The ruling on selling Currency for another Currency for Payment made later
Question :
I borrowed a sum of money for necessary reasons from a person who does not practice Islam. This loan was under the condition that I would return the same value of money in a currency that is not the currency of my country and that would be when I returned to my place of work in Saudi Arabia. So, when I returned (to Saudi Arabia) after some time, the value of that foreign currency went up and it became twice the amount that I borrowed. Thus, if I sent him the amount in the foreign currency disregarding the difference in the currency, is that permissible? Or should I only send him the amount that I borrowed from him?
Answer:
This loan is not correct because in reality it is selling a currency that is present for another currency to be paid later, and this transaction is Riba. The reason is that it is not permissible to sell a currency for another currency except hand to hand (i.e., paid on the spot). You must return to him what you borrowed from him only while making sincere repentance for what took place of this Riba transaction. And success is from Allâh.
Source:
Ash-Shaykh Ibn Baz
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 3 Page 425
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