Q:

As you may know, there are terms and conditions for every website which needs to be accepted (they say) before using their websites and its services. In these terms, there is a section about disputes and which law governs them. For google for instance it says: ” If you’re a resident of, or an organization based in, the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, these terms and your relationship with Google under these terms and service-specific additional terms, are governed by the laws of your country of residence, and you can file legal disputes in your local courts”. The same kind of term is also for sites like youtube and Instagram, they all mention country based courts/laws as the governing/applicable law for these sites and their terms.

Now due to the verse 4:60 in quran about referring to non islamoc courts/legislations, I got a little suspicious about these terms and would like to know. If I do use websites such as google, youtube and facebook whom all has this section in their terms for using their services. Would I commit shirk? Would accepting these terms with this section make me a mushrik? Would this mean that I commit shirk? Or in other words, refer legislation to taghut? Or would it somehow make me commit shirk or approval of shirk?

Please give me a clear answer to these questions with proof from quran and research. This matter causes me trouble due to fear of committing shirk and keeps me away from internet and television but makes me bored and puts me in situations where I out of boredom talk to myself or to imaginary friends, I’m so scared this matter will give me a mental disease.

A:

The issue you are referring to does not in any way relate to the forbidden act of applying to Taghut for a judgment.

The rules they are asking you to abide by are not in any way against the laws of Allah; they are related to mutual transactions; if you sign to them, then you are bound by them. If you don’t want to, and they refuse to serve you, that is their right.

In Islam, we are bound by the terms of our contracts, as long as they are not explicitly forbidden.

Almighty Allah Knows best.