What is the guidance on content creation on conventional finance?
The question, as received
Assalamu alaikum. I work as a content writer and sometimes I have to write finance related content. Is it ok to write about mortgage/credit articles without specifically talking about any interest benefits? As in, just information like how mortgages work and so on? [Question Published as Received]
The answer
If a content writer is required to produce an article on mortgages, three conditions must be met for the content generation service to be somewhat acceptable.
Condition: Content must be accurate, must not promote conventional mortgages, and should be for generic or comparative education.
Explanation
- The content must be accurate and not misleading.
- The article must not promote or encourage conventional mortgages.
- The article and knowledge should be written for a website which is either providing generic information, or is educating on differences between conventional and Shari’ah products.
Although one’s earnings are not unlawful if the above conditions are not met, we would still encourage a freelance content writer to avoid content on Riba and non-compliant transactions. It is appropriate to be cautious and prudent as much as possible in these matters as the lines are very thin at times between the acceptable and unacceptable.
In regard to the second condition, an article that simply explains the types of mortgages available, the mechanics and legal processes without advocating or pitching conventional mortgages, would qualify for the second condition. Of course, if the article is written in a way that promotes or encourages conventional mortgages, such as the benefits of home financing with interest, or any other impermissible practice for that matter, then such content creation is not permissible.
With reference to the third condition, if the article is written for a generic website, such as Investopedia, and it adheres to the conditions of accuracy and a non-promotional style of writing, then this would meet the third condition above. However, if the content is intended for mortgage brokers, conventional banks or alternative financing providers which provide interest-based mortgages or non-compliant mortgages, then such content generation is not permissible. Writing content on such websites plays a role in generating leads, enhancing SEO ranking, and attracting visitors to the site, all aimed at ultimately converting those leads into customers.
Fiqh basis
Content creation which promotes impermissible practices falls under the Fiqh concept of ‘assisting in sin’ known as ‘I’anah ‘alal m’aṣiyah’.‘Allāmāh ‘Aynī (d.855 AH) and many other prominent Fuqahā state that the one who assists and facilitates a sin or vice is also guilty of wrongdoing. There is a difference of opinion amongst the Imams of the Madhhab in this matter. ‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Abīdīn (d. 1252 A.H), notes that Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (d. 150 A.H.) has a different view on this issue compared to that of his notable disciples, Imām Muḥammad (d. 189 A.H.) and Imām Abū Yūsuf (d. 181 A.H.).
From what we can conclude and draw upon from the principles of Imam Abū Ḥanīfah (Raḥimahullāh), writing content which in and of itself is not considered promoting or encouraging unlawful activity is acceptable in and of itself. The earnings of such an activity are legally valid and the activity is not sinful per se. The sin is in the trading and contracting of interest and non-Shari’ah compliant activity; merely writing generic content explaining products is not the proximate cause for the sinful activity, rather the proximate cause is the action of the parties conducting any unlawful trade or signing non-compliant agreements. According to the Fiqh principles, there exists a F’il al-Fā’il al-Mukhtār between the content writer and the sin. In other words, there is an independent activity performed by a person by their own volition without any duress or orchestration of the content writer. As such, the generic content cannot be held as sinful or illegal in Islamic law as it is not the proximate cause to the sin.
To expound further in simple terms, Imam Abū Ḥanīfah’s principles mean that the act of writing is not inherently an unlawful activity; the person writing the generic content is simply being paid for their service of writing information, similar to a farmer who tends to a vineyard or someone is involved in the construction of buildings that maybe used for unlawful or illegal activity later on. In generic content writing, the unlawful activity is not the primary scope of the service, but maybe referenced in future by someone intending something unlawful, and for that, the content writer cannot be held liable. However, we would encourage as much as caution in these matters and err on the side of caution.
And Allah knows best.
Maulana Ammar Y Badat
Reviewed and approved by Mufti Faraz Adam
References
وَاعْلَم ان صِحَة الاجارة مُتَعَلقَة بشيئين: اعلام الاجر واعلام الْعَمَل. فاذا كَانَ احدهما مَجْهُولا فالاجارة فَاسِدَة لما روى عَن النَّبِي عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاة وَالسَّلَام انه قَالَ: من اسْتَأْجر اجيرا فليعلمه اجره (النتف في الفتاوى للسغدي)
والمنافع تارة تصير معلومة بالمدة كاستئجار الدور للسكنى والأرضين للزراعة فيصح العقد على مدة معلومة أي مدة كانت وتارة تصير معلومة بالعمل والتسمية كمن استأجر رجلا على صبغ ثوب أو خياطته أو استأجر دابة ليحمل عليها مقدارا معلوما أو يركبها مسافة سماها وتارة تصير معلومة بالتعيين والإشارة كمن استأجر رجلا لينقل له هذا الطعام إلى موضع معلوم (مختصر القدوري)
(قَوْلُهُ: وَهِيَ قَوْلُهُ: – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «أَعْطُوا الْأَجِيرَ أَجْرَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَجِفَّ عَرَقُهُ» ) قَالَ الشُّرَّاحُ: فَإِنَّ الْأَمْرَ بِإِعْطَاءِ الْأَجْرِ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى صِحَّتِهِ.
وَنَوْعٌ تَصِيرُ الْمَنْفَعَةُ فِيهِ مَعْلُومَةً بِالتَّعْيِينِ، وَالْإِشَارَةِ كَاسْتِئْجَارِ رَجُلٍ لِيَنْقُلَ هَذَا الطَّعَامَ إلَى مَوْضِعٍ مَعْلُومٍ. وَهَذِهِ الْأَنْوَاعُ الثَّلَاثَةُ هِيَ الَّتِي أُشِيرَ إلَيْهَا فِي الْكِتَابِ بِقَوْلِهِ، وَالْمَنَافِعُ تَارَةً تَصِيرُ مَعْلُومَةً بِالْمُدَّةِ وَتَارَةً تَصِيرُ مَعْلُومَةً بِالتَّسْمِيَةِ، وَتَارَةً تَصِيرُ مَعْلُومَةً بِالتَّعْيِينِ. (قتح القدير لابن الهمام)
م: (قال: ومن حمل لذمي خمرا فإنه يطيب له الأجر عند أبي حنيفة – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -) ش: أي قال في ” الجامع الصغير “.
م: (وقال أبو يوسف ومحمد -رحمهما الله-: يكره له ذلك) ش: وبه قالت الثلاثة – رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ – لا يجوز العقد عندهم أصلا، وعلى هذا الخلاف إذا استأجر من مسلم دابة أو سفينة لينقل عليها خمرا أو استأجره ليرعى خنازيره، ذكره شيخ الإسلام م: (لأنه إعانة على المعصية وقد صح أن النبي – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «لعن في الخمر عشرا: حاملها والمحمول إليه (البناية شرح الهداية)
وَبَيْعُ الْمُكَعَّبِ الْمُفَضَّضِ لِلرَّجُلِ إنْ لِيَلْبَسَهُ يُكْرَهُ، لِأَنَّهُ إعَانَةٌ عَلَى لُبْسِ الْحَرَامِ وَإِنْ كَانَ إسْكَافًا أَمَرَهُ إنْسَانٌ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَ لَهُ خُفًّا عَلَى زِيِّ الْمَجُوسِ أَوْ الْفَسَقَةِ أَوْ خَيَّاطًا أَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَ لَهُ ثَوْبًا عَلَى زِيِّ الْفُسَّاقِ يُكْرَهُ لَهُ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ لِأَنَّهُ سَبَبُ التَّشَبُّهِ بِالْمَجُوسِ وَالْفَسَقَةِ اهـ (حاشية ابن عابدين)
وَالْمَنْقُولُ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنْ الْمُعْتَبَرَاتِ أَنَّهُ يُكْرَهُ (وَعِنْدَهُمَا يُكْرَهُ) أَنْ يُؤَجِّرَ بَيْتًا لِشَيْءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُ إعَانَةٌ عَلَى الْمَعْصِيَةِ وَبِهِ قَالَتْ الْأَئِمَّةُ الثَّلَاثَةُ قَالُوا إنَّ مَا ذَكَرَهُ الْإِمَامُ مُخْتَصٌّ بِسَوَادِ الْكُوفَةِ؛ لِأَنَّ أَغْلَبَ أَهْلِهَا ذِمِّيٌّ وَأَمَّا فِي سَوَادِنَا فَأَعْلَامُ الْإِسْلَامِ ظَاهِرَةٌ فَلَا يُمَكَّنُونَ مِنْ إجَارَةِ الْبَيْتِ لِيَتَّخِذَهُ مَعْبَدًا وَمَفْسَقًا فِي الْأَصَحِّ كَمَا لَا يُمَكَّنُونَ فِي الْأَمْصَارِ لِعَدَمِ الْإِذْنِ مِنْ الْحُكَّامِ فِيمَا تَغْلِبُ فِيهِ شَعَائِرُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَعَنْ هَذَا قَالَ (وَيُكْرَهُ فِي الْمِصْرِ إجْمَاعًا وَكَذَا فِي سَوَادٍ غَالِبُهُ أَهْلُ الْإِسْلَامِ) لِمَا مَرَّ أَنَّ شَعَائِرَ الْإِسْلَامِ ظَاهِرَةٌ (مجمع الاأنهر)
Based on the Hanafi school and on the question as it was asked. Another mufti may reach a different conclusion. Read the disclaimer.