Working With Non Believers in the Music Industry

CategoriesTrade, Business & All Things Money [717]

Fatwa ID: 07185

 

 

Answered by: Maulana Ubaidur Rahman

 

Question:

 

I’m freelancing in music, I know it is haram I will leave this field soon. My concern is most of the kuffar are hateful toward Islam secretly. but I’m talking about those kuffar who are openly badmouthing Islam via their websites and media.

 

If I do business with them will I be a kafir too?

 

Like If they told me to create instrumental music for them but I don’t know what purpose they would use my music for, but I know that they are hateful toward Islam because they are kuffar, from my side, I make music for them, and sell that music to them. If I sell that music to them I don’t own the copyright of that music anymore.

 

And from their side, They most likely use that music for anti-Islamic purposes, for example:- they will record their hateful talk about Islam and Kufr songs over my music and publish that music via their website.

 

But still I don’t know if they use my music for this purposes, because when they ordered me to create music for them they didn’t tell me what purposes they would use my music for, and also I did not ask them because I know most of the kuffar singers avoid making anti-religious song because making these types of songs are considered hate speech and uploading them to a streaming platform such as youtube and Facebook will most likely get their songs taken down.

 

 

If they do make an anti-Islamic song with my music without my awareness Will I be a Kafir too?

 

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

Allah states in the Quraan:

 

﴿وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ1

 

Translation: And Allah has made transactions permissible

 

 

Allah’s Messenger PBUH says in a hadeeth,

 

نْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْغَافِقِيِّ، وَأَبِي، طُعْمَةَ مَوْلاَهُمْ أَنَّهُمَا سَمِعَا ابْنَ عُمَرَ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ‏ “‏ لُعِنَتِ الْخَمْرُ عَلَى عَشَرَةِ أَوْجُهٍ بِعَيْنِهَا وَعَاصِرِهَا وَمُعْتَصِرِهَا وَبَائِعِهَا وَمُبْتَاعِهَا وَحَامِلِهَا وَالْمَحْمُولَةِ إِلَيْهِ وَآكِلِ ثَمَنِهَا وَشَارِبِهَا وَسَاقِيهَا2

 

Translation: It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah () said:

 

“Wine is cursed from ten angles: The wine itself, the one who squeezes (the grapes etc), the one for whom it is squeezed, the one who sells it, the one who buys it, the one who carries it, the one to whom it is carried, the one who consumes its price, the one who drinks it and the one who pours it.”

 

 

وَالْكَلَامُ فِي الْإِقَالَةِ فِي مَوَاضِعَ، فِي بَيَانِ رُكْنِ الْإِقَالَةِ، وَفِي بَيَانِ مَاهِيَّةِ الْإِقَالَةِ، وَفِي بَيَانِ شَرَائِطِ صِحَّةِ الْإِقَالَةِ، وَفِي بَيَانِ حُكْمِ الْإِقَالَةِ (أَمَّارُكْنُهَا فَهُوَ الْإِيجَابُ مِنْ أَحَدِ الْعَاقِدَيْنِ وَالْقَبُولُ مِنْ الْآخَرِ، فَإِذَا وُجِدَ الْإِيجَابُ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمَا وَالْقَبُولُ مِنْ الْآخَرِ بِلَفْظٍ يَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِ فَقَدْ تَمَّ الرُّكْنُ، لَكِنَّ الْكَلَامَ فِي صِيغَةِ اللَّفْظِ الَّذِي يَنْعَقِدُ بِهِ الرُّكْنُ فَنَقُولُلَا خِلَافَ أَنَّهُ يَنْعَقِدُ بِلَفْظَيْنِ يُعَبَّرُ بِهِمَا عَنْ الْمَاضِي بِأَنْ يَقُولَ أَحَدُهُمَا: أَقَلْتُ، وَالْآخَرُقَبِلْتُ أَوْ رَضِيتُ أَوْ هَوِيتُ وَنَحْوَ ذَلِكَ، وَهَلْ يَنْعَقِدُ بِلَفْظَيْنِ يُعَبَّرُ بِأَحَدِهِمَا عَنْ الْمَاضِي وَبِالْآخَرِ عَنْ الْمُسْتَقْبَلِ؟ بِأَنْ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا لِصَاحِبِهِأَقِلْنِي، فَيَقُولُأَقَلْتُكَ، أَوْ قَالَ لَهُجِئْتُكَ لِتُقِيلَنِي، فَقَالَأَقَلْتُ فَقَالَ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ وَأَبُو يُوسُفَ رَحِمَهُمَا اللَّهُ: يَنْعَقِدُ كَمَا فِي النِّكَاحِ، وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ3 ﵀لَا يَنْعَقِدُ إلَّا بِلَفْظَيْنِ يُعَبَّرُ بِهِمَا عَنْ الْمَاضِي كَمَا فِي الْبَيْعِ.

 

الْبَيْعُ جَائِزٌ مُفِيدٌ لِلْحُكْمِ بِنَفْسِهِ لَكِنَّهُ مَكْرُوهٌ وَالْبَائِعُ بِالتَّفْرِيقِ آثِمٌ4

 

Involving oneself in a business which is not good is not good or commendable at all. Involving in music is not the right business hence it would be strongly advisable to leave that job post and seek income elsewhere. This is because that income which comes from prohibited or severely disliked sources is poisoned in and of itself, therefore no good will come out of it. This should be your foremost priority. Doing business with a disbeliever is not bad in itself, as you would need to do business to earn money and sustenance, but the type of business and the people who you do business with specifically in this case is not the best option.

 

 

It is apparent form the above mentioned hadeeth that anyone who produces something which is bad, like music, for it then to be used in something which is even worse, which is what the consumers or customers will potentially be doing, is even worse on the person who provided them the means with which to perform and do what they are doing – because it was a means with which they acted and did what they chose to do (anti-Islamic purposes).

 

 

Engaging in the production of music to whoever it may be is an act of hypocrisy and is a grave sin in Islam. Therefore, do repentance and seek forgiveness. Also look for another job as soon as possible and detach yourself from this customer base completely. You will not be Kaafir if they do make anti-Islamic song but you will be performing acts of grave sin and that is why you need to do taubah immediately and seek a different profession.

 

 

 

1 Surah Baqara, 275

2 Sunan Ibn Maajah, 3380

3 Badaai Sanaai, page 306, volume 5, Maktabatul Shaamila

4 Badaai Sanaai, page 232, volume 5 , Maktabatu Shaamila.

 

 

 

Only Allah Knows best.

Written by Maulana Ubaidur Rahman

Checked and Approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah.

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

 

 

 

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