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What is the ruling on allowing forum participants to upload cracks and serials for software programs? Is the website owner sinful for that? And is it sufficient to place a warning that this is impermissible to absolve oneself of responsibility?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The ruling on using a "crack" and "serial" is based on the ruling on copying software. What is permissible to copy, it is permissible to use a crack for it, and what is prohibited, using a crack for it is prohibited.

Details: 1. If the software owners stipulate the preservation of their rights and prohibit copying: It is obligatory to adhere to this, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Muslims are bound by their conditions." The right of authorship and invention is guaranteed to its owners. Infringing upon these rights harms their owners and discourages companies from production. 2. If there is no explicit prohibition on private copying: It is permissible to copy them for personal use only, without profiting, as Sheikh Muhammad bin Salih Al-Uthaymeen fatwaed. 3. Cases where copying is permissible without the owners' permission (exceptions): If they are not available in the markets, and it is permissible to copy them out of necessity and for charitable distribution (not for sale or profit). If there is an urgent need for them, and their owners demand an exorbitant price after recovering their costs and a reasonable profit, it is permissible to copy them to avert harm, provided they are not sold. If they belong to someone whose life or property is not protected (e.g., a belligerent non-Muslim).

Accordingly, forum visitors must be prevented from posting links to download prohibited software or their cracks, and a clear announcement of the prohibition is sufficient.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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