Renting out novels

Question

Question: Zayd wants to open a book shop, keep novels and books of tales and stories in it, and rent them out daily. What is the ruling on renting out books?

Answer

It is written in Fatawa ‘Alamgiri that renting out books is not right, whatever those books may be. As for reading novels, it is in itself destructive of morals: it is a strong incentive to shamelessness, loss of the sense of honour and forming intimacy with strangers.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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