Renting out gas lamps for gatherings of shirk and iniquity

Question

Question: The matter is that this servant has for a long time been renting out gas lamps, and the gentlemen who hire them from time to time state such a purpose of theirs as is sometimes shirk, or iniquity (fisq) or innovations (bid‘a) — for example, the puja (Hindu ritual worship) of Ganesh, Diwali (the Hindu festival of lights) and the ‘urs (an annual festival at a saint’s tomb on his death anniversary)

Answer

Knowing that this gas lamp will go to such-and-such a gathering of sin or shirk, where it will add to its splendour, this is assisting it, and one should refrain from it, because of the words of the Exalted: [ar]وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ[/ar] “And do not cooperate in sin and aggression” (Surah al-Ma’ida, 5:2).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.