Is Selling Maps of Non-Muslim Lands Permissible?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

Is it permissible to sell shaded-relief maps of non-Muslim countries or historical empires, and am I responsible if someone misuses them for harmful purposes?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

The sale of a map is permissible in itself. This ruling is not changed by the mere possibility of the product being used sinfully.

This is based on the principle that anything that has a permissible usage in the Sacred law is permissible to sell. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he went on to study at Darul Uloom Seminary in New York and completed his studies at Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen.

There, he completed the memorization of the Quran and his study of Islamic Sciences. Throughout his years of study, he was blessed to learn from many great scholars: Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Habib Kazhim al-Saqqaf, Shaykh ‘Umar bin Husayn al-Khatib, and others.

Upon returning, he joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.