My question concerns cyber cafés which have recently spread across the country. Is the money earned from working in them lawful? Please note that these cafés involve both lawful and unlawful activities such as:

·         Child entertainment that includes lawful games.

·         Internet access for adults (this may involve both lawful and unlawful on-line chatting between genders from different countries).

·         Internet accesses for beneficial purposes such as visiting beneficial sites and keeping in touch with family members across the world.

The internet is a means for cross-cultural communication which involves both what is lawful and what is not. The responsibility of usage falls to the user; whoever uses the internet for useful purposes is not blameworthy while those who put it to unlawful use are legally responsible for their actions. Cyber café operators must be mindful of Allah and monitor their internet users as much as possible to prevent the internet from becoming a means of corruption. They must likewise respect prayer times to avoid making their cafés a reason for neglecting remembrance of Allah and prayers.

Based on the above, the money earned from cyber cafés is lawful.