Title: Forex & Stock Trading Question: SALAM! My question is regarding forex that is currency trading.it involves that a person buys currency at a low price and then sell it at high price. but there are many other factor which affect currencies like gold prices, oil prices, commodities prices and so on. it is quite volatile and u can gain and lose lot of money.like first i made $100 and now i m in $400 loss. at this time i somehow thinks that forex trading is not allowed in islam.i think it is similar to stock market. these days i m very depressed because money belongs to my parents not me and i m just a teen ager who don't what to do in the compensation.i don't do any sort of job to pay them .i hav that partcular currency on which i hav a loss that it will get better but God knows well.please answer my question in light of islam. Answer: The volatility of business or making money is not what makes something haram (forbidden). Trading in stocks or in the Forex or any other legal business is not forbidden in any way. Gaining and losing money at whatever speed is not even an issue. In fact, if you review what you have done you will hopefully realize that you may be feeling guilty due to the fact that you lost money; what is worse is that the money is not even yours and you have no way to return it. This is where you went wrong. Endeavoring in any sort of enterprise should be based on wisdom, proper knowledge, and the skills to fulfill the task. Lacking in these areas may end you up where you are or worse. Nevertheless, you can do various things to compensate your parents. First you should ask their forgiveness if you have taken their money without their knowledge. Then you should, if you are still interested, educate yourself about trading. This does not mean reading a book or two but a full-fledged effort towards grasping the business. If you no longer want to be involved in trading then you should get a job (there must be many jobs even for teenagers) and work to compensate your parents. The job may also help you become more responsible and appreciate the value of hard-earned money, which may help you realize that you should not be so careless. Be mindful of your actions as a young man now because as you grow older it may be more difficult to rectify mistakes. I commend you for your honesty and seeking the right answer to your situation. I hope I have clarified the issue. God knows best. Ronnie Hassan February 13, 2007