Is this a valid contract?

18 Dec 2019 Ref-No#: 2306

Dear mufti saab, when I was not baaligh my friend at the same age as me encouraged me to join his Roblox (with voice) movie club. He made me make a script and then he started making the movie. However, the files were corrupted and he left it behind. For a long period after, he expected to have me make another movie and he hyped it up for a long time. So I started making it, but his focus turns to other movies, and I started doing Hifz and start focusing more on the Deen. Fast forward, close to being Baaligh, but not quite there, he approached me again and claimed that that movie is rightfully his club’s property because there was the intention of giving it to me. I denied that I could not make the movie because it would distract from the way of Allah and I never told him anything besides the name. So we fought over this for a long time until he peer pressured me into making a contract with him because I was disturbed that he was using my work for these purposes. I made the contract with the intention of leaving after one film. I made the script during this time. Over a year passed making the script and things fell ambiguous again when I said that this had no place in Islam and was not permissible. I again signed a more thorough contract with him in hopes that I could leave the property and me with him. So I hit puberty and he then said that he can pull me in and ask me to make movies any time. I am stuck here. I am I allowed to walk away? If I do he will use my properties for bad purposes. He ensured that there would be no music, but still it is some man in a fantasy land who passes through alternate realities fighting a greater villain. Is this allowed? I greatly wish to leave this project, but I realize he will chase me for the rest of my life now. If I do just walk away, he will leave me as a friend and give my properties for someone else to make a script with. Also is the contract even valid as I did not hit puberty while making it and he still hasn’t hit puberty.

Answer

Wa’alaykum as Salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

Digital photography is impermissible, and there is great possibility of one coming under the curse of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). The entire contract that you signed is based on Haram, and hence it is not valid. Even if you make a script and you are not in the video, you are directly assisting in sin.

Explain to your friend that you do not wish to indulge in Haram. If he does not oblige, you may seek legal advise to see what options you have to protect yourself from his harm.

References

والاستئجار على المعاصي باطل فإن بعقد الإجارة يستحق تسليم المعقود عليه شرعا ولا يجوز أن يستحق على المرء فعل به يكون عاصيا شرعا (المبسوط للسرخسي 16/38)

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