Ruling on using money, stamps and letters on which there are images representing kufr
Question

                If there are words of disbelief on the money/coins of a country, or pictures/drawing on the money/coins of a country that represent disbelief, are we doing anything wrong by using it, for sinful or allowed things? can it be disbelief if we use it for sinful matters? Also what if there are words of disbelief or pictures/drawings that represent disbelief on letters that I receive in my house that are to do with benefits, and they want me to send it back by signing it or stamps that have something on it that represents disbelief, can I send these letter back or put these stamps on letters?
Praise be to Allah.
	Firstly:

	What appears to be the case from your questions is that you 
	are suffering from waswasah (whispers from the Shaytaan). Our advice to you 
	is to ignore the matter and pay no attention to it, and do not ask about it. 
	This is the best remedy for it.

	We do not know whether you are asking about something real or 
	something hypothetical. If it is hypothetical, then we say that the Muslim’s 
	attitude should be to refrain from going out of his way to ask about 
	something that has not happened, and this is more appropriate in the case of 
	one who is suffering from waswasah, because by asking such questions he is 
	opening the door to evil for himself, and other types of waswasah.

	Secondly:

	There is nothing wrong with using money on which there are 
	images of animate beings, because the problem is so widespread and there is 
	a real need to use it.

	Some of the fuqaha’ are of the view that it is permissible on 
	the grounds that these images are handled with disrespect.

	Others are of the view that it is permissible on the grounds 
	of necessity.

	In Fataawa ar-Ramli (3/196) it says: 
	

	He was asked about coins on which there is the complete image 
	of an animal – is it haraam to carry them, like the prohibition on wearing 
	garments on which there are images, and is it permissible to use them for 
	istinja’ (cleaning oneself after relieving oneself), on the basis that it is 
	haraam to carry them, or not? 

	He replied: It is not haraam to carry them, and it is not 
	permissible to use them for istinja’ (cleaning oneself). Ibn al-‘Iraqi said: 
	In my view, Roman coins on which there are images come under the heading of 
	that which it is not forbidden to carry or use, because the way it is 
	handled is with disrespect when spending them, and when giving or taking 
	them. The early generations (may Allah be pleased with them) used to use 
	such coins with no objections. Islamic coinage was not introduced until the 
	time of ‘Abdul Malik ibn Marwaan, as is well known. End quote.

	The Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas was asked: I am 
	very worried about some things, one of which is the issue of images on 
	money. We are faced with this problem, and it is brought into the mosque in 
	our pockets. Is bringing it into the mosque something that causes the angels 
	to leave, and is it haraam to bring it in? Is it regarded as being among the 
	things that are handled with disrespect, in which case images that are 
	handled with disrespect do not prevent the angels from entering houses?

	They replied:

	Images on money are not your fault, and you have no choice 
	but to possess it and keep it in your house, or carry with you in order to 
	use it for buying and selling, giving as gifts or in charity, and paying off 
	debts, and other legitimate purposes. So there is no blame on you.

	It does not come under the heading of that which is handled 
	with disrespect; rather it is something that is regarded as valuable, 
	because of the value of what it represents of cash. Rather you are not to 
	blame, because it is a matter of necessity.

	End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, 1/704

	Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Qa‘ood, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan, 
	Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baaz

	Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

	As for a man carrying with him that which has become a 
	widespread problem among Muslims nowadays of money on which there are images 
	of kings and presidents, this is an old issue that has been discussed by the 
	scholars. People here (in Saudi) used to carry foreign money on which there 
	was a picture of a horse and knight, and they used to carry French currency 
	on which there was the image of the head and neck of a bird.

	What we think is that there is no sin on the one who carries 
	money with him, because there is a need for him to carry it, because people 
	have no choice but to keep the money in their pockets, and disallowing that 
	would cause a great deal of hardship to people. Allah, may He be exalted, 
	says (interpretation of the meaning):

	“Allah intends for you ease, and 
	He does not want to make things difficult for you”

	[al-Baqarah 2:185]

	“and has not laid upon you in 
	religion any hardship”

	[al-Hajj 22:78].

	It is narrated in a saheeh report from the Prophet (blessings 
	and peace of Allah be upon him) that he said: “Religion is easy and whoever 
	overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that 
	way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and 
	receive the glad tidings that you will be rewarded.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari. 
	And he said to Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal and Abu Moosa, when he sent them to Yemen: 
	“Be easy going and do not be harsh, give glad tidings and do not put people 
	off.” And he said to the people when they rebuked the Bedouin who urinated 
	in the mosque: “Let him be, for you were sent to make things easy; you were 
	not sent to make things difficult.” Both reports were narrated by al-Bukhaari.

	So if a man carries money on which there are images, or an ID 
	card, or a driver’s license, and he needs it or thinks he will need it, 
	there is nothing wrong with that, and there is no sin on him, in sha Allah, 
	because Allah knows that he dislikes these images and does not approve of 
	them, and were it not for that need, he would not carry it.

	End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (2/280).

	Thirdly:

	If there is any money on which there is an image of a statue 
	or one of the gods that some of the polytheists worship, it is not haraam to 
	carry that money or to use it, because it is not you who put that image on 
	it and you do not approve of it, and you have no choice but to carry that 
	money and use it. Similarly, there is no blame on you either if you sign the 
	letters that are sent to you, even if there are stamps on the letters on 
	which there are symbols of kufr, as you mentioned, such as if the stamp has 
	the image of an ancient temple or the image of a statue. You did not put any 
	of those stamps on it, and all you have to do is sign the letter.

	If you are required to add a stamp, then try to avoid 
	anything on which there are images of animate beings, or symbols of kufr, if 
	that is possible and if there is an alternative that is acceptable to the 
	authorities.

	If there is nothing else available, then there is no blame on 
	you, because of the widespread nature of this problem and because of the 
	necessity, so long as you dislike the images and disavow them.

	And Allah knows best.