# Islamic Creative Works License (ISL-CW), Version 1.0

**Effective Date:** July 2026

**Copyright (c) 2026 Ikhbat Foundation (ikhbat.org). All rights reserved.**

---

## Preamble

This license is rooted in the principles of Islam, which commands justice (*'adl*),
forbids oppression (*dhulm*), and prohibits that which is harmful (*haram*) to individuals
and societies. The Quran states:

> *"Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness, and do not cooperate in sin
> and transgression."* — Quran 5:2

> *"O you who believe, do not consume one another's wealth unjustly but only in lawful
> transactions by mutual consent."* — Quran 4:29

> *"And whoever kills a soul — it is as if he had slain all of mankind. And whoever saves
> one — it is as if he had saved all of mankind."* — Quran 5:32

Just as knowledge and craft are trusts (*amanah*) to be shared for the benefit of
humanity, so too is the written word, the image, the composition, and every other work of
human creativity and expression. This License is modeled on the conventions of widely used
open-content and free-culture licensing, adapted so that the free sharing, remixing, and
reuse of creative works is conditioned on compliance with Islamic ethical principles.
Subject to those conditions, and subject to giving appropriate credit to the creator, the
Licensee may reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, and adapt the
Licensed Material, and may exploit the Licensed Material and any Adapted Material for
commercial or non-commercial purposes, without seeking further permission from the
Licensor, provided that the restrictions in Sections 4 and 5 travel with the Licensed
Material and bind every person who receives it, at every step of distribution.

**This is not a Creative Commons license.** This License is drafted independently by the
Ikhbat Foundation. Although it is written in a structure familiar to readers of open-content
and free-culture licenses, it is not published by, endorsed by, or affiliated in any way
with Creative Commons Corporation or the Creative Commons family of licenses, and it does
not use Creative Commons naming conventions, license codes, or trademarks. **This is also
not an open-content license** in the sense of the Open Source Definition or the Free
Cultural Works definition, because it restricts use according to the field of endeavor and
identity of the Licensee. No claim of Creative Commons compatibility, Open Source
Initiative approval, Free Software Foundation endorsement, or "open" or "free culture"
certification is made or implied. This License is best described as a **source-available,
ethically restricted creative works license**.

## Notice on Reproducing This License

This document (the text of this License) may be copied, reproduced, published, and
distributed, verbatim and unmodified in its entirety, by any person and for any purpose —
including to apply it to a work, to catalogue or reference it (e.g., in an SPDX license
list or license-comparison resource), or to critique or compare it — without such
reproduction, by itself, constituting a Prohibited Activity or being subject to Section 4
or Section 5 of this License. This right extends only to the unmodified text of this
License document; it does not extend to the Licensed Material distributed under it, and
does not permit publishing a modified version of this text under an "ISL" name.

---

## 1. Definitions

**1.1 "Licensed Material"** means the literary, artistic, musical, audiovisual,
photographic, educational, or other creative work to which the Licensor has applied this
License, including any text, image, sound recording, still or moving image, courseware,
lesson plan, or other work of authorship, together with any associated documentation made
available under this License.

**1.2 "Adapted Material"** means material subject to Copyright and Similar Rights that is
derived from or based upon the Licensed Material and in which the Licensed Material is
translated, altered, arranged, transformed, or otherwise modified in a manner requiring
permission under the Copyright and Similar Rights held by the Licensor. For purposes of
this License, where the Licensed Material is a musical work, performance, or sound
recording, Adapted Material includes any work in which the Licensed Material is
synchronized in timed relation with a moving image.

**1.3 "Copyright and Similar Rights"** means copyright and/or similar rights closely
related to copyright, including performance, broadcast, sound recording, and Sui Generis
Database Rights, without regard to how those rights are labeled or categorized. For
purposes of this License, the rights specified in this definition are the rights to which
this License applies.

**1.4 "Effective Technological Measures"** means measures that, absent proper authority,
may not be circumvented under laws fulfilling obligations under Article 11 of the WIPO
Copyright Treaty adopted on December 20, 1996, and/or similar international agreements.

**1.5 "Exceptions and Limitations"** means fair use, fair dealing, and/or any other
exception or limitation to Copyright and Similar Rights that applies to the Licensee's use
of the Licensed Material.

