If a man buys a need from a shop and the shopkeeper has no change, is it permissible for the buyer to leave his money with the shopkeeper?
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The questioner : If a person goes to a grocery store or shop and buys something, then gives him the price, and the shopkeeper says, "I have no change," and leaves the price with him, or if he gives him the price and says, "I have no change," and leaves these coins with the shopkeeper, is this permissible?
The Shaykh : That is, a man buys a need from a shop for eighty riyals, and he has a one-hundred-riyal bill, and he says to the shopkeeper, "Give me back twenty," and the shopkeeper says, "I have nothing," then there is no harm in leaving the hundred with him and returning at another time to take the twenty.
The questioner : If he returns the hundred...?
The Shaykh : There is no need to return the hundred; why would he return it?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : There is no harm in this; there is no problem. If he says, "You are not obligated to pay me the price in cash; whenever you come with it, bring it," then there is no harm. But if the shopkeeper says, "I will not let you leave unless you give me the price of the goods," we say: give him the hundred riyals, and twenty riyals remain with him. This is different from currency exchange. If you go to a money changer and say, "Here is a hundred riyals; give me ten-riyal bills for it," and he says, "I only have ninety, nine ten-riyal bills," it is not permissible for him to exchange it. He must give you the full hundred, or you go to someone else.
The Shaykh : That is, a man buys a need from a shop for eighty riyals, and he has a one-hundred-riyal bill, and he says to the shopkeeper, "Give me back twenty," and the shopkeeper says, "I have nothing," then there is no harm in leaving the hundred with him and returning at another time to take the twenty.
The questioner : If he returns the hundred...?
The Shaykh : There is no need to return the hundred; why would he return it?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : There is no harm in this; there is no problem. If he says, "You are not obligated to pay me the price in cash; whenever you come with it, bring it," then there is no harm. But if the shopkeeper says, "I will not let you leave unless you give me the price of the goods," we say: give him the hundred riyals, and twenty riyals remain with him. This is different from currency exchange. If you go to a money changer and say, "Here is a hundred riyals; give me ten-riyal bills for it," and he says, "I only have ninety, nine ten-riyal bills," it is not permissible for him to exchange it. He must give you the full hundred, or you go to someone else.