Is it permissible to pay a fee to freeze the exchange rate of a foreign currency against the national currency to avoid losses resulting from exchange rate fluctuations?
"Freezing currency exchange rates" involves selling one currency for another without immediate mutual possession (qabd) at the contracting session, which is impermissible (haram). The buyer pays the bank for freezing the price and has the option to complete or abandon the transaction. The Permanent Committee has issued a fatwa stating that buying and selling currencies against each other is not permissible unless mutual possession occurs at the contracting session, citing the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Do not sell from it what is absent for what is present."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/18251