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The question

Is it permissible for a Muslim residing in non-Muslim lands to steal from them, given that he is safe and does not need what he steals?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

Theft is one of the grave sins. Allah has prescribed cutting off the hand as its punishment. Islamic law does not differentiate between the property of a male or a female, or a young person or an old one, or a Muslim or a non-Muslim, with the exception of the property of non-believers who are at war with Muslims. A Muslim must be an example of trustworthiness and fulfilling covenants. A Muslim who considers the property of non-believers lawful, whether in Muslim lands or non-Muslim lands, harms Islam and distorts its image. If a Muslim enters non-Muslim lands with a covenant and security (a visa), it is not permissible for him to take their property unlawfully, because that is a breach of covenant and an act of theft. Property stolen from non-believers is forbidden. The proof for this is the hadith of Mughirah ibn Shu'bah when he killed some people during the pre-Islamic era (Jahiliyyah) and took their wealth. When he embraced Islam, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "As for Islam, I accept it; but as for the wealth, I have nothing to do with it." Scholars have explained that this is because he took it treacherously, and thus it is not permissible to take the property of non-believers treacherously when one is in a state of security.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported

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Source platform
Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
21038
Imported
Translation status
Source text, unreviewed
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