Ruling on Entering a False Country of Residence Despite the Service’s Terms

27-10-2026 | IslamWeb

Question:

I live in Azerbaijan, but Sony does not offer Azerbaijan as a region on PlayStation Store. Because of this, I cannot select. Azerbaijan or buy games and PlayStation Plus normally. I would have to select. another country, such as the US, to make purchases. Sony says the select.ed country should match where the user lives. Is it permissible in Islam to do this, or would it be considered deception or breaking Sony’s terms? I only want to pay for the service normally.
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 sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

The deciding factor in this matter is the terms laid down by the company providing the service. If it requires you to enter the place where you actually reside, and forbids anyone whose country is missing from the available list from entering a different one, then you cannot enter any country other than the one you live in, even if you will pay the price of the service in the normal way. The proof for this is the word of Allah, the Exalted (which means): {O you who have believed, fulfill your contracts.} [Quran 5: 1]

It is also reported in a hadith that the Prophet ( sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )) said: “Muslims are bound by their conditions, except a condition that makes lawful what is forbidden or makes forbidden what is lawful.” Al-Bukhari may Allaah have mercy upon him reported it with a suspended chain of narration (mu'allaq), and al-Tirmidhi may Allaah have mercy upon him reported it and said: “This is a hasan sahih hadith.”

Allah Knows best.

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