Is it permissible to give 10 paper riyals in exchange for 9 metal riyals?
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The questioner : Regarding the use of the telephone, if we exchange ten riyals and they give us nine riyals in return, is that permissible?
The Shaykh : It is not permissible.
Another questioner : They say that this riyal means taking a distant place to get this half-riyal and exchange it.
The Shaykh : These are the tricks of the usurers.
The questioner : Do you mean riba (usury or interest)?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is riba (usury or interest).
The questioner : Ibn Uthaymeen says it is permissible!
The Shaykh : Why?
The questioner : He said that the riyal is in exchange for the effort...
The Shaykh : Okay, I have a thousand-riyal note. If you give me a thousand riyals minus ten, is that permissible? I have a note, a single piece of paper written on it "one thousand riyals." I do not know if this currency exists with you or not? Do you have five hundred riyals?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, five hundred riyals. I want to break it, so I give you this single piece written "five hundred," and you give me four hundred and fifty. Is that permissible?
The questioner : It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : Okay, what is the difference?
The questioner : They say it is a difference in species; this is metal and this is paper?
The Shaykh : No, because the species of paper has no value; paper has no intrinsic value. Therefore, the only thing that solves the problem is for the currency to be gold and silver. Here, if the price differs, there is no harm... Hajj should not be something a Muslim strives to turn into a vacation; there must be some hardship, as came in some hadiths.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible.
Another questioner : They say that this riyal means taking a distant place to get this half-riyal and exchange it.
The Shaykh : These are the tricks of the usurers.
The questioner : Do you mean riba (usury or interest)?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is riba (usury or interest).
The questioner : Ibn Uthaymeen says it is permissible!
The Shaykh : Why?
The questioner : He said that the riyal is in exchange for the effort...
The Shaykh : Okay, I have a thousand-riyal note. If you give me a thousand riyals minus ten, is that permissible? I have a note, a single piece of paper written on it "one thousand riyals." I do not know if this currency exists with you or not? Do you have five hundred riyals?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, five hundred riyals. I want to break it, so I give you this single piece written "five hundred," and you give me four hundred and fifty. Is that permissible?
The questioner : It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : Okay, what is the difference?
The questioner : They say it is a difference in species; this is metal and this is paper?
The Shaykh : No, because the species of paper has no value; paper has no intrinsic value. Therefore, the only thing that solves the problem is for the currency to be gold and silver. Here, if the price differs, there is no harm... Hajj should not be something a Muslim strives to turn into a vacation; there must be some hardship, as came in some hadiths.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.