Question: Can a landlord rent out his shop or house to someone who commits un-Islamic acts there, while he himself is not involved in those acts?
Answer: Allah Almighty has forbidden the spreading of immorality and indecency, and those who engage in such acts have been warned of a painful punishment, as stated in the Holy Quran:
«إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَنْ تَشِيعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِي الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ»
“Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread [or publicized] among the believers will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you do not know.”
Video films and music cassettes explicitly involve disobedience to divine commands and are therefore religiously forbidden.
In Surah Luqman, Allah Almighty says:
«وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَّشْتَرِيْ لَهْوَ الْحَدِيْثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًا أُولٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِيْنٌ»
“And of the people is he who buys the amusement of speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allah without knowledge and who takes it in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment.”
Before this verse, Allah mentioned the people of felicity who benefit from listening to the Divine Book, and then mentioned the people of misery who turn away from listening to the recitation of the Quran but eagerly listen to musical instruments, songs, and melodies. For such people is a humiliating punishment. The Companion of the Prophet and jurist of the Ummah, Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him), said: “Lahw al-Hadith means, by Allah’s oath, singing and playing music.”
Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both) who is also an exegete of the Quran, said the same, and this interpretation is narrated from Ikrimah, Hasan Basri, Saeed ibn Jubair, Qatadah, and Ibrahim Nakha’i (may Allah be pleased with them).
Therefore, since singing, musical instruments, dancing, and melodies are religiously forbidden, and selling video films and music cassettes is also forbidden, renting out a shop for such activities is cooperation in sin.
Allah Almighty says:
«وَتَعَاوَنُوْا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوْا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ»
“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.”
It is clear that cooperating in sinful acts is forbidden; therefore, renting out a shop for the trade of sinful acts is forbidden and should be avoided. Similarly, mosques whose shops have been rented out for shaving, video cassettes, and similar matters should have their caretakers immediately vacate them and give them to merchants engaged in lawful business so that the wrath of Allah may be averted.
