What is the ruling on money earned from selling accounts on advertising companies, which are not accepted except with articles copied from e-books that I do not own, knowing that I do not sell the articles themselves but rather the account?
Articles copied from e-books: If it is known or highly probable that their publication is with the permission of their owners, then there is no objection to transmitting them. If the opposite is highly probable, then that probability should be acted upon. If no probability is strong, then the default is permissibility of transmission, provided the article is attributed to its author.
As for the company's condition that the articles be exclusive, it is not permissible to violate their condition, due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Muslims are bound by their conditions."
The sale of the website and the money earned from it is permissible for its owner, even if it infringed upon the rights of the article owners. However, these rights remain a debt upon him, so he must seek their forgiveness or restore their rights.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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