enough for you? By Allah, my Shaykh.' They said, 'Yes.' Immediately, Subhan Allah, by analogy to gambling.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : He does not know...
The Shaykh : And why?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Why are we calling it gambling?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Because it has this meaning.
The questioner : Yes. May Allah reward you with good. Now, what do you think of this argument, Shaykh?
The Shaykh : But this is more evil than gambling.
The questioner : Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.
The Shaykh : I will add to that: it is more evil than gambling, because gambling sometimes relies on the gambler's skill.
The questioner : Oh, wonderful. You have done well, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Here there is no skill.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Here there is luck.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : That is gambling.
The questioner : Allahu Akbar. Indeed, it is more evil than gambling.
The Shaykh : More evil than gambling.
The questioner : He might be skilled at playing cards and such, but he cannot...
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Excuse me, excuse me.
The questioner : And I have not read, I mean, but through your conversation, a method came to my mind, Shaykh, I do not know if it is...
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : May Allah honor you. I hope you are successful. I said to them, "Shaykh, the matter is very simple, without a long discussion. I said to them, 'Now, when you want to start buying this currency, do you know that you will profit or lose?' He said, 'No.' I said to him, 'Well, when a gambler sits at the gambling table, does he know that he will lose or win? He knows that thing.' He said, 'No.' I said to him, 'Well, now, my brother, as a merchant, I sell and buy. Is my basis profit or loss?'
The Shaykh : Profit.
The questioner : He said, 'Profit.' I said to him, 'Then is that not enough for you? By Allah, my Shaykh.' They said, 'Yes.' Immediately, Subhan Allah, by analogy to gambling.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : He does not know...
The Shaykh : And why?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Why are we calling it gambling?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Because it has this meaning.
The questioner : Yes. May Allah reward you with good. Now, what do you think of this argument, Shaykh?
The Shaykh : But this is more evil than gambling.
The questioner : Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.
The Shaykh : I will add to that: it is more evil than gambling, because gambling sometimes relies on the gambler's skill.
The questioner : Oh, wonderful. You have done well, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Here there is no skill.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Here there is luck.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : That is gambling.
The questioner : Allahu Akbar. Indeed, it is more evil than gambling.
The Shaykh : More evil than gambling.
The questioner : He might be skilled at playing cards and such, but he cannot...
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.