**1.6 "Licensed Rights"** means the rights granted to the Licensee subject to the terms and
conditions of this License, which are limited to all Copyright and Similar Rights that
apply to the Licensee's use of the Licensed Material and that the Licensor has authority to
license.

**1.7 "Licensor"** means Ikhbat Foundation (ikhbat.org) and any authorized successors or
assigns, or, where the context requires, the individual or entity granting rights under
this License.

**1.8 "Share"** means to provide material to the public by any means or process that
requires permission under the Licensed Rights, such as reproduction, public display, public
performance, distribution, dissemination, communication, or importation, and to make
material available to the public including in ways that members of the public may access
the material from a place and at a time individually chosen by them.

**1.9 "Sui Generis Database Rights"** means rights other than copyright resulting from
Directive 96/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of March 11, 1996, on the
legal protection of databases, as amended and/or succeeded, as well as any other essentially
equivalent rights anywhere in the world.

**1.10 "You"** or **"Licensee"** means the individual, organization, company, government
entity, or other legal person exercising the Licensed Rights under this License, including
any recipient of the Licensed Material or of Adapted Material.

**1.11 "Prohibited Activity"** means any activity described in Section 4 (Ethical Use
Restrictions) or Section 5 (Genocide, Injustice, and State-Level Restrictions).

**1.12 "Primary Business"** means the principal revenue-generating activity or core
operational purpose of an entity. An entity's Primary Business is the single activity or
line of business from which it derives the largest share of its consolidated annual
revenue or to which it dedicates the largest share of its operational resources. Where an
entity's revenue is genuinely diversified across multiple lines of business such that no
single activity constitutes the largest share, each activity that independently accounts
for 25% or more of consolidated annual revenue is treated as a Primary Business of that
entity. Where reliable revenue data is unavailable, Primary Business is determined by the
activity the entity holds itself out to the public as principally engaged in.

**1.13 "Material Association"** means a relationship in which an entity:
  - (a) derives 10% or more of its annual revenue from a Prohibited Activity or from
    entities engaged in a Prohibited Activity, including but not limited to revenue earned
    from advertising, sponsorship, affiliate arrangements, or promotional services for
    products, services, or entities engaged in a Prohibited Activity;
  - (b) provides essential goods, services, technology, or infrastructure that directly
    enables a Prohibited Activity;
  - (c) is a subsidiary, parent company, or joint venture partner of an entity whose
    Primary Business is a Prohibited Activity; or
  - (d) holds a governing, advisory, or contractual relationship with a state, regime, or
    entity identified in Section 5 that directly supports or facilitates the Prohibited
    Activities described therein.

**1.14 "Compliant Licensee"** means a Licensee that is not engaged in, and does not have a
Material Association with, any Prohibited Activity.

---

## 2. Scope

**2.1 License Grant.** Subject to the terms and conditions of this License, and provided
the Licensee is and remains a Compliant Licensee, the Licensor hereby grants to each
Licensee a worldwide, royalty-free, non-sublicensable, non-exclusive, irrevocable (subject
to Section 8) license to exercise the Licensed Rights in the Licensed Material to:
  - (a) reproduce and Share the Licensed Material, in whole or in part; and
  - (b) produce, reproduce, and Share Adapted Material.

**2.2 Commercial Use Permitted.** The rights granted in Section 2.1 may be exercised for
commercial or non-commercial purposes. Unlike certain other licenses in the Islamic
Software License family that reserve commercial exploitation to the Licensor, this License
places no restriction on commercial use of the Licensed Material or Adapted Material,
subject at all times to the conditions in Section 3 and the Ethical Use Restrictions in
Sections 4 and 5.

**2.3 Exceptions and Limitations.** For the avoidance of doubt, where Exceptions and
Limitations apply to the Licensee's use, this License does not apply, and the Licensee need
not comply with its terms and conditions for that use.

**2.4 Term.** The term of this License is specified in Section 8.1.

**2.5 Media and Formats; Technical Modifications Permitted.** The Licensor authorizes the
Licensee to exercise the Licensed Rights in all media and formats whether now known or
hereafter created, and to make technical modifications necessary to do so, including
modifications needed to adapt the Licensed Material to a different format. The Licensor
waives and/or agrees not to assert any right or authority to forbid the Licensee from
making such technical modifications, including modifications necessary to circumvent
Effective Technological Measures. For purposes of this License, simply making such
technical modifications, on their own, is never Adapted Material.

