Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Baraktuh,
I am planning to become an affiliate marketer for affiliate programs. I basically try to refer products (physical or digital) to people online and I receive a commission on it.
Some digital products that I want to promote involve videos of text and audio training. There is a little music at the beginning of them or sometimes in the background. Is it haram to promote these for commissions? The music has nothing to do with the actual product, and the music was only used by the owner of the actual product in a promotional video that they will see. Customers would not ever focus on the music and it is completely irrelevant and only in the background, and the actual product contains nothing with music.
For example, I would send somebody to a page where the owner of the product promotes their product in a video, and in that video there might be some slight music in the background, completely unrelated to the product or service being promoted – and the customer would never focus on the music or watch the video for the music. The product being promoted is a website making software which has nothing to do with nor endorses music.
Would it be permissible to send customers to this page and promote this product? It is also the customers choice whether they want to view the video or not, they can simply choose to buy the software without even watching the video, as there will also be text underneath detailing the software.
In the same case, if there was very short clips of women in the video (hair uncovered for example), which again wouldn’t be the main purpose of the video and no one would watch it for that possible, would it be permissible to promote this product? Just to clarify, the actual product would have nothing to do with the women, or music.
JazakAllah Khair
Answer
Wa’alaykum as Salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,
You mention that the customers have a choice whether to view the video or not. However, many times it happens that videos automatically stream when you open the page. Also, people will be unaware that the video has music, ladies or animated objects.
Thus, it will only be permissible if you can inform and warn the customer that there is Haram (impermissible), and he should not view the video. If that is not possible, it will not be permissible.
And Allaah Ta’aala knows best
Wassalaam,
Ismail Moosa (Mufti)