Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

is money transfer(hundi) is halal or haram. thanks 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Hundi Hawala Legal

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

According to Shariah or Islamic Law, there is absolutely no restriction and it is absolutely lawful if one wishes to change currency from one denomination to another, or to transfer currency from one place to another.

Thus what is today called ‘hundi’ or ‘hawala’ in its essence are neither haraam nor prohibited in Islamic Law; but some nations make laws and declare it illegal to transfer monies through ‘unofficial’ channels to enable the nation to protect their foreign exchange, or to deter or stop money laundering, or smuggling, or transfer of ill-gotten (drug money, unpaid taxes, illegal kickbacks, etc.), and there is absolutely no harm if any nation makes such laws to protect their interests.

If a believer lives or wishes to transfer money to nations which have declared ‘hundi’ or ‘hawala’ illegal in an effort to protect their currency or their people, and the believers have at their disposal ‘official’ channels through which they could legally transfer their money, it would only be considered proper and right for the believers to use the official channels and live within the boundaries of the laws of the nation.

A similar example would be that the whole earth belongs to Allah Subhanah, and it is absolutely permissible in Islam for a believer to travel to any part of Allah’s earth, if he so wishes to do so. But most nations have a ‘visa’ requirement of whom they wish to allow to visit their nation and whom they don’t; and it would not behove and befit a believer to enter these countries illegally through ‘unofficial’ channels, or through forged documents.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan