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Does Islam obligate pedestrians to respect traffic signals and designated crosswalks, or are they permitted to cross at any time and from any place, even if the green light is on for cars?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Legally, it is obligatory to adhere to traffic regulations that do not contravene Islamic Sharia, as this is an act of obedience to the ruler. Ibn Baz affirmed that violating traffic regulations is forbidden due to the danger it poses to oneself and others. Statistics illustrate the extent of human losses resulting from accidents, and their causes range from speeding and pedestrians' lack of awareness of instructions to not following signals. According to the jurisprudential rule, "Passage on public roads is permissible provided there is safety," traversing a public road is a right restricted by not harming others. Therefore, it is not permissible for pedestrians to violate traffic laws due to the harm this causes, in accordance with the hadith, "There should be no harm nor reciprocating harm." However, this ruling is not devotional but for the sake of benefit, so حرمة (prohibition) is not decreed if harm is averted despite the violation.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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