Items Prohibited for Usurious Transactions and Their Underlying Reasons
✍ Written by: Saudi Fatwa Committee (Fatāwā al-Lajnah ad-Dā’imah)
✦ Items in Which Riba (Usury) Is Prohibited
The following are the items in which engaging in riba (usurious exchange) is forbidden:
① Gold
② Silver
③ Wheat
④ Barley
⑤ Dates
⑥ Salt
In addition, any item that shares the same underlying cause (‘illah) of prohibition as these six falls under the same ruling.
✦ Reason for Prohibition
✔ In gold and silver, the cause (‘illah) is that they are used as currency and mediums of exchange.
✔ In the other four categories (wheat, barley, dates, and salt), according to the correct scholarly opinion, the cause is:
→ They are edible items
→ And are sold by measure (i.e., weight or volume)
Any other item that shares these characteristics — being edible and measured in transactions — will also fall under the same prohibition of riba.
(Reference: al-Lajnah ad-Dā’imah, Fatwa No. 168775)
