What is the ruling on automatic currency exchange, given that the bank from which you are exchanging, in which you do not have an account, takes or benefits from this service and returns with interest to the bank where you have an account?
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The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you. What is the ruling on what is called automatic currency exchange from automatic machines, especially since the bank from which the exchange is made benefits from the exchange process?
The Shaykh : What is the situation? So that the brothers can hear. Automatic currency exchange? He is asking about the automatic teller machine.
The questioner : If, for example, you have an account at, say, Al-Rajhi Bank.
The Shaykh : Yes, Al-Rajhi Company, Al-Rajhi Company.
The questioner : And you are exchanging, for example, from Bank of Riyadh, so Bank of Riyadh returns with interest to Al-Rajhi Banking Bank in this transaction, meaning a certain interest per transaction?
The Shaykh : By Allah, it appears that there is nothing wrong with this, as long as you did not take riba (usury or interest) and did not pay riba (usury or interest).
The questioner : But Bank of Riyadh benefits.
The Shaykh : Stay with me. You did not take riba (usury or interest) and did not pay riba (usury or interest), is that not so?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Well, we are left with the transaction between the bank and Al-Rajhi Company. He, for example, says: I did not lend you a loan, but instead of you tiring yourself out and placing a teller machine in such-and-such a market, I placed one, and I want a fee for that. This is their statement regarding this matter. I have hesitation about it. No doubt, a person does not say that it is 100% halal (lawful). And if a person has hesitation in any of the transactions, we have a broad, well-known rule in the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law), which is "the original ruling in transactions is permissibility", unless you are certain that it is haram (forbidden), in which case you prohibit it. Otherwise, we do not restrict the servants of Allah in anything we do not know that Allah has forbidden. As for acts of worship, the original ruling in them is prohibition. The original ruling in acts of worship is prohibition. So if we see a person worshipping with a certain act of worship, we say: What is the evidence for this? But the original ruling in transactions is permissibility. So if a person says: This is haram (forbidden), we say: What is the evidence? Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : You are not from the guests, ah.
The questioner : From the guests from Al-Ras.
The Shaykh : From Al-Ras. Well.
The Shaykh : What is the situation? So that the brothers can hear. Automatic currency exchange? He is asking about the automatic teller machine.
The questioner : If, for example, you have an account at, say, Al-Rajhi Bank.
The Shaykh : Yes, Al-Rajhi Company, Al-Rajhi Company.
The questioner : And you are exchanging, for example, from Bank of Riyadh, so Bank of Riyadh returns with interest to Al-Rajhi Banking Bank in this transaction, meaning a certain interest per transaction?
The Shaykh : By Allah, it appears that there is nothing wrong with this, as long as you did not take riba (usury or interest) and did not pay riba (usury or interest).
The questioner : But Bank of Riyadh benefits.
The Shaykh : Stay with me. You did not take riba (usury or interest) and did not pay riba (usury or interest), is that not so?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Well, we are left with the transaction between the bank and Al-Rajhi Company. He, for example, says: I did not lend you a loan, but instead of you tiring yourself out and placing a teller machine in such-and-such a market, I placed one, and I want a fee for that. This is their statement regarding this matter. I have hesitation about it. No doubt, a person does not say that it is 100% halal (lawful). And if a person has hesitation in any of the transactions, we have a broad, well-known rule in the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law), which is "the original ruling in transactions is permissibility", unless you are certain that it is haram (forbidden), in which case you prohibit it. Otherwise, we do not restrict the servants of Allah in anything we do not know that Allah has forbidden. As for acts of worship, the original ruling in them is prohibition. The original ruling in acts of worship is prohibition. So if we see a person worshipping with a certain act of worship, we say: What is the evidence for this? But the original ruling in transactions is permissibility. So if a person says: This is haram (forbidden), we say: What is the evidence? Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : You are not from the guests, ah.
The questioner : From the guests from Al-Ras.
The Shaykh : From Al-Ras. Well.