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

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.