Is it permissible for a Muslim state to burden its citizens with electricity and water bills under the pretext of rationing, and does lighting the streets contradict the Hadith "and extinguish your lamps," and does this conflict with the Hadith "A Muslim should not withhold three things from his Muslim brother: water, pasture, and fire," and is it permissible to resort to trickery to avoid these bills, and if not, how can one change their lifestyle in these circumstances?

Governments must be gentle with their citizens and not monopolize essential goods and services at high prices, as they are accountable before Allah for their subjects. Muslims must be patient and not respond to injustice with deceit. It is not permissible to tamper with service meters or to resort to fraud to avoid paying bills, because that falls under consuming people's wealth unjustly, as ruled by the Permanent Committee. As for the hadith, "People are partners in three things: water, pasture, and fire," it does not apply to these services after they have been acquired and prepared for sale. Furthermore, the Prophet's command to extinguish lamps before sleeping was to prevent fires, not to rationalize consumption. Every individual should economize in the use of electricity and water without extravagance.