Ruling on setting up a website for posting audio and video files

Question

Praise be to Allah.

It is not permissible for
you to set up this website, because it will be a cause of spreading sin to
other sites and those who want to spread songs or haraam clips or pictures
will be able to do so easily through this site. It makes no difference
whether it is for pictures only or for pictures and audio and video clips.
By means of this site you will be helping those who want to spread haraam
things, and this is the kind of cooperation that is forbidden in the Book of
Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“do not help one another
in sin and transgression. And fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Severe in
punishment”

[al-Maa’idah 5:2]

For every evil and sin that
is spread via your website, you will have a share in it, and its spread will
never end even if you shut down your site, because it will be transmitted
and spread via other sites. This means that the sin will continue every time
someone looks at or listen to that which was uploaded via your site. Even
after you die the sin will come to you in your grave!

It was narrated from Abu
Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “Whoever calls others to guidance will have a reward like
that of those who follow it, without that detracting from their reward in
the slightest. And whoever calls others to misguidance will have a burden of
sin like that of those who follow it, without it detracting from their
burden in the slightest.”

Narrated by Muslim (2674)

It was narrated that Jareer
ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever sets a good precedent in Islam will have
the reward for that and the reward of those who do it after him, without
that detracting from their reward in the slightest. And whoever sets a bad
precedent in Islam will bear the burden of sin for that, and the burden of
those who do it after him, without that detracting from their burden in the
slightest.”

Narrated by Muslim (1017)

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said: These two ahaadeeth clearly encourage us to set good
precedents and forbid setting bad precedents. The one who sets a good
precedent will have a reward like that of everyone who follows it until the
Day of Resurrection, and the one who sets a bad precedent will have a burden
of sin like that of everyone who follows it until the Day of Resurrection.
The one who calls others to right guidance will have a reward like that of
those who follow it, and the one who calls others to misguidance will have a
burden of sin like that of those who follow it, whether this guidance or
misguidance is something that he initiated or it was started before him, and
whether that is by teaching knowledge, acts of worship, etiquette or
anything else.

The words of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) “those who do it after him”
mean: if he sets the precedent, whether they do it during his lifetime or
after his death.

Sharh Muslim
(16/226, 227)

It was narrated that Abu
Mas’ood al-Ansaari said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who tells another about something good
is like the one who does it.”

Narrated by Muslim (1893)

It was narrated that Anas
ibn Maalik said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “The one who tells others about something good is like the one
who does it.”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi
(2670); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

Similarly it is said that
the one who tells others about something bad will have a burden of sin like
the one who does it.

Al-Manaawi (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said:

The one who ponders this
meaning and is blessed with guidance will be motivated to learn and will be
encouraged to spread knowledge so that his reward may be multiplied during
his life and after his death in perpetuity, and he will refrain from
introducing innovations and evils, for they will multiply his bad deeds in
the manner mentioned, so long as anyone acts upon it. So let the Muslim
ponder this meaning, the blessings of the one who tells others about good
things and the doom of the one who tells others about bad things.

Fayd al-Qadeer
(6/127).

What some owners of such
websites do, obliging those who post material on them to promise that the
material will not contain anything harmful to others or sinful, is not
enough to discharge their duty, because many of those who surf the net are
non-Muslims or evildoers who do not adhere to such promises.

We can tell you of
something that will benefit your worldly interests – if you want – and your
interests in the Hereafter, which is devoting the site that you are asking
about for uploading beneficial Islamic material. This will require you to
monitor the site constantly and to check the material before it is posted
for others to look at. If you think that it is in accordance with Islam and
guides others to do good and warns against evil, then you can let it be
posted. We do not think that this will be difficult from a technical point
of view, but it will need you to check on what should be published, as well
as seeking help from seekers of knowledge for rulings on material when you
are not sure of the ruling on it. You can imagine how very beneficial this
will be for the Muslims and how great your reward will be. This will be a
kind of sadaqah jaariyah (ongoing charity) and knowledge from which others
will benefit after you die.

There is no reason why the
site should not include audio and video files and books. But you should
avoid uploading nasheeds that are accompanied by instruments such as the
daff etc, and avoid publishing pictures of women, and avoid publishing books
that contain bid’ah (innovation) and misguidance.

And Allaah knows best.