What is the ruling on purchasing a subscription to an English language correction service that allows use on 5 devices, and then selling or renting it to a number of people within the permitted limit? Is the money earned from this permissible (halal) or forbidden (haram)? And what is the ruling on money previously earned from selling beyond the specified limit?
It is permissible to rent out a subscription to an English language correction service for the number of devices allowed by the company, by analogy with the permissibility for a tenant to rent out what they have leased to another, provided that the new beneficiary is not more detrimental. This is also considering that copyright and intellectual property rights are protected by Sharia.
Regarding money earned from exceeding the allowed number:
1. What was earned before knowing it was prohibited: The money is lawful, and there is nothing wrong with it. 2. What was earned after knowing it was prohibited: The company must be informed. If they pardon it, the matter is theirs. If they demand their right, then they are entitled to a percentage of the profits (50% or 60%), and the remaining percentage is yours, by analogy with Mudarabah (profit-sharing partnership), because the profit was generated by the owner's capital and the beneficiary's effort.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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