Fatwa ID: 08358
Answered by Alimah Humairah Badshah
Question:
I have a question regarding earning money through online games. In a particular game, I work hard to earn in-game currency and items, and I sell them to other players for real money. The trade is honest, both parties benefit, and I don’t use any cheats, bots, or deception. However, the game’s Terms of Service technically forbid real-money trading.
Given that the transaction is fair and no one is harmed, but it breaks the game’s TOS, is this income considered halal or haram in Islam?
My family is struggling a lot at the same time I’m trying to help them from this money. so I wanted to make sure if it’s halal or not I’m doing the transaction and everything all fairly both parties are benefiting including the game.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
When one plays online games or uses online software, one agrees to accept and abide by the conditions of the Terms of Service (TOS). This is an agreement between the maker of the software and the user. It can be viewed as a type of promise or trust.
Trustworthiness and honesty are important characteristics in Islam. A Muslim should uphold their promises and contracts and not break them unless there is no other option. Therefore, if real-money trading (RMT) is explicitly forbidden in the TOS of the game in question, one should abide by this rule which they have agreed to and refrain from RMT.
In Surah Al-Isra, Allah (عز و جل) commands us: {Honour [your] pledges, for you will surely be accountable for them.} [17:34]
You may wish to consider a better form of online work, adhering to what is permissible. It may be helpful for you to look into freelance work for an online service in fields such as translation or transcription.
References:
دَخَلَ مُسْلِمٌ دَارَ الْحَرْبِ بِأَمَانٍ حَرُمَ تَعَرُّضُهُ لِشَيْءٍ) مِنْ دَمٍ وَمَالٍ وَفَرْجٍ (مِنْهُمْ) إذْ الْمُسْلِمُونَ عِنْدَ شُرُوطِهِمْ
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., https://shamela.ws) v.4 p.166
الْمِلْكِ حَرَامًا عَلَى حُرْمَةِ التَّعَرُّضِ
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., https://shamela.ws) v.4 p.166
لَا بَيْعُ مَا لَيْسَ مَمْلُوكًا لَهُ
Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (https://shamela.ws) v.3 p.3
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ إِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْبِرِّ، وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَصْدُقُ حَتَّى يَكُونَ صِدِّيقًا، وَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْفُجُورِ، وَإِنَّ الْفُجُورَ يَهْدِي إِلَى النَّارِ، وَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَكْذِبُ، حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَذَّابًا ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari (https://sunnah.com) b.78, ch.69, no.121 (6094)
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۚ فَمَن نَّكَثَ فَإِنَّمَا يَنكُثُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِمَا عَـٰهَدَ عَلَيْهُ ٱللَّهَ فَسَيُؤْتِيهِ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًۭا
Surah Al-Fath [48:10]
وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ مَالَ ٱلْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ ۚ وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِٱلْعَهْدِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْـُٔولًۭا
Surah Al-Isra [17:34]
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Humairah Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
