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What is the ruling on using unpaid computer programs, such as Windows, and is it permissible to benefit from the scientific and da'wah materials downloaded through them?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Using computer programs that their producers prohibit downloading is not permissible, and the reasons mentioned do not justify overstepping this right, even if it has become common practice among people or if some scholars have erred. Although some scholars permit downloading for learning and personal use, not for commercial purposes, merely using non-genuine programs does not prevent inspecting the device. Nevertheless, it is prohibited to use these copied programs on your device or someone else's, based on the opinion of those who forbid it even for personal use, let alone commercial benefit.

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

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