Does disavowing responsibility for the sin of spreading forbidden content on the internet negate the sin from the publisher?
Those referred to will not benefit from their pretexts. One who calls to evil, promotes it, and disseminates it incurs a burden of sin from those who commit that evil due to his call to it, as Allah Almighty said: {And they will surely carry their [own] burdens and [other] burdens along with their [own] burdens} and Allah Almighty said: {That they may bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection, and some of the burdens of those whom they misguide without knowledge}. On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, he said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward equal to the rewards of those who follow him, without diminishing anything from their rewards. And whoever calls to misguidance will bear a sin equal to the sins of those who follow him, without diminishing anything from their sins." Thus, whoever disseminates evil while knowing it is evil, is sinful. His conscience is not cleared by writing a phrase indicating that he is innocent of the sin of those who commit it, or witness or hear it.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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