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Fatwa CenterOne’s belongings used in prohibited things after his death
Question
Assalamu aleikum If a man leaves something behind after he dies and if somebody else uses that thing to do something haram or to commit a sin, will the person who died be punished and held accountable for it? For example , if i had a TV and after i died someone else inherited this tv and used it to watch haram things, will i be held accountable for it, even if didn't use the TV at all while i was alive? Or another example, i own a playstation which is a device used to play video/computer games. I stopped using it now because i think it is a waste of time and most of the games contain music and drawn pictures of living beings. So at the moment it is lying in my house and i don't know what to do with it.Should i destroy it even though its a bit of an expensive item? Anyways, if I don't destroy it and just leave it in my house without using it, after i die if somebody picks it up and starts using it and committing sin thereby,will i be held accountable for it, since i was the one who bought it and use to own it? Please answer my question in the light of Quran and hadith. Thank you. Assalamu aleikum.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
Whoever obtains any device which could be used for good and evil, like a T.V. set for instance, then he is obliged to avoid using it in things that do not please Allaah, and he should prevent others from using it with his permission in the same evil manner.
If his heirs or other people use it after his death in the disobedience of Allaah, then he is not responsible for it, Allaah willing. Anyway, one should endeavour to cultivate his children to do righteous deeds and obey Allaah and forbid them from disobeying Allaah or breaching His Commands.
As regards the play station, it is difficult to get rid of some prohibitions which it contains, like music and forbidden pictures, like naked images. Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim to possess it as clarified in Fatwa 86106. However, you did well by not playing with it.
With regard to selling it, then it is not permissible to sell it as it is, rather it is an obligation to destroy it if it is not possible to transform it to something else in a way that one may benefit from it in a permissible manner.
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