Is it halal to promote web-service providers when I have no control over what content they'll provide?
The question of whether it is halal to promote web-service providers, especially when you cannot control the content they provide, involves considerations from Islamic jurisprudence regarding the nature of the services and the intentions behind promoting them.
According to Sunni scholarship, as reflected in Tafsir Ibn Kathir, the general principle is that one should only engage in actions that are lawful (halal) and avoid those that are unlawful (haram). The Qur'an emphasizes the importance of consuming and promoting what is good and lawful: O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and wholesome in the earth, and follow not the footsteps of the devil.
2:168 This implies that promoting services or products should align with what is considered halal.
Furthermore, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated, The lawful is clear, and the unlawful is clear, and between the two are doubtful matters that many people do not know.
Sahih al-Bukhari 2:45 This indicates the necessity to avoid areas of uncertainty or doubt in one's actions.
From a Shia perspective, as noted in Majma al-Bayan, the emphasis is also on promoting what is good and avoiding harm. The interpretation of halal and haram extends to not just the direct actions but also the indirect consequences of promoting certain services that may provide content contrary to Islamic values.
In summary, if the web-service providers may offer content that is clearly haram or could lead others into haram activities, promoting such services would not be permissible. However, if the content is generally good or neutral, and your intention is to provide useful information, it may be considered halal. For personalized guidance, it is advisable to consult a qualified local scholar who can consider the specific context and details of your situation.
Sources
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2:168 · Al-Baqara
2:168 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ كُلُوا۟ مِمَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ حَلَٰلًۭا طَيِّبًۭا وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّۭ مُّبِينٌ
O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and wholesome in the earth, and follow not the footsteps of the devil. Lo! he is an open enemy for you.
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Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 2:168
Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 2:168
After Allah Almighty made it clear that there is no deity except Him, and that He is independent in His creation, He then established that He is the Provider for all His creatures. This is mentioned here as a favor granted to humanity: He has permitted them to eat from what is on the earth, in a state of being lawful (halal) and pure (tayyib) by Allah's decree. That is, wholesome in itself, not harmful to the body or the mind. At the same time, He forbade following the footsteps of Satan, which means following his methods and paths by misleading his followers into prohibiting what Allah made lawful, such as the pre-Islamic prohibitions on certain animals and foods that they fancied, like sacrificial animals and that which formed unpermitted combinations. This is supported by the hadith reported by Iyad ibn Hammar in Sahih Muslim, where the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that Allah says: "Whatever I have provided for My servants is lawful for them." Also, "I created My servants upright, but the devils made them deviate from their religion, and forbade them what I had made lawful." Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr ibn Mardawayh narrated through a chain including Ibn Abbas that when this verse was recited to the Prophet (peace be upon him), Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas stood up and asked the Prophet to pray that his supplication be answered. The Prophet said to him, "Eat good food and your supplications will be answered. By the One in whose hand is my soul, a man who fills himself with unlawful food will have his prayers rejected for forty days. And any servant whose flesh grows from unlawful earnings and usury, then the Fire is more deserving of him." The phrase "Indeed, he is your clear enemy" is a warning and an urging to avoid him. Allah said elsewhere: "Indeed Satan is an enemy to you, so take him as an enemy. He only calls his party to be among the companions of the blazing fire." (Qur'an 35:6) And, "Will you take him and his descendants as allies instead of Me while they are enemies to you? Evil is the exchange for the wrongdoers." (Qur'an 18:50) Qatada and As-Suddi explained the phrase "do not follow the footsteps of Satan" as meaning that every sin committed against Allah is among the footsteps of Satan. Ikrimah called them Satan's temptations or whispers. Mujahid interpreted it as his steps or mistakes. Abu Mujlas said it refers to vows made in sin. Al-Sha'bi related a narration about a man who vowed to sacrifice his son, but was advised to sacrifice a ram instead, and this was said to be among the footsteps of Satan. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud told of an incident where a man refused to accept milk offered by another because he considered it forbidden, and ibn Mas'ud admonished him, saying that this is among the footsteps of Satan, commanding him to eat and atone for his oath. Similarly, scholars related that vows or oaths made in anger are from Satan's footsteps, and their expiation is the expiation for broken oaths. The verse’s final phrase carries the meaning that your enemy, Satan, only orders you to do evil acts, the worst of which are immoral behaviors like adultery and their likes, and worst of all is to say about Allah without knowledge. This is encompassed by all disbelievers and innovators who falsely attribute words to Allah without knowledge.
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Sahih al-Bukhari 2:45
Sahih al-Bukhari · Book 2, Hadith 45 · Narrated by Nu'man ibn Bashir
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The lawful is clear, and the unlawful is clear, and between the two are doubtful matters that many people do not know. Whoever refrains from doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and honor. But whoever falls into doubtful matters is like a shepherd who grazes around a sanctuary, and is likely to graze therein. Indeed, every king has a sanctuary, and indeed the sanctuary of Allah in His earth is His prohibitions. Indeed, in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it is sound, the whole body is sound; and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Indeed, it is the heart.'
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