**2.6 Downstream Recipients.**
  - (a) **Offer from the Licensor — Licensed Material.** Every recipient of the Licensed
    Material automatically receives an offer from the Licensor to exercise the Licensed
    Rights under the terms and conditions of this License.
  - (b) **No Downstream Restrictions.** The Licensee may not offer or impose any additional
    or different terms or conditions on, or apply any Effective Technological Measures to,
    the Licensed Material if doing so restricts exercise of the Licensed Rights by any
    recipient of the Licensed Material, other than as required to comply with Sections 4
    and 5.

**2.7 No Endorsement.** Nothing in this License constitutes or may be construed as
permission to assert or imply that the Licensee is, or that the Licensee's use of the
Licensed Material is, connected with, sponsored, endorsed, or granted official status by
the Licensor or others designated to receive attribution as provided in Section 3.1(a)(1)(A).

**2.8 No Additional Restrictions.** Nothing in this License constitutes a waiver of the
Ethical Use Restrictions in Sections 4 and 5, and no exercise of the Licensed Rights is
permitted to the extent it would enable, facilitate, or further a Prohibited Activity.

**2.9 No Implied Licenses.** No rights or licenses are granted except as expressly set
forth in this License. All rights not expressly granted are reserved by the Licensor. No
trademark or publicity rights are licensed under this License, and any use of the
Licensor's name, logo, or branding beyond reasonable and customary attribution requires
separate written permission.

---

## 3. License Conditions

The rights granted in Section 2 are expressly made subject to, and conditioned upon, the
Licensee's compliance with the following conditions.

**3.1 Attribution Required.**
  - (a) If the Licensee Shares the Licensed Material (including in modified form), the
    Licensee must:
    - (1) retain, if supplied by the Licensor with the Licensed Material:
      - (A) identification of the creator(s) of the Licensed Material and any others
        designated to receive attribution, in any reasonable manner requested by the
        Licensor (including by pseudonym if designated);
      - (B) a copyright notice;
      - (C) a notice that refers to this License;
      - (D) a notice that refers to the disclaimer of warranties in Section 9;
      - (E) a URI or hyperlink to the Licensed Material, to the extent reasonably
        practicable; and
    - (2) indicate if the Licensee modified the Licensed Material and retain an indication
      of any previous modifications; and
    - (3) indicate the Licensed Material is licensed under this License, and include the
      text of, or the URI or hyperlink to, this License.
  - (b) The Licensee may satisfy the conditions in Section 3.1(a) in any reasonable manner
    based on the medium, means, and context in which the Licensee Shares the Licensed
    Material. For example, it may be reasonable to satisfy the conditions by providing a
    URI or hyperlink to a resource that includes the required information.
  - (c) If requested by the Licensor, the Licensee must remove any of the information
    required by Section 3.1(a)(1) to the extent reasonably practicable.
  - (d) If the Licensee Shares Adapted Material the Licensee produces, the license the
    Licensee applies to the Adapted Material must not prevent recipients of the Adapted
    Material from complying with this License, and must preserve, without modification, the
    Ethical Use Restrictions in Sections 4 and 5 as they apply to the Licensed Material
    incorporated in the Adapted Material.

**3.2 Propagation of Ethical Use Restrictions.** The Ethical Use Restrictions in Sections 4
and 5 bind every recipient of the Licensed Material and every item of Adapted Material,
regardless of how many times the Licensed Material is copied, adapted, sublicensed, or
redistributed, and regardless of any additional or different terms imposed by an
intermediate Licensee. No Licensee may relicense the Licensed Material or Adapted Material
under terms that remove, narrow, or waive the Ethical Use Restrictions as to any downstream
recipient. Every Licensee that Shares the Licensed Material or Adapted Material must ensure
that each recipient is bound by Sections 4 and 5, either by including this License in full
or by including terms that are at least as protective of the restrictions in Sections 4 and
5.

**3.3 Compliance.** Only a Compliant Licensee may exercise the rights granted in Section 2.
A Licensee that ceases to be a Compliant Licensee must immediately cease exercising those
rights, subject to Section 8 (Term and Termination).

---

## 4. Ethical Use Restrictions — Prohibited Industries and Activities

The rights granted in Section 2 are expressly conditioned on the Licensee not being
engaged in, and not having a Material Association with, any of the following.

### 4.1 Shirk (Polytheism and Idol Worship)

The Quran states:

> *"Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than
> that for whom He wills."* — Quran 4:48

The Software may not be used by any entity whose Primary Business involves:
  - (a) the promotion, propagation, or organized facilitation of polytheism (*shirk*),
    idol worship, or the attribution of divine partners to Allah;
  - (b) the operation of institutions, platforms, or organizations whose primary purpose
    is the organized promotion of polytheistic worship or the production and distribution
    of idols or objects of polytheistic veneration; or
  - (c) the development or operation of technology platforms whose primary purpose is the
    propagation of polytheistic theology or recruitment into polytheistic religious
    movements.

**Clarification:** This restriction targets organized institutional promotion and
propagation. It does not restrict individuals of any faith from using the Software in
their personal or professional capacity, nor does it restrict academic study, interfaith
dialogue, or historical scholarship.

### 4.2 Riba / Interest

Interest (*riba*) is defined, per Islamic principles, as any surplus, increase, or
excess charged, received, or paid over and above the original principal amount lent,
exchanged, or advanced, in any form and under any name.

The Software may not be used by any entity whose Primary Business involves:
  - (a) lending money at interest (*riba*);
  - (b) conventional banking, credit card issuing, or consumer lending where interest is
    the primary revenue mechanism;
  - (c) payday lending, predatory lending, or debt collection practices built on
    interest-bearing instruments; or
  - (d) the creation, trading, or facilitation of interest-based financial derivatives,
    bonds, or securities.

### 4.3 Pornography and Sexual Exploitation

The Software may not be used by any entity whose Primary Business involves:
  - (a) the production, distribution, hosting, or monetization of pornographic or
    sexually explicit content;
  - (b) the operation of platforms whose primary purpose is the distribution of adult
    sexual content;
  - (c) escort services, sexual services, or the facilitation thereof; or
  - (d) any form of human trafficking or sexual exploitation.

### 4.4 Maisir (Gambling and Games of Chance)

The Software may not be used by any entity whose Primary Business involves:
  - (a) operating casinos, sportsbooks, betting platforms, or lottery systems;
  - (b) developing or distributing gambling software or platforms;
  - (c) facilitating, promoting, or profiting from games of chance where money or
    valuables are wagered; or
  - (d) providing payment processing, odds calculation, or infrastructure services
    primarily for gambling operations.

### 4.5 Khamr (Intoxicants)

The Software may not be used by any entity whose Primary Business involves:
  - (a) the production, distillation, brewing, or fermentation of alcoholic beverages;
  - (b) the wholesale or retail distribution of alcoholic beverages as a primary
    commercial activity;
  - (c) the manufacture, distribution, or sale of recreational drugs or controlled
    substances (except where used for legitimate, regulated medical purposes); or
  - (d) the operation of bars, nightclubs, or establishments whose primary revenue
    derives from the sale of intoxicants.

### 4.6 Pork Industry

The Software may not be used by any entity whose Primary Business involves:
  - (a) the farming, slaughtering, processing, or packaging of pork or pork-derived
    products; or
  - (b) the wholesale distribution of pork as a primary commercial activity.

### 4.7 Weapons and Arms

The Software may not be used by any entity whose Primary Business involves:
  - (a) the manufacture of weapons, munitions, explosives, or military equipment designed
    for offensive warfare;
  - (b) the international arms trade; or
  - (c) the development of autonomous weapons systems or weaponized artificial
    intelligence.

**Exemption:** Entities engaged in legitimate national defense of a country not identified
under Section 5, cybersecurity defense, or law enforcement equipment for entities not
engaged in Prohibited Activities are not subject to this restriction.

### 4.8 Tobacco

The Software may not be used by any entity whose Primary Business involves:
  - (a) the manufacture or production of cigarettes, cigars, or other tobacco products; or
  - (b) the manufacture or production of electronic nicotine delivery systems (e-cigarettes,
    vaping devices) marketed for recreational use.

### 4.9 Fasad (Corruption, Anti-God Ideology, and Moral Subversion)

The Quran states:

> *"And do not cause corruption on the earth after it has been set in order. That is
> better for you, if you are believers."* — Quran 7:85

> *"And of the people are some who say, 'We believe in Allah and the Last Day,' but they
> are not believers. They seek to deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive
> not except themselves and perceive it not."* — Quran 2:8-9

The Software may not be used by any entity whose Primary Business involves:
  - (a) the organized promotion, propagation, or institutional advocacy of atheism,
    anti-theism, or the denial and mockery of God (*Allah*) and divine revelation as a
    primary organizational mission;
  - (b) the practice, promotion, or organized facilitation of Satanism, devil worship,
    occultism, or any ideology that venerates or invokes evil as a primary purpose;
  - (c) the production or distribution of media, literature, or technology whose primary
    purpose is to mock, defame, or incite hatred against Islam, the Prophet Muhammad
    (peace be upon him), the Quran, or the fundamental tenets of Islamic faith; or
  - (d) the organized promotion of *fasad* (corruption and moral decay in society),
    including entities whose primary mission is the systematic undermining of family
    structure, modesty (*haya*), or moral order as understood in Islamic tradition.

**Clarification:** This restriction does not apply to secular organizations, governments,
educational institutions, or individuals who hold non-religious views, provided their
Primary Business is not the active, organized promotion of the activities described
above. Legitimate philosophical inquiry, academic research, and civil discourse are not
restricted.

### 4.10 Gender Ideology and Bodily Mutilation

The Quran states:

> *"He created you from one soul. Then He made from it its mate."* — Quran 39:6

> *"[Satan said]: 'I will command them and they will change the creation of Allah.'"*
> — Quran 4:119

The Software may not be used by any entity whose Primary Business involves:
  - (a) the promotion, facilitation, or provision of surgical or hormonal procedures for
    the purpose of changing an individual's biological sex, except in cases of medically
    diagnosed intersex conditions treated by licensed physicians;
  - (b) the organized promotion or institutional advocacy of gender ideology that denies
    the biological reality of male and female as created by Allah, as a primary
    organizational mission;
  - (c) the operation of platforms or organizations whose primary purpose is facilitating
    or promoting such procedures for minors; or
  - (d) the production or distribution of educational materials whose primary purpose is
    the promotion of gender transition among children.

**Clarification:** This restriction does not apply to general healthcare providers,
hospitals, or medical institutions that may offer such services among a broader range of
medical care. It targets entities whose Primary Business is the activities described
above.
### 4.11 Zina and Fahisha (Extra-Marital Relations, Lewdness, and Sexual Promiscuity)

The Quran states:

> *"And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality
> and is evil as a way."* — Quran 17:32

> *"Those who love that immorality should be spread among the believers will have a
> painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter."* — Quran 24:19

The Software may not be used by any entity whose Primary Business involves:
  - (a) the operation of platforms, applications, or services whose primary purpose is
    facilitating extra-marital sexual encounters, casual sexual hookups, or adultery
    (including but not limited to dating platforms explicitly marketed for affairs or
    casual sexual encounters);
  - (b) the production, distribution, or promotion of media, content, or entertainment
    whose primary purpose is the glorification or normalization of *zina* (fornication
    and adultery) or sexual promiscuity as a lifestyle;
  - (c) the operation of businesses whose primary purpose is the facilitation of
    *fahisha* (lewdness, indecency, or public obscenity), including but not limited to
    strip clubs, adult entertainment venues, or sexualized performance establishments; or
  - (d) the organized promotion or institutional advocacy of the dissolution of marriage
    and family structure through the normalization of promiscuity as a primary
    organizational mission.

### 4.12 Abortion and the Taking of Innocent Life

The Quran states:

> *"And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you.
> Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin."* — Quran 17:31

> *"And when the girl buried alive is asked for what sin she was killed."* — Quran 81:8-9

The Software may not be used by any entity whose Primary Business involves:
  - (a) the performance or provision of abortion procedures as a primary medical service,
    except in cases where the life of the mother is in genuine medical danger as
    determined by qualified physicians;
  - (b) the operation of organizations whose primary mission is the promotion, advocacy,
    or facilitation of abortion as a routine form of contraception or family planning;
  - (c) the manufacture or distribution of abortifacient drugs or devices as a primary
    commercial activity; or
  - (d) the operation of platforms or organizations whose primary purpose is connecting
    individuals with abortion services or promoting abortion.

**Clarification:** This restriction does not apply to general hospitals, medical
institutions, or healthcare providers that may perform procedures to save the life of
the mother among a broader range of medical services. It does not restrict entities
providing maternal healthcare, prenatal care, or family planning services that do not
center on abortion as their Primary Business.

---

## 5. Genocide, Injustice, and State-Level Restrictions

The rights granted in Section 2 are further conditioned on the Licensee not being
engaged in, and not having a Material Association with, any of the following.

### 5.1 Genocide

The Software may not be used by:
  - (a) any state, government, regime, or military force that is committing, has
    committed and not acknowledged or made reparations for, or is credibly accused of
    committing genocide, as determined by:
    - (i) the International Court of Justice (ICJ);
    - (ii) the International Criminal Court (ICC);
    - (iii) a United Nations Commission of Inquiry or Fact-Finding Mission; or
    - (iv) three or more internationally recognized human rights organizations
      (including but not limited to Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, or
      Médecins Sans Frontières) publishing independent findings of genocide;
  - (b) any entity that is an instrumentality, agency, or official body of such a state
    or regime;
  - (c) any entity that provides weapons, military technology, surveillance technology,
    or intelligence services to such a state or regime in furtherance of the genocide;
  - (d) any entity that provides financial services, investment, or economic support that
    directly sustains the military or security apparatus of such a state or regime; or
  - (e) any entity that engages in commercial activity within territories under illegal
    military occupation by such a state, where that activity sustains or benefits from
    the occupation.

### 5.2 Ethnic Cleansing and Forced Displacement

The Software may not be used by:
  - (a) any state, government, or entity engaged in the systematic forced displacement,
    deportation, or transfer of a civilian population from their homes or territories;
  - (b) any entity that facilitates, finances, or provides material support for such
    displacement; or
  - (c) any entity that profits from the settlement, development, or exploitation of
    land or property from which a population has been forcibly displaced.

### 5.3 Apartheid and Systemic Oppression

The Software may not be used by:
  - (a) any state or regime maintaining a system of institutionalized racial, ethnic, or
    religious segregation and domination, as recognized by international legal bodies or
    credible human rights organizations;
  - (b) any entity that is an instrumentality of such a regime; or
  - (c) any entity that provides technology, infrastructure, or services specifically
    designed to enforce or maintain such a system (including but not limited to
    surveillance systems, biometric tracking of oppressed populations, checkpoints,
    walls, or detention infrastructure).

### 5.4 Torture, Extrajudicial Killing, and Persecution

The Software may not be used by:
  - (a) any entity that engages in, facilitates, or provides technology or services used
    for torture, cruel or inhumane treatment, or extrajudicial killing;
  - (b) any entity that operates or provides services to extrajudicial detention
    facilities; or
  - (c) any entity engaged in the persecution of individuals or groups based on their
    religion, ethnicity, race, gender, or political beliefs.

### 5.5 Country and Regime Association

A Licensee is in violation of this License if it:
  - (a) is a government agency, military branch, or state-owned enterprise of a state
    or regime identified under Sections 5.1 through 5.4;
  - (b) holds active government contracts with such a state or regime that provide
    military equipment, surveillance technology, security services, or policing
    infrastructure;
  - (c) is headquartered in or organized under the laws of such a state and directly
    serves the functions of its government or military; or
  - (d) engages in lobbying, public relations, or legal services on behalf of such a
    state or regime with the purpose of concealing, denying, or justifying the
    Prohibited Activities described in Sections 5.1 through 5.4.

**Clarification:** Ordinary civilians, independent businesses, humanitarian organizations,
journalists, academics, and civil society groups operating within or from a country
identified under this Section are not subject to this restriction solely by reason of
their nationality or residence, provided they are not themselves engaged in or materially
associated with the Prohibited Activities described herein. This License does not
collectively punish populations — it restricts complicit entities.

---

## 6. Sui Generis Database Rights

Where the Licensed Rights include Sui Generis Database Rights that apply to the
Licensee's use of the Licensed Material:

**6.1 Extraction and Re-Use.** The Licensor waives and/or agrees not to assert any right or
authority the Licensor may have to prohibit the Licensee from extracting, reusing,
reproducing, and Sharing all or a substantial portion of the contents of the database,
subject at all times to the conditions in Section 3 and the Ethical Use Restrictions in
Sections 4 and 5.

**6.2 Adapted Material Incorporating Database Contents.** If the Licensee includes all or a
substantial portion of the database contents in a database in which the Licensee has Sui
Generis Database Rights, then the database in which the Licensee has Sui Generis Database
Rights (but not its individual contents) is Adapted Material, including for purposes of
Section 3.1(d).

**6.3 Compliance Required.** The Licensee must comply with the conditions in Section 3 if
the Licensee Shares all or a substantial portion of the contents of the database.

**6.4 No Substitution.** This Section 6 supplements and does not replace the Licensee's
obligations under this License where the Licensed Rights include other Copyright and
Similar Rights in addition to Sui Generis Database Rights.

---

## 7. Determination and Dispute Resolution

**7.1 Good Faith Determination.** The Licensor will make determinations regarding
violations of Sections 4 and 5 in good faith, with reference to publicly available
information, credible reporting, and the determinations of recognized international
bodies.

**7.2 Notice and Cure.** Before treating this License as terminated under Section 8.2, the
Licensor will provide written notice to the Licensee specifying the alleged violation. The
Licensee shall have sixty (60) days from receipt of such notice to:
  - (a) demonstrate that it is not in violation; or
  - (b) cure the violation by ceasing the Prohibited Activity or severing the Material
    Association.

**7.3 Governing Principles.** In the event of ambiguity in the interpretation of this
License, the following principles of Islamic jurisprudence (*usul al-fiqh*) shall guide
interpretation:
  - (a) **La darar wa la dirar** — No harm shall be inflicted or reciprocated;
  - (b) **Al-umur bi-maqasidiha** — Matters are judged by their purposes and intentions;
  - (c) **Dar' al-mafasid muqaddam 'ala jalb al-masalih** — Preventing harm takes
    precedence over securing benefit; and
  - (d) **Al-yaqin la yazul bi'l-shakk** — Certainty is not overturned by doubt.

**7.4 Governing Law.** This License shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Licensor resides, without regard to conflict of
law principles.

---

## 8. Term and Termination

**8.1 Term.** This License applies for the term of the Copyright and Similar Rights
licensed here. However, if the Licensee fails to comply with this License, then the
Licensee's rights under this License terminate automatically, subject to Section 8.4.

**8.2 Termination for Ethical Violation.** If the Licensor determines, following the
notice and cure process in Section 7.2, that a Licensee has failed to demonstrate it is
not in violation of Section 4 or 5 and has not cured the violation within the sixty (60)
day period, this License terminates automatically as to that Licensee at the end of that
period, and the Licensee must immediately comply with Section 8.5.

**8.3 Termination for Other Breach.** If a Licensee breaches any other term of this
License (including Section 3), the Licensor will provide written notice, and the License
terminates automatically if the breach is not cured within thirty (30) days of such
notice, or immediately if the breach is incapable of cure.

**8.4 Reinstatement.** Where the Licensee's right to use the Licensed Material has
terminated under Section 8.1, it reinstates automatically as of the date the violation is
cured, provided it is cured within sixty (60) days of the Licensee's discovery of the
violation, or by express reinstatement by the Licensor. The Licensor may, at its sole
discretion, otherwise reinstate a terminated License if the Licensee demonstrates that the
violation has been cured and that it is once again a Compliant Licensee. This Section 8.4
does not affect any right the Licensor may have to seek remedies for the Licensee's
violations of this License.

**8.5 Effect of Termination.** Upon termination as to a Licensee, that Licensee must:
  - (a) immediately cease exercising the rights granted in Section 2;
  - (b) cease further Sharing of the Licensed Material or any Adapted Material; and
  - (c) upon request, certify in writing to the Licensor that it has done so.

Termination as to one Licensee does not affect licenses already properly granted by the
Licensor to other Licensees who remain Compliant Licensees, provided those other
Licensees continue to comply with this License, including Sections 4 and 5.

**8.6 Survival.** Sections 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12 survive termination of this License.
Termination does not relieve any party of obligations or liabilities arising from acts or
omissions occurring prior to termination.

**8.7 Independent Terms.** The Licensor may also offer the Licensed Material under separate
terms or conditions, or stop distributing the Licensed Material at any time; however, doing
so will not terminate this License.

---

## 9. Disclaimer of Warranty

THE LICENSED MATERIAL IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY
KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NONINFRINGEMENT, ABSENCE OF LATENT OR OTHER DEFECTS,
ACCURACY, OR THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF ERRORS, WHETHER OR NOT KNOWN OR DISCOVERABLE. THE
LICENSOR MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT THE LICENSED MATERIAL WILL BE ERROR-FREE OR UNINTERRUPTED.

---

## 10. Limitation of Liability

IN NO EVENT SHALL THE LICENSOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES, OR OTHER LIABILITY,
WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF, OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE LICENSED MATERIAL OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
LICENSED MATERIAL, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL,
EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.

---

## 11. Other Terms and Conditions

**11.1 No Additional Terms by Licensor.** The Licensor shall not be bound by any additional
or different terms or conditions communicated by the Licensee unless expressly agreed.

**11.2 Severability.** If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable or
invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall be modified to the
minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remaining provisions shall
continue in full force and effect. Any provision found unenforceable shall be reformed to
the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable. The remaining terms and conditions of
this License continue in effect without further action by the parties, and this License
shall not fail as a whole on account of any single unenforceable provision.

**11.3 No Waiver.** No term or condition of this License will be waived, and no failure to
comply consented to, unless expressly agreed to by the Licensor in writing.

**11.4 No Endorsement and Trademarks.** Nothing in this License shall be construed as an
endorsement by the Licensor of any Licensee, its products, or its services. This License
grants no trademark rights, and the Licensee may not use the name, trademarks, or branding
of the Licensor to imply endorsement without prior written consent.

**11.5 Assignment.** The Licensee may not assign or transfer this License, whether by
operation of law, merger, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Licensor,
except that a Licensee may assign this License without consent in connection with a
merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets
relating to the Licensed Material, provided the assignee is not engaged in a Prohibited
Activity and agrees in writing to be bound by this License. This provision governs only
the Licensee's own contractual relationship with the Licensor and does not limit the
independently granted rights of other recipients under Section 2. The Licensor may freely
assign or transfer its rights, title, and obligations under this License, including its
copyright in the Licensed Material, to any successor in interest.

**11.6 Independence of Provisions.** Nothing in this License constitutes or may be
construed as a limitation upon, or waiver of, any privileges and immunities that apply to
the Licensor or the Licensee, including from the legal processes of any jurisdiction or
authority.

---

## 12. Interpretation

**12.1 No Restriction on Otherwise Permitted Uses.** For the avoidance of doubt, this
License does not, and shall not be interpreted to, reduce, limit, restrict, or impose
conditions on any use of the Licensed Material that could lawfully be made without
permission under this License.

**12.2 Future Versions.** The Licensor may publish revised versions of this License. Each
version will be given a distinguishing version number. The Licensee may choose to follow
the terms of the version under which it originally received the Licensed Material or any
later version published by the Licensor.

**12.3 References to "the Software."** References in Sections 4 and 5 to "the Software"
mean the Licensed Material.

---

## How to Apply This License

Include the following notice alongside your work:

```
SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-ISL-CW-1.0

Copyright (c) [Year] [Copyright Holder]

Licensed under the Islamic Creative Works License (ISL-CW), Version 1.0
(the "License"). You may reproduce, distribute, publicly perform,
publicly display, and adapt this work, for commercial or non-commercial
purposes, provided you give appropriate credit to the creator, indicate
if changes were made, and provide a link to this License, subject to the
Ethical Use Restrictions in Sections 4 and 5 of the License, which bind
every recipient of this work and every adaptation of it.

You may obtain a copy of the License at:

  [URL to license]

This work is provided "AS IS", without warranty of any kind.
```

---

*The Islamic Creative Works License (ISL-CW) v1.0 was drafted to align open licensing of
creative and expressive works with Islamic ethical principles and universal human rights.
It is a source-available, ethically restricted creative works license, structured in the
spirit of well-known free-culture licensing conventions but drafted independently and not
affiliated with, certified by, or derived from the legal text of Creative Commons
Corporation or any Creative Commons license. It is not certified by the Open Source
Initiative or the Free Software Foundation and does not claim to be an open-source, free
culture, or Creative Commons license.*

*This license is provided as a legal template and should be reviewed by a qualified
attorney before use in production. The Licensor assumes no liability for the legal
sufficiency of this document in any jurisdiction.*