Is it permissible to sell fabric to someone one knows will tailor it into immodest clothing for women, by analogy to selling grapes to someone who will press them into wine?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Another questioner : If this man knows that he will press it, it becomes forbidden and he becomes cursed. Fine, I am a fabric merchant, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I am a fabric merchant, and some people buy from me.
The Shaykh : The same answer applies.
The questioner : We...
The Shaykh : No, no, the same answer. Go on with your day.
The questioner : As for...
The Shaykh : What is in your heart...
The questioner : So-and-so buys from me and makes for...
The Shaykh : Do you want to tire yourself out? Do you want to tire yourself out? Let’s move on, finish your journey.
Another questioner : ... on yourself ... .
The questioner : With a fashionable thread, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The questioner : With a fashionable thread.
Another questioner : With a thread, he does.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And I buy from me a roll of fabric.
Another questioner : O father, what... .
Another questioner : Ah, fine, you are the one who chooses the models for these...
The questioner : I do not choose, I do not choose... .
The Shaykh : Be patient.
The questioner : He is the one who cuts the models. I come with a full roll, considering it to be one hundred meters of fabric. He takes the fabric, goes to it, and makes skirts for the women who display their adornment, or something similar to that.
The Shaykh : I do not know whether you are a source of good for you or a source of evil.
The questioner : Without a doubt, but I do not know. Many people buy and take it.
The Shaykh : You did not answer me. Do you want good for yourself or evil?
The questioner : Good, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : And so it is. Do you want ease or hardship?
The questioner : Ease, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Fine, I see you are the opposite. Do you know why? .. .
Another questioner : Come, come here.
The Shaykh : I liked to give you the answer in a brief way before you explained the matter. But now, your explanation of your question compels me to explain my answer to you, and after the explanation, you will lose out right now.
The questioner : I liked that I... we earn the reward.
The Shaykh : Well done. This is what I liked to correct in myself. I was going to tell you, but you will lose materially, yet you will gain spiritually. I wanted to tell you that you are like that one. Either you know that the one who came to buy the grapes wants to press them into wine, in which case they are equal in the burden of sin. This statement is also said to you. And what is the opposite? If he does not know, is there a burden on him?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : Fine, now we are asking for you, and this is the question you were in no need of, because now this question and its answer will cause you to lose materially, but in any case, deeds are judged by their endings, so you are the winner. Now, you are the fabric merchant and tailor. If a woman comes to you wanting to buy from you that type of fabric, you are one of two men. Either it is predominant in your opinion that she is going to tailor it into clothing that is not permissible for her to wear, in which case it is forbidden for you to sell her that fabric. And if you do not know like that man, then it is permissible for you to sell. What do you think now?
The questioner : I based this on the fact that the man who buys from me is a Christian and has a sewing workshop, so surely he does not tailor in a way that pleases Allah. This is what I based it on: the man is a Christian buying from me, a Christian. So should I refrain from selling to him?
The Shaykh : According to what is predominant in your opinion...
The questioner : I do not know what he tailors.
The Shaykh : Allow me, allow me. Your saying he is a Christian makes no difference whether he were a Muslim. The important thing from the legal standpoint is what is predominant in your opinion about this buyer, whether he is a Muslim man or a Christian man, or a Muslim woman or a Christian woman. What is predominant in your opinion: will this type of fabric be used in what Allah has made lawful, or in what Allah has forbidden? So it is you and what is predominant in your opinion. Now, I am not a fabric merchant or a tailor, but do you imagine that there is a type of fabric that cannot be tailored except in disobedience to Allah? Is my imagination correct?
The questioner : There is, yes, there is.
Another questioner : Yes, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : My imagination is correct.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : In your opinion, is it permissible to sell this fabric?
Another questioner : No.
The Shaykh : You, if Allah wills, do not sell it. Come, Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You.
The questioner : My suspicion may have led me to ruin.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I am a fabric merchant, and some people buy from me.
The Shaykh : The same answer applies.
The questioner : We...
The Shaykh : No, no, the same answer. Go on with your day.
The questioner : As for...
The Shaykh : What is in your heart...
The questioner : So-and-so buys from me and makes for...
The Shaykh : Do you want to tire yourself out? Do you want to tire yourself out? Let’s move on, finish your journey.
Another questioner : ... on yourself ... .
The questioner : With a fashionable thread, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The questioner : With a fashionable thread.
Another questioner : With a thread, he does.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And I buy from me a roll of fabric.
Another questioner : O father, what... .
Another questioner : Ah, fine, you are the one who chooses the models for these...
The questioner : I do not choose, I do not choose... .
The Shaykh : Be patient.
The questioner : He is the one who cuts the models. I come with a full roll, considering it to be one hundred meters of fabric. He takes the fabric, goes to it, and makes skirts for the women who display their adornment, or something similar to that.
The Shaykh : I do not know whether you are a source of good for you or a source of evil.
The questioner : Without a doubt, but I do not know. Many people buy and take it.
The Shaykh : You did not answer me. Do you want good for yourself or evil?
The questioner : Good, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : And so it is. Do you want ease or hardship?
The questioner : Ease, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Fine, I see you are the opposite. Do you know why? .. .
Another questioner : Come, come here.
The Shaykh : I liked to give you the answer in a brief way before you explained the matter. But now, your explanation of your question compels me to explain my answer to you, and after the explanation, you will lose out right now.
The questioner : I liked that I... we earn the reward.
The Shaykh : Well done. This is what I liked to correct in myself. I was going to tell you, but you will lose materially, yet you will gain spiritually. I wanted to tell you that you are like that one. Either you know that the one who came to buy the grapes wants to press them into wine, in which case they are equal in the burden of sin. This statement is also said to you. And what is the opposite? If he does not know, is there a burden on him?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : Fine, now we are asking for you, and this is the question you were in no need of, because now this question and its answer will cause you to lose materially, but in any case, deeds are judged by their endings, so you are the winner. Now, you are the fabric merchant and tailor. If a woman comes to you wanting to buy from you that type of fabric, you are one of two men. Either it is predominant in your opinion that she is going to tailor it into clothing that is not permissible for her to wear, in which case it is forbidden for you to sell her that fabric. And if you do not know like that man, then it is permissible for you to sell. What do you think now?
The questioner : I based this on the fact that the man who buys from me is a Christian and has a sewing workshop, so surely he does not tailor in a way that pleases Allah. This is what I based it on: the man is a Christian buying from me, a Christian. So should I refrain from selling to him?
The Shaykh : According to what is predominant in your opinion...
The questioner : I do not know what he tailors.
The Shaykh : Allow me, allow me. Your saying he is a Christian makes no difference whether he were a Muslim. The important thing from the legal standpoint is what is predominant in your opinion about this buyer, whether he is a Muslim man or a Christian man, or a Muslim woman or a Christian woman. What is predominant in your opinion: will this type of fabric be used in what Allah has made lawful, or in what Allah has forbidden? So it is you and what is predominant in your opinion. Now, I am not a fabric merchant or a tailor, but do you imagine that there is a type of fabric that cannot be tailored except in disobedience to Allah? Is my imagination correct?
The questioner : There is, yes, there is.
Another questioner : Yes, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : My imagination is correct.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : In your opinion, is it permissible to sell this fabric?
Another questioner : No.
The Shaykh : You, if Allah wills, do not sell it. Come, Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You.
The questioner : My suspicion may have led me to ruin.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.