What is the ruling on placing old coins and selling them at auction?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on some people who placed an old coin in an auction, with the auction proceeds going to support our brothers in Chechnya?
The Shaykh : Do you mean they have an old coin they want to sell for more than its value?
The questioner : Yes, exactly.
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with it, because the old coin is no longer currency.
The questioner : But it is still in use.
The Shaykh : If, for example, he has one of the first red riyals, or one of the five or ten riyal notes that are no longer in circulation, and he wants to sell the ten riyal note for a hundred, there is no harm, because it has become a commodity. It has a value now; people buy the old currency for more than its face value, but it has become a commodity, not currency, so there is no harm.
The questioner : But it is still used?
The Shaykh : It is used? No, no, absolutely not. The government does not accept its use at all.
The questioner : It is a dollar.
The Shaykh : A dollar! Has the dollar changed from before?
The questioner : It is used now.
The Shaykh : The dollar, may Allah reward you, is currency. It has not been abolished; it is still in circulation, and its value rises and falls according to the strength of the other country, because whenever a country weakens, its currency weakens. But you said the word "Chechnya"; I do not know what Chechnya means. What is the connection between Chechnya and this?
The questioner : They send the profits to Chechnya.
The Shaykh : You make the profits go to Chechnya?
The questioner : Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : Does he have a partner, or does he not have a partner?
The questioner : No, no.
The Shaykh : He is independent with his money.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong if he gives all his money to Chechnya. May Allah reward him with good.
The Shaykh : Do you mean they have an old coin they want to sell for more than its value?
The questioner : Yes, exactly.
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with it, because the old coin is no longer currency.
The questioner : But it is still in use.
The Shaykh : If, for example, he has one of the first red riyals, or one of the five or ten riyal notes that are no longer in circulation, and he wants to sell the ten riyal note for a hundred, there is no harm, because it has become a commodity. It has a value now; people buy the old currency for more than its face value, but it has become a commodity, not currency, so there is no harm.
The questioner : But it is still used?
The Shaykh : It is used? No, no, absolutely not. The government does not accept its use at all.
The questioner : It is a dollar.
The Shaykh : A dollar! Has the dollar changed from before?
The questioner : It is used now.
The Shaykh : The dollar, may Allah reward you, is currency. It has not been abolished; it is still in circulation, and its value rises and falls according to the strength of the other country, because whenever a country weakens, its currency weakens. But you said the word "Chechnya"; I do not know what Chechnya means. What is the connection between Chechnya and this?
The questioner : They send the profits to Chechnya.
The Shaykh : You make the profits go to Chechnya?
The questioner : Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : Does he have a partner, or does he not have a partner?
The questioner : No, no.
The Shaykh : He is independent with his money.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong if he gives all his money to Chechnya. May Allah reward him with good.