Can I Use Sound Effects in Video Editing?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
I am a video editor. Is adding sound effects to the client’s videos like the “cha-ching” (money sound effect) or mouse click sound effect unlawful?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate. May Allah alleviate our difficulties and guide us to what pleases Him. Amin.
Nothing is intrinsically unlawful about adding sound effects to videos, and Allah knows best.
The permissibility of adding sound effects such as the “cha-ching” (money sound effect) or mouse click sound effect to clients’ videos depends on the intention and context behind their use.
In Islam, the ethics of an action are often influenced by the intention (niyya) behind it. If these sound effects enhance the video’s engagement, aesthetics, or overall quality, and there is no intention to promote extravagance, materialism, or unethical behavior, their usage could be considered permissible.
However, if the sound effects (and the video) convey a message contrary to Islamic values, such as promoting greed, excessive love for wealth, or deceptive business practices, then it would be advisable to reconsider their usage, and Allah knows best.
I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness.
