Is it permissible to buy gold bars on Shopee and TikTok Shop when delivery of the gold is deferred?

Summary

Buying gold bars on Shopee and TikTok Shop is in principle prohibited and invalid, because delivery to the buyer is deferred by several days while gold is a ribawi item that must be handed over on the spot at the time of the contract. As a solution, the buyer pays in full and receives a transaction record as constructive possession (qabd hukmi), then appoints the seller as a paid agent (wakalah bi al-ujrah) to post the gold. The buyer may not cancel or ask for a refund after receiving the gold, since the option of stipulation (khiyar syarat) is not allowed in the sale of ribawi items.

Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.