Banknotes grow old with long use, and some get torn. Can a torn note be given to someone? And if someone hands you one, can you accept it?
Scholars answer that slipping a torn note to someone by a trick or by hiding it is plain deception and fraud, which is forbidden (haram) under Sharia. The Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever deceives is not one of us.” (Sahih Muslim, hadith 102)
In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said it is not lawful for a Muslim to sell or give a flawed thing to his Muslim brother without making the flaw clear. (Sunan Ibn Majah, hadith 2246)
The principle of Islamic law is that if goods or money have a flaw, it must be disclosed. If a note is so torn that the other person would not take it if it were handed over openly, that plainly means they are unwilling to accept it. Passing such a note to someone by taking advantage of their inattention harms them, so it must not be given without telling them.
Giving someone a torn note without telling them is wrong. Islam does not approve of injustice or of cheating anyone by a trick.
So if someone tries to give you a torn note, you should tell them when you take it that such notes are hard to use and ask for a good note instead, and you should also avoid giving torn notes to others. But if you ever have no money other than a torn note, you must tell an ordinary person clearly before giving it, without hiding it or using a trick.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report