Is the lease (ijarah) of gold dinars and silver dirhams permissible?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Leasing
Primary text
The lease of dirhams and dinars is permissible for the purpose of weighing (al-wazn) or ornamentation (al-tahalli) for a specified duration. This view is held by Abu Hanifa and represents one of the two recognized positions among the Shafi'is. The underlying justification is that money constitutes a permissible asset whose benefit can be utilized while the asset itself remains intact, similar to jewelry. This contrasts with wax, which can only be benefited from by its destruction.
Supporting text
A dissenting view among the Shafi'is holds that leasing dirhams and dinars is impermissible because the intended benefit (manfa'ah) is not the preservation of the asset's substance, evidenced by the fact that their benefit is not guaranteed when stolen, making it analogous to wax.