Fatwa ID: 07490
Answered by: Alimah Saniyah bint Asrar
Question:
Is earning from selling photos and videos on online platforms like Shutterstock or iStock permissible in Islam?
The photos and videos I sell totally follow the rules of Sharia, and they are mostly nature and food-related.
I am concerned because there is no way that I can find out what the clients are going to do with the photos and videos they buy from me.
These types of stock photos and videos are usually used for websites, wallpapers, making YouTube videos, commercials, and advertising.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Yes, it is permissible to earn by selling photos and videos as long as those photos and videos themselves don’t have anything impermissible in them.
Since those videos in and of themselves are permissible, you don’t have to worry about what others do with them, and you won’t be at fault even if they use them for something impermissible.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Alimah Saniyah bint Asrar
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي ٦/٣٩١
(وَ) جَازَ (بَيْعُ عَصِيرِ) عِنَبٍ (مِمَّنْ) يُعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ (يَتَّخِذُهُ خَمْرًا) لِأَنَّ الْمَعْصِيَةَ لَا تَقُومُ بِعَيْنِهِ بَلْ بَعْدَ تَغَيُّرِهِ وَقِيلَ يُكْرَهُ لِإِعَانَتِهِ عَلَى الْمَعْصِيَةِ وَنَقَلَ الْمُصَنِّفُ عَنْ السِّرَاجِ وَالْمُشْكِلَاتِ أَنَّ قَوْلَهُ مِمَّنْ أَيْ مِنْ كَافِرٍ أَمَّا بَيْعُهُ مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِ فَيُكْرَهُ وَمِثْلُهُ فِي الْجَوْهَرَةِ وَالْبَاقَانِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِمَا زَادَ الْقُهُسْتَانِيُّ مَعْزِيًّا لِلْخَانِيَّةِ أَنَّهُ يُكْرَهُ بِالِاتِّفَاقِ.
حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي ٦/٣٩٢
(وَ) جَازَ (إجَارَةُ بَيْتٍ بِسَوَادِ الْكُوفَةِ) أَيْ قُرَاهَا (لَا بِغَيْرِهَا عَلَى الْأَصَحِّ) وَأَمَّا الْأَمْصَارُ وَقُرَى غَيْرِ الْكُوفَةِ فَلَا يُمَكَّنُونَ لِظُهُورِ شِعَارِ الْإِسْلَامِ فِيهَا وَخُصَّ سَوَادُ الْكُوفَةِ، لِأَنَّ غَالِبَ أَهْلِهَا أَهْلُ الذِّمَّةِ (لِيُتَّخَذَ بَيْتَ نَارٍ أَوْ كَنِيسَةً أَوْ بِيعَةً أَوْ يُبَاعَ فِيهِ الْخَمْرُ) وَقَالَا لَا يَنْبَغِي ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُ إعَانَةٌ عَلَى الْمَعْصِيَةِ وَبِهِ قَالَتْ الثَّلَاثَةُ زَيْلَعِيٌّ.