What should I do with the photocopied books I obtained from the university at a symbolic price, unaware that they were unlicensed; am I permitted to use them, or must I dispose of them?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is permissible to benefit from university books purchased at a low price, even if their original ownership belongs to the university and there is permission to copy them. However, if you are certain that the university did not purchase the right to copy and was not given permission to do so, then the sin falls upon the one who copied them. The matter is lighter here because it is for personal use and not for sale, and it falls under what some scholars have permitted.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/100869
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 100869
- 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