Buying Books with Crypto? Why a Top Islamic Scholar Says "No" – Explained Simply

The News in Plain English

A very respected Islamic teacher named Mufti Taqi Usmani has said that using cryptocurrency (like Bitcoin or USDT) to buy things is not allowed according to Islamic rules. This became known on Friday after a religious ruling (called a fatwa) was shared with the public.

Who Made This Ruling?

The ruling was written by a religious answer-office called Darul Ifta at Jamia Darul Uloom in Karachi. Here are the simple facts:

• Date of the ruling: 24 Zilhaj 1447 AH, which is the same as June 10, 2026.
• Main signer: Mufti Taqi Usmani, who used to be a judge in a special Islamic court called the Federal Shariat Court.
• Other signers: Five other prominent scholars also put their names on it.
• What they answered: Questions from people asking if they could buy books or online courses using crypto.

Key Words Made Easy

Before we go further, let’s understand some big words:

• Fatwa: Think of it as a formal answer from a religious expert about whether something is OK to do.
• Sharia: The set of rules Muslims try to follow in daily life (like a guidebook for living).
• Maal (pronounced "maal"): An Arabic word that means real wealth – things you truly own, like gold, food, or a book.
• Cryptocurrency: Digital money that only exists on computers. Examples are Bitcoin or USDT (a token tied to the US dollar). It’s like game points you can trade, but you can’t hold it in your hand.
• Darul Ifta: An office where scholars research and give fatwas (religious answers).

What the Scholars Said About Crypto

The fatwa explains that, after looking at research from experts so far, cryptocurrency does not count as “maal” (wealth) in Sharia.

Instead, they say it is just:

• “the recording of fictitious numbers in an account” – imagine writing “10 points” in a spreadsheet; the points aren’t a real object.
• This applies whether it’s USDT or any other crypto token.

Because crypto isn’t seen as real wealth, the scholars say that when you “buy” something with it, you don’t actually become the owner of that thing in the eyes of this ruling.

Important Callout:
According to this fatwa, using crypto to pay is like trading invisible numbers – it doesn’t make the bought item legally yours under their interpretation of Islamic law.

The fatwa also mentioned it used many references from old books of Islamic law (religious jurisprudence) to support its view.

What This Means for Buying Things

The scholars answered two specific questions from people:

Buying Books with Crypto

• Someone asked: “Can I buy these books using cryptocurrency?”
• The answer: “It is not permissible for you to purchase the books in question using cryptocurrency.”
• Because the buyer never truly owned the books, they cannot use them or sell them to others.
• They must return the books to the person they got them from.

Buying an Online Course with Crypto

• Another person asked about getting an educational course using crypto.
• The answer: “Obtaining an educational course through cryptocurrency is not valid,” and it was delivered in a way that breaks the rule.
• The person must not use the course themselves and must not give it to anyone else.
• Since the course is digital and the seller still has it even after the “sale,” the buyer should completely delete any course materials from their devices and files.

What to Do If You Already Bought Something with Crypto

If you find yourself in this situation according to the ruling, here are the steps the fatwa asks you to take:

1. For books bought with crypto:
   • Stop using or selling the books.
   • Return them to the original seller/person you got them from.
2. For a digital course bought with crypto:
   • Do not open or learn from the course.
   • Do not share it with friends or family.
   • Delete all files, videos, or papers related to the course from your phone, computer, or cloud storage.

Summary

To wrap it up in a nutshell:

• A group of six scholars led by Mufti Taqi Usmani issued a fatwa on June 10, 2026.
• They said cryptocurrency is not real “wealth” (maal) but just numbers in a computer.
• Therefore, buying books or courses with crypto is not allowed, and the buyer doesn’t truly own them.
• Books must be returned; course files must be deleted and not used.
• The ruling is based on their study of Islamic law and expert opinion so far.

FAQ

1. What is cryptocurrency in simple terms?
It is digital money that lives only on the internet or computers. You can’t touch it like a coin, and its value goes up and down. Examples include Bitcoin and USDT.

2. Why do the scholars say crypto is not “wealth”?
They say it is just recorded numbers in an account, like tallies on a screen, and does not meet the Islamic definition of maal (real ownable assets).

3. Does this mean I can never use crypto for anything?
The fatwa specifically talks about purchasing goods (like books or courses). It says those purchases are impermissible. It doesn’t discuss other uses, but the core point is that crypto isn’t treated as money for buying things here.

4. What if I already bought a book with Bitcoin?
According to the fatwa, you should return that book to the seller because the trade didn’t make you the real owner.

5. Who is Mufti Taqi Usmani?
He is a renowned Islamic scholar and a former judge of the Federal Shariat Court (a court that deals with Islamic law in Pakistan). He is one of the main signers of this ruling.