What should I do about the pirated books and novels that I bought? And must I repurchase them as original copies to restore the rights of their owners, or would that be considered extravagance? And does the ruling differ if I haven't read some of them yet, or if their content contains transgressions?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
There is no sin upon you for purchasing copied books and novels without your knowledge of them being copied; the sin falls upon the aggressor. You are not required now to buy an original copy or to destroy the non-original copies you possess, especially since your use of them is for personal benefit and not for profit. Some scholars have permitted copying for personal use, as indicated by Sheikh Muhammad Al-Uthaymeen.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/175840
Where this answer came from
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 175840
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy