Ruling on selling designs of posters, fliers and business cards

3-1-2017 | IslamWeb

Question:

What does Islam say about working freelance? Is it haram or halal if I sell a business card/flyer/poster design on the online market, like a graphic of a river, and a client uses this for his haram work/business. Will I be held responsible for that? Please tell me what is haram in freelance work, like, if I make a real estate poster and a person uses it for his night club, for example, will I be sinful then? Please tell me.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

The basic principle is that freelance jobs are lawful, just like other jobs. It is permissible to design posters, fliers, and business cards and the like provided that these posters and fliers do not include Sharia violations, such as pictures of women exposing their beauty and adornment, and provided that the business is lawful. It is impermissible to promote the places that sell alcohol, night clubs, usurious banks, or other places that contain prohibited activities.

As for promoting lawful businesses in principle, such as a building that is not dedicated to prohibited activities, it is permissible. If someone bought the building and used it in prohibited activity, then he bears the sin for that, and you do not.

Allah knows best.