WiFi Usage without Consent of Owner is Illegal: Fatwa Issued

Theft it seems, isn’t just about the physical and tangible things anymore. Take WiFi for instance. You know, those invisible signals that allow you to browse the internet and check up on social media?

Religious authorities are finally taking a look at classifying the stealing of personal WiFi network signals as a crime.

Stealing WiFi is a Crime

A fatwa has been filed against using anyone’s internet Wi-Fi connection without their consent by the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) in Dubai, UAE. This seems like the first reported incident of its kind.

It is stated in the fatwa that people are not allowed to use anything without the permission of the owner, or without any sort of payment. Simply put, an internet service cannot be used without the owner’s knowledge.

The reasoning behind the argument was that illegal usage of internet packages negatively affects the rightful owner of the connection. Non-consented usage will reduce the internet speed and deplete the available data. If too many people start sharing the connection, they are depriving the original user of the data volume and/or speed that they paid for.

The fatwa was issued when someone asked a question on the Islamic Affairs department (IACAD) website. In the IACAD’s modern fatwas section, the question asked was ‘whether it is alright to use someone’s Wi-Fi connection without their consent?’

Bear in mind, this fatwa does not apply to the use of open Wi-Fi hosted by institutions and restaurants etc. which are there for public usage. However, it remains to be seen if other religious schools of thought will push out similar rulings in order to create awareness about WiFi theft as a crime.

But fatwa or no fatwa, stealing someone’s internet certainly seems like depriving one of their valuables, especially considering how much we’ve come to rely on it in our daily lives.

Sources: Whatson.AE / Gulf News


  • What about fatwas on other issues? What about using pirated software then?
    My windows is legal but many other softwares on my laptop are pirated. So its mean that i am doing sin ????

    • For your question my friend please think if the pirated software are legal????

      If no then it’s Your call,

    • Yes Pirated is Sin but not to the third World countries like india Bangladesh srilanka Pakistan Afghanistan iran.

        • Y cuz in their books we r slumdogs slaves and terrorist so they start tracking us through these unethical tactics.Providing us Aid Pirated Windows softwares apps etc.Just few points briefed can talk on this top day n night for the sake of humanity.

    • I create software for earning my livelihood. I put effort in my software day and night. If someone uses my software without paying for it, he is definitely stealing. I pay for all the software that I use to produce my software. People should pay for my software if they want to use it.
      Now replace the word ‘software’ in the above paragraph with whatever you do for your living. Then think about it. How would you feel if people would use your ‘software’ without paying for it?

      Use of pirated software is theft. Period.

    • There are open source/freely available software alternatives for every possible software that you [we] are using illegally.

    • Thank God mere laptop k OS ki to cd he nhn milti is liye legal illegal ka sawal he nhn uthta ?

      • so aap ke nazdeek Wifi or Usool-e-Deen main koi zyada farq nae KMQ bhai !! Good to know. :)

        • Ab aap ne khud hi jawab de dia apne sawal ka Eli bhai :-) jo banda humaray deen ke main usoolon ko hi nahi manta tu uske liye is fatwa ki kia ehmiyat. I guess baat samajh main agayi hogi aapko.

          And no heart feelings please, I know ke aap azraa-e-mazak keh rahe they but deen ke mamlay main ehtiyat behtar hai. JazakAllah Khair…

  • I think is Fatwa se pehle bhi humain maloom hona chahiye ke kisi ki bhi cheez uski bagair ijazat istamal ki jae tu woh sort of stealing hi hogi. Even is bare main ek hadees bhi parhi thi, mujhe exactly refrences aur exact wordings yaad nahi, just samjhane ke liye neeche likh raha hon. Koi galti ho tu Allah Pak maaf kare.

    Ek Sahabi kuch dinon se subah fajar ke baad fauran apne ghar ke taraf jate they aur is tarah baad main jo waaz-o-talkeen ka silsila hota tha namaz ke baad us main shirkat nahi karte they. Nabi pak salal laho alehe wasalam ne jab kuch dinon tak yeh manzar dekha tu ek din un sahabi se pocha ke aap itna jaldi kyun karte ho fajar ke baad wapsi main. Unhon ne jawab dia Ya Rasool Allah, mere parosi ka ek darakht hai jo thoda mere sehan ki taraf jhuka hua hai aur raat gaye us main se khajoor mere sehan main gir jate hain tu main subah fajar ke baad jaldi is liye karta hon ke mere bachon ke uthne se pehle main sare khajoor jama kar ke uske sehan main phenk deta hon taake mere bache anjaney main kahin uski khajoorain na kha lain.

    • Yeh sub woh Nabi ