I am a medical student and have uptil now been using books which are copies of the original ones. It is a fact that my buying of these books will not benefit the author and publishers. I read your questions on copyright infringement and i understand alhumdulillah but my question is that okay the act of violating the copyright is haram but what aboyt the student who uses the book? Is it only the salesman that committed a sin by copying the book or am i party to it by buying what he’s selling? JazakAllah
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The concept of copyrights is governed by Copyright Protection Law which is relaxed by the “Fair Dealing” doctrine. The Fair Dealing doctrine varies in different countries. We are not sure if copying and studying a book for study purpose is restricted by the Copyright Protection Law or it is relaxed by the Fair Dealing doctrine.
You should refer to your local Ulama and local legal experts for their counsel.[1][2]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Imran Cyclewala
Student Darul Iftaa
Lusaka, Zambia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[1] المبسوط للسرخسي (10/ 96)
وَأَكْرَهُ لِلْمُسْلِمِ الْمُسْتَأْمَنِ إلَيْهِمْ فِي دِينِهِ أَنْ يَغْدِرَ بِهِمْ؛ لِأَنَّ الْغَدْرَ حَرَامٌ قَالَ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – «لِكُلِّ غَادِرٍ لِوَاءٌ يُرْكَزُ عِنْدَ بَابِ اسْتِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُعْرَفُ بِهِ غَدْرَتُهُ» ، فَإِنَّ غَدَرَ بِهِمْ وَأَخَذَ مَالَهُمْ وَأَخْرَجَهُ إلَى دَارِ الْإِسْلَامِ كَرِهْتُ لِلْمُسْلِمِ شِرَاءَهُ مِنْهُ إذَا عَلِمَ ذَلِكَ؛ لِأَنَّهُ حَصَّلَهُ بِكَسْبٍ خَبِيثٍ، وَفِي الشِّرَاءِ مِنْهُ إغْرَاءٌ لَهُ عَلَى مِثْلِ هَذَا السَّبَبِ، وَهُوَ مَكْرُوهٌ لِلْمُسْلِمِ، وَالْأَصْلُ فِيهِ حَدِيثُ الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ شُعْبَةَ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ – حِين قَتَلَ أَصْحَابَهُ، وَجَاءَ بِمَالِهِمْ إلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَأَسْلَمَ، وَطَلَبَ مِنْ رَسُولِ
[2] Fiqhi Maqalat Vol 1 Pg. 160 Meman Islamic Publishers
Qadaya Fiqhiyya Mu’asara, Vol. 1, P. 96-107, Maktaba Al-Farabi