Is It Permissible to Proofread Documents Containing Haram Material?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question: Assalamu alaykum

I am a proofreader an editor and I get all kinds of material to work on.

What should I do if I am given a document to proofread that may contain something haram?

Examples I have come across include memoirs that contain sexual episodes, product guides for choosing wine glasses…

Answer:  Walaikum assalam,

I hope you’re doing well, insha’Allah.

Proofreading such documents would not be considered “assisting in sin,” though one should (a) guard one’s own state; (b) seek Allah’s refuge from the corrupt and sinful; and (c) steer towards more wholesome choices of proofreading, where and when facilitated.

Please see this reader: assisting in sin.

And Allah is the giver of success and facilitation.

wassalam,
[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani is a scholar and researcher of Islamic law and Executive Director of SeekersHub Global After ten years overseas, Shaykh Faraz returned to Canada in the Summer of 2007. In May 2008 he founded SeekersHub Global to deal with the urgent need to spread Islamic knowledge—both online and on the ground—in a reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible manner. He has been repeatedly listed as one of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims (The Muslim500).