Question 1603: If, when buying software or an educational file and so on, the seller stipulates that it should not be given to others or copied and duplicated, is such a condition obligatory to observe?
Answer
✅ Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:
1 عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَیْدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: الْمُسْلِمُونَ عِنْدَ شُرُوطِهِمْ إِلَّا کُلَّ شَرْطٍ خَالَفَ کِتَابَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَلَا یَجُوزُ.
📚 Al-Tahdheeb, vol. 7, p. 22
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Muslims are bound by their conditions, except for any condition that is contrary to the Quran, which is not permissible!
2 عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ الشَّرْطِ فِی الْإِمَاءِ لَا تُبَاعُ وَ لَا تُوهَبُ قَالَ یَجُوزُ ذَلِکَ غَیْرَ الْمِیرَاثِ فَإِنَّهَا تُورَثُ لِأَنَّ کُلَّ شَرْطٍ خَالَفَ الْکِتَابَ بَاطِلٌ.
📚 Al-Tahdheeb, vol. 7, p. 67
Ibn Sinan said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the (sale of) slave women with the condition that they not be sold or given as a gift; the Imam said: It is permissible, except for inheritance, because it is inherited, for every condition that is contrary to the Quran is void!
3 عَنِ الصَّفَّارِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُوسَی الْخَشَّابِ عَنْ غِیَاثِ بْنِ کَلُّوبٍ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَبِیهِ أَنَّ عَلِیَّ بْنَ أَبِی طَالِبٍ علیه السلام کَانَ یَقُولُ مَنْ شَرَطَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ شَرْطاً فَلْیَفِ لَهَا بِهِ فَإِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِینَ عِنْدَ شُرُوطِهِمْ إِلَّا شَرْطاً حَرَّمَ حَلَالًا أَوْ أَحَلَّ حَرَاماً
📚 Al-Tahdheeb, vol. 7, p. 467
Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said: Whoever makes a condition with his wife must fulfill that condition for his wife because Muslims are bound by their conditions (they fulfill their conditions), except for a condition that makes a forbidden thing permissible or a permissible thing forbidden!
✅ Based on the above narrations and others, if a seller makes a condition within a contract of sale that is not contrary to the Quran and does not make a permissible thing forbidden or a forbidden thing permissible, that condition is permissible and must be acted upon.
✅ Therefore, if in the sale of software or an educational CD or otherwise, it is stipulated within the contract of sale that it should not be copied or duplicated, since this condition is not contrary to the Quran, its observance is obligatory.
✅ Today, individuals who produce some educational or software content, in order to maintain their sales market and profit from their efforts, stipulate at the time of sale that it should not be duplicated or copied, and according to the above narrations and others, such a condition is permissible and must be observed.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر