Is it permissible to take two thousand dinars in exchange for cashing government checks for employees, knowing that a private bank takes seven thousand dinars for every million dinars in exchange for cashing them, and that not following this method would deprive employees of their salaries? And is there a Shariah-compliant alternative for this transaction if it is impermissible?

The described transaction has three forms:

1. The first form: You receive checks to cash them for a specific party, and you deal with a private bank that charges a commission for cashing, and you yourself take a commission for withdrawing the amount, then you hand it over to the check's owner. This form is permissible and is considered a ju'alah (a reward for a service) or ijarah (a lease/hire) for work, and it is stipulated that the agreed-upon fee must be specified to avoid gharar (excessive uncertainty).

2. The second form: You lend the check beneficiary its value, then you cash the check and take a commission. This form contains the suspicion of "a loan that brings benefit," and it is considered riba (usury), especially if the money changer is known for lending the value of checks before cashing them. The benefit here is the cashing of the check through the lending money changer.

3. The third form: You buy a post-dated check for less than its value. This is forbidden because it combines riba al-fadl (usury of surplus) and riba al-nasi'ah (usury of delay), as it is the exchange of cash for cash with a surplus and a delay.