Renting Out a Store to Those Who Sell Music

The following question was sent to the Committee:

Question :

We have rented out a store to a man who sublet it to another who used it for selling singing and musical cassettes. After reading that it is prohibited to rent out a place to someone who uses it for something unlawful, I told my father that we must evict the man; he asked me for proof showing that we have to evict him.

Answer:

After reviewing the question the Committee for Rulings A answered that it is not allowed to rent a store to anyone selling instruments for singing and music, nor such audio cassettes, because this would be a form of assisting them in the spread of what is unlawful, and empowering their spread of falsehood, for Allâh Almighty says:
"Help you one another in virtue, righteousness, and piety; but do not help one another in sin and transgression." With Allah is the facilitation to do what is right. May Allah send peace and blessings upon Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.

Question :

To the noble Shaykh, Muhammad bin Salih bin 'Uthaimin may Allah have mercy upon him peace and blessings of Allâh upon you:

You know of the many stores opening that sell audio cassettes of music, in its various forms, so please clarify the following:

The Islamic ruling regarding the sale of these tapes, keeping in mind that they consist of the following:

1) All kinds of wind and string instruments.

2) An invitation to lewdness and corrupt manners. 3) Base speech.

What about listening to these kinds of tapes?

What is the ruling regarding the profits that result from the sale of these tapes?

What about renting out a store to someone who uses it to sell music tapes?

Do the owner of the store and the renter carry the burden of the sins of those people who buy and listen to the music tapes? May Allah Almighty reward you well and amply.

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful; and peace, blessings, and mercy of Allah upon you. If the audio cassettes contain what you mentioned in your question, then no wise person, indeed no believer in Allâh Almighty and the Last Day, who fears Allah's punishment and seeks His reward, will doubt that the sale of these tapes is unlawful.

They corrupt the morals and manners of our society, as well as they invite evil for the entire society and for the individual. Any person who has such cassettes should repent to Allâh Almighty, erase those tapes, and then rerecord them with something that is beneficial.

The profits derived from the sale of music tapes are also unlawful, for the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ said:
"Indeed, when Allah forbids a thing, He forbids its price."

It is also forbidden to rent a store to someone who sells these tapes, and since doing so means that one is helping in the promotion of evil, the rent money obtained is also unlawful. Allâh Almighty says:
"But do not help one another in sin and transgression"

Even though the sin of listening to music is upon those who buy and listen to the tapes, it is not something improbable that the owner and tenant of the store have a share in their sins, without the former having their sins decreased in the least. And Allâh Almighty knows best.

Source:
Ibn 'Uthaimin
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 8 Pages 205-206-207