Is loud snoring that disturbs others and deprives them of sleep considered an infringement upon their rights, and what is the ruling on this in Islamic Sharia from the Quran and Sunnah?
A Muslim should be mindful of the feelings of his brethren and avoid harming them, for a Muslim is the brother of a Muslim; he loves for his brother what he loves for himself and dislikes for him what he dislikes for himself. Sleep is a necessity, and disturbing a sleeping person harms his interests. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "There should be no harm nor reciprocal harming," and this is a great principle that prohibits all types of harm. The difference between ḍarar (harm) and ḍirār (reciprocal harming) is that ḍarar occurs without intent, while ḍirār is with the intent to cause injury. If harm is established, it must be removed. If ḍirār is established, it must be removed along with punishment for the one who intended to cause harm. A Muslim must take measures to prevent harming others, such as medically treating snoring, but he is not obligated to undergo a painful or dangerous surgical operation. At that point, either his companions tolerate it, or they move to a larger dwelling so that he can have a private room.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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