What is the ruling on dealing in "Non-Fungible Tokens" (NFTs), the idea of which is based on buying and selling images or drawings whose original copy is owned by only one owner, and is it permissible to sell or buy them?

NFTs are unique digital tokens that grant their owner proof of ownership of a digital asset, and they rely on blockchain technology to track their ownership. To create and sell these tokens, one must choose the type of digital file and link it to a cryptocurrency (often Ethereum). Copyright remains with the original creator, who receives a commission upon resale of the asset.

From a Sharia perspective, there are reservations regarding dealing with NFTs: 1. The impermissibility of selling prohibited items, such as images of animate beings, musical clips, or forbidden films. 2. The prohibition of extravagance, squandering, and wasting money, as these tokens are sold at very exorbitant prices despite the sometimes trivial nature of their content. 3. The absence of a Sharia basis for the creator to receive a commission on every subsequent sale of the digital asset. Whoever buys the image owns it and is permitted to sell it without the creator having a right to its profit, even if the moral right remains theirs. 4. The prevalence of boasting and showing off in these types of transactions, which is blameworthy in Sharia.

Therefore, one should not deal with NFTs, neither by selling nor by buying.