What is the ruling on feeding pigeons in cities that are not owned by anyone, given the harm they cause to shopkeepers?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Feeding pigeons is a righteous act for which the doer will be rewarded, as Allah Almighty says: "So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it," and as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "For every wet liver (living creature), there is a reward." However, if feeding pigeons harms neighboring businesses, the right of the owners of these businesses takes precedence, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "There should be neither harm nor reciprocal harm." Pigeons can be fed in other ways that do not harm others, such as establishing special roosts for them.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/188908
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 188908
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy