Since there are different ways to earn from YouTube, each course has different rules and regulations. We cannot answer this question in a single word or aspect.
In the first place, you have to understand where your money is coming from. Does it come from halal or haram sources? In order to answer this question, it is necessary to know about the rules of halal and haram according to Islamic law.
It is my intention to discuss in-depth the halal and haram income from YouTube in this article. I hope it will be helpful and beneficial to everyone interested in learning more about halal and haram earnings from YouTube.
So, let me first discuss the Halal and Haram Earnings:
Concept of Halal and Haram Earnings
What is Halal Earning?
Halal is an Arabic word that simply means permissible or lawful according to Islamic law. Halal is not only about the way food is prepared and how animals are slaughtered but also about how money is earned. Islamic Sharia emphasizes halal earning.
Nowadays people are more interested in getting a bright future, and status and in getting fame without knowing about Hala and haram. Today’s generation is unaware of Islamic rules and information about earning money due to a lack of information.
As mentioned above, it is apparent that people of today are quite greedy in earning money, that’s why they don’t pay attention to their source of income. You can check my guide on Top Halal Passive Income Ideas for all Muslims.
What is Haram Earning?
Haram is an Arabic word that means “anything that is forbidden.” In practice, it refers to any act or thing that is prohibited by Islamic law. Islam’s highest level of prohibition is haram. The term haram earning refers to income earned in a manner not approved by Allah and His Prophet (PBUH).
The term haram income refers to income incurred by engaging in an activity that displeases Allah or is prohibited by Islam. It is haram income if it is made through manipulation of others to displease Allah, to earn that income as a result.
It is usually the case that those who are nourished with ‘haram’ (illegitimate) wealth are not good when it comes to instincts or morals. Therefore, it should be avoided.
Is YouTube Earning Halal or Haram?
There are so many sources of earning from youtube. Youtube includes both types of halal and haram earning. A Muslim can earn halal income from youtube by following Islamic rules.
First of all, we need to understand what are the means of our income. If we follow Islamic rules during our work then the money earned from this work will be halal.
If we earn through forbidden means then money earned by these means will be haram. In the hadith given below, there is a great message for our young generation.
The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said: “A time will come upon the people when they will not care as to how he gets their money whether legally or illegally.” [Bukhari]
The Islamic faith emphasizes the importance of earning halal income through legal means
This verse below reflects Allah’s message clearly: “Eat of what is lawful and pure in the earth, and do not follow in Satan’s steps.” Quran [2:168]
Only undoubtful and transparent sources of earning are allowable in Islam. As our holy prophet(SAW) said in a hadith clearly:
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said, “O people Allah is pure and He accepts only what is pure.” [Muslim].
The Islamic religion strictly prohibits and condemns illegal earnings.
“and he who transgresses the bounds set by Allah commits a wrong against himself”. (Sūrah al-Ṭalāq, 65:1).
A stern warning was narrated from the Prophet (SAW) to those who eat from haram earnings:
“No flesh grows that was nourished by that which is unlawful but the Fire is more appropriate for it.” Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (558); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.
Here I am going to discuss some earning means through youtube briefly, so they will make it easy to elaborate on halal and haram earnings of youtube.
Common Sources of Earning from YouTube
Youtube is surely a great place to even make a living. Advertising is YouTube’s main revenue stream. Making money on YouTube might not be your reason for starting a channel, but you’ll be surprised at how many ways you can earn. There are a variety of creative ways to earn money on YouTube. YouTube is an open video platform where anyone can upload a video and share it with the world. As a result of this openness, there are tremendous opportunities and challenges.
With your videos as your promotion platform, you can make a living on YouTube by selling products, digital goods, and even merchandise, knowledge, and experience. You can earn money through youtube Google Adsense and many other different sources and methods like.
1. Selling products or merchandise
2. Becoming an affiliate marketer
3. Turning to crowdfund
4. Creating sponsored content through brand deals
5. Working with a Youtube partner program
These are some common sources of earning from youtube. But there are so many other sources of earning from youtube that I have not mentioned here.
You may also need to know: Are Women Allowed to Do Jobs & Earn Money in Islam?
Haram Sources of Youtube Earning
Google Adsense/Advertisement Earning
Google Adsense is the most common way of earning money from youtube. Advertising is the main source of youtube’s revenue.
Advertisers can display their videos on different media channels through Google Adsense. Publishers can display texts, images, and videos on various websites and pay per click. On the other hand, website owners receive money by connecting to AdSense.
There are so many people who earn money by uploading their videos on youtube. Thus they earn their income from the ads that are shown before their videos. Youtube runs different ads for different products and gets money from the owners of these products. Then youtube gives a small percentage of this money to the person who uploads their videos and the ads run before these videos.
But the question is whether money earned by Google Adsense is halal or haram. Here I will briefly discuss why Google Adsense is halal or haram.
Why Google Adsense is haram?
To answer this question, it is necessary to understand the type and process of advertisement. There are so many types of advertising. If the product that is displayed in the ad is not permissible in Sharia then it will be obviously haram.
There is another type of advertising when the main product is halal but the way of displaying it may not be halal. So the earnings through such ads will also be haram.
As we see clothes, shampoo, or soap, pics of beautiful girls are added to these ads. In these cases, although the main product of such advertisement is not haram the means of displaying it are not halal. So earning through these ads will not be halal.
It is not allowable to sign up for advertising programs unless you are not 100% certain that the ads displayed are free of any impermissible content.
“Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, righteousness, and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is severe in punishment.” Source: Quran 5:2
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Whoever calls others to guidance will have a reward like the rewards of those who follow him, without that detracting from their reward in any way. And whoever calls others to misguidance will have a burden of sin like the burden of those who follow him, without that detracting from their burden in any way.” Source: Saheeh Muslim (4832).
You need to block ads that violate Islamic rulings for Google Adsense to be permissible. If you are a Muslim, getting haram ads on your website is embarrassing. Most of the ads contain music or indecency. So for Muslims, it is not allowable to monetize their youtube account.
One of the great men of letters of the past who had passed away appeared in a dream to a saintly person: when the latter asked him about his work, the former said, “Do not write anything you don’t want to appear in your record of deeds on the day of judgment!”.
Yet, there is no way to block haram ads on youtube channels. So earning through Adsense on youtube is somewhat halal but more than haram.
Adsense income on YouTube has been condemned by Islamic scholars as illegal. They have commented that earning through Adsense on youtube is prohibited.
Check the answer by Dr. Zakir Naik
Halal Sources of YouTube Earning
Although Adsense income is not halal there are many other ways to earn halal income on youtube. Here I am going to discuss some of the halal sources of youtube income briefly.
1. Income Through Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a popular medium of youtube earning, whose door is excellent quality money income possible.
In affiliate marketing, publishers earn commissions by promoting products and services made by other retailers or advertisers. Affiliate partners receive a payout when they provide retailers and advertisers with a specific result.
Affiliate marketing involves promoting a product or service on a blog, social media platform, podcast, or website. Whenever someone purchases using the affiliate link associated with the affiliate’s recommendation, the affiliate earns a commission.
There is a wide range of affiliate marketing income. Some affiliate marketers make a few hundred dollars a month and others make six figures. As an affiliate marketer, you can earn more money if your following is larger.
Earning through affiliate marketing can be halal. Only the marketer should always write reviews of only halal products and services.
2. Income from Sponsorship
Sponsorship involves one party (sponsor) providing funding, resources, or services to another party (beneficiary). As a result, the sponsor gains access to the beneficiary’s rights and associations for commercial purposes.
To promote its product or service, any organization or company prefers a YouTube channel with good views and subscribers. This pays the owner of the channel a good amount of money to advertise.
As long as you use halal products and methods while accepting advertisements or promoting products, the money you earn from sponsorship will also be halal.
3. Sell Online Courses
By educating your youtube audience through your educational and informational videos you can earn halal money.
Through an online course, you can package your expertise and teach a skill relevant to your subscribers. Depending on what your viewers are interested in, you could choose a topic for the same. Halal youtube earning is possible through selling online courses on different topics.
4. Sell YouTube Channels
You can sell a YouTube channel after working on it for a few years. YouTube channel content, subscribed video views, etc., are taken into account in this case.
Money earned from the YouTube channel will be halal as well if the channel is halal.
In order to achieve this, we must avoid the things forbidden by Islam from the very beginning. We should start a youtube channel according to Islamic rules and regulations and should avoid everything that is impermissible according to Sharia. In this way, the selling of this channel and the money earned by this channel will be halal.
These are some halal youtube income ideas that anyone can adopt.
Read more: Is Cryptocurrency Halal or Haram? Is Bitcoin Halal?
Conclusion
Although earning from Google Adsense on youtube is not halal, but there are many other ways to earn halal income from youtube. Being a true Muslim and observing Islamic rules won’t be difficult for you. So it depends on your method of earning either they are halal or haram.
