What is the ruling on downloading paid books and applications that are available for free on the Internet through unofficial means?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The authoritative juristic opinion deems intellectual property rights and copyrights as absolute. Therefore, it is impermissible to download books and applications in the manner described. The more cautious approach is to refrain from doing so, even though some scholars have permitted it for personal use when there is a need.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/151152
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 151152
- 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