Is it permissible to buy a recording device to listen to what pleases Allah, knowing that my family will use it to listen to music, and would I be sinful for that?

The essence of the question lies in the principle of "blocking the means to corruption" (sadd adh-dhara'i ila al-fasad), which is a recognized jurisprudential principle affirmed by the Quran, the Sunnah, the actions of the Companions, and the jurisprudence of the Imams.

Means (dhara'i') are divided into three types: 1. Agreed upon to be blocked and prohibited: That which leads to corruption certainly or with a near certainty, such as selling grapes to one who is known to use them for making wine. 2. Agreed upon not to be blocked and prohibited: That which rarely leads to corruption, such as prohibiting the cultivation of grapes for fear of them being used for making wine. 3. Disputed among scholars: That which oscillates between benefit and corruption. Malik and Ahmad advocated for blocking it, while Al-Shafi'i and Abu Hanifa argued against blocking it. The reason for the disagreement is their oscillation; if one (benefit or corruption) outweighs the other, it takes its ruling. If they are equal, repelling harm takes precedence over attaining benefit, in accordance with the hadith: "Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt," and "The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear, and between them are doubtful matters."