What is the ruling on purchasing audio equipment from a music and singing shop to convert it into Islamic recording equipment?

The questioner : I mean, glory be to Allah... regarding a shop that sells music and singing, I mean.

The Shaykh : What about the music and singing?

The questioner : I mean, it is a cassette shop; he places a cassette shop...

The Shaykh : ... my brother, you said.

The questioner : Ah, I am saying that the shop, I mean, he wants... and we want to buy the equipment so it can be converted to Islamic recordings. So it is originally a singing shop, not a non-singing shop.

The Shaykh : Okay, how is your work based on the fact that it is a singing shop?

The questioner : No, Shaykh, the one who wants to buy is a brother. The purchase request came after their partnership dissolved. They were two partners in a singing business. When the theft occurred and he wanted to sell the shop, he announced that he would sell the shop. This brother wants to buy the equipment to buy it and establish an Islamic recording shop. However, the original purpose was for singing.

The Shaykh : I mean, he wants to sell because he has no taqwa (mindfulness of Allah); he is like a thief because he was a partner in selling song cassettes, like that, I mean.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : And the one who wants to buy, what does he want to convert?
The student : I mean, this requires the Shaykh's words.

The Shaykh : Since he is not qualified to perform the recording operation, he brings another partner with him. How is he going to operate the shop? The buyer wants...

The questioner : His work is that he wants to buy...

The Shaykh : Okay, I understand you, I understand you.

The questioner : No, his work here, I mean, his work.

The Shaykh : His work is recordings.

The questioner : Ah, his work has a branch, and he wants to open another branch. So he said, since it is a singing shop and such, one buys this equipment, especially since its price is attractive. He said, we will buy it and open a second branch.

The Shaykh : Okay, this attractive price; he did not know that the price is attractive but it is not Sharia-compliant.

The questioner : Shaykh, that is why we asked. We have not bought it, I mean, yes.
The student : Answer, Shaykh, answer.

The questioner : Yes, because the price was surprising, he said we must consult, I mean...
The student : Answer, Shaykh, answer, Shaykh, answer his question. Do not return to the old details.

The Shaykh : This righteous man who wants to buy half of the shop for the sake of da'wah (calling to Islam) so that he gets his right from that thief. Does this righteous man not know that the items being sold in this shop are worth five thousand? He wants to buy them for two thousand. He does not know that this is injustice.

The questioner : Shaykh, I do not know, but it also appears that he wants... that the right is his, I mean, we do not know, I mean, that the right is his, I mean, that these are monies and that one stole from me, and this right of five thousand dinars is mine alone. I want to sell it for two thousand to get rid of it. That is the meaning of his words.

The Shaykh : It is permissible to sell at a loss if one is compelled and wants to sell his car, which is worth, for example, ten thousand, for five thousand, and you know that it is worth, if we sought the buyer, eight thousand, and we say he is making a profit by taking it from him for five thousand. This is the sale of the compelled, which is prohibited by the Sharia. Therefore, you need to give him [extra] to make him content. This is if we say that his sale of half the shop is permissible. But now it is the buyer's turn. How is the buyer going to buy what is worth five thousand for two thousand? We were recently in a matter similar to this, and you all know that the Kuwaitis who brought their cars; these cars are not licensed here. So the state announced that whoever wants to register or license his car should do so, or we will confiscate it. And indeed, of course, this is licensed. Now the state at customs has confiscated cars from the Kuwaitis and announces them for public auction. So a questioner asked me if it is permissible to buy them. I told him, by Allah, I see that the matter has details. It depends on whether this announcement is just in terms of the state's general system, or if it is a matter of customs and imposing taxes unjustly and oppressively, or if there is no injustice or oppression. In that case, I see that in the situation where there is no oppression, there is no harm in one buying what is offered in the public auction. The public auction has many forms that you know, I mean, those confiscated via customs, via smuggling, and so on. So I asked, when the state announces in our country and sells the car for half its value, reaching fifteen [thousand] and selling it for seven [thousand], and so on. Now, to whom does this money return? They said it returns to the owner of the car. I said, then the one who wants to buy this car, after observing the previous conditions, must make the owner content. He must make the owner content. Why? Because of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . So if the owner of the car is not content with this low price, which everyone who sees the car and hears its offered price says is unfair, this is injustice. Then if you are a true Muslim, make content this one who is selling under compulsion against his will. This situation is rare among us. This righteous, pious, scrupulous man who wants to buy half the shop to convert it to Islamic recordings, and he is convinced that this shop is not worth two [thousand], it is worth four thousand, it is worth five thousand. So he should not take advantage of this partner's compulsion to sell goods worth five thousand for two thousand. No, he should pay him extra. This is if he intended the Sharia. But most people today do not fear Allah, do not fear Allah.