✍ Excerpt from: Shaykh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbānī – “Aḥkām wa Masā’il Kitāb wa Sunnat kī Roshni Main”
❖ Question:
What is the Islamic ruling on using someone’s belongings without their permission?
In many cases — particularly in mosques, offices, or public places — when a brother goes for relieving himself or on an errand, another person uses his shoes without permission.
Is this behavior permissible according to Sharīʿah?
✔ Answer:
In Islam, the wealth, life, and honor of a Muslim are inviolable upon another Muslim.
It is not permissible to use any belonging of another Muslim without their explicit permission, even if the item appears insignificant or ordinary.
📖 Hadith Evidence
Narrated by Abū Ḥumayd al-Sāʿidī رضي الله عنه:
“It is not permissible for a man to take his brother’s stick without his willing consent.”
📚 [Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān: 5978, Musnad Aḥmad: 5/425 – Ḥadīth 24004]
This narration clearly proves that even a stick — something seemingly minor — cannot be taken without the owner’s willingness and approval.
Then what about shoes, which are more valuable than a stick?
❌ Harms and Consequences of Using Items Without Permission
When a person uses someone else’s shoes without permission and walks away:
- The owner is left distressed, searching for his shoes.
- This causes mental anguish and inconvenience, which is ḥarām in Islam.
- Such actions lead to a chain reaction — the distressed person may use another’s shoes in return, and this cycle continues, causing:
- Widespread frustration
- Shoes being mixed up or damaged
- Cases where each shoe (left/right) is taken from different pairs
- Ultimately, shoes are left abandoned and treated as public property.
⚠ Moral and Ethical Damage
- These seemingly minor actions deteriorate Islamic manners and values.
- Well-behaved and sincere individuals may develop suspicions and resentment.
- Entire organizations or Islamic movements may suffer reputational damage due to the action of a few.
- Some individuals may stop attending mosques, madrasahs, or Islamic centers where such behavior is common.
- Petty misuse of belongings can gradually lead to greater sins, such as theft.
✅ Islamic Etiquette and Responsibility
Every Muslim must:
- Avoid using any item belonging to another person without permission.
- If one wishes to use something, they must first seek permission from the owner.
- Be mindful of Islamic ethics in all public and private matters.
🕊 Final Supplication
May Allah ﷻ protect us from disgraceful morals and despicable habits.
Āmīn.
وَمَا عَلَيْنَا إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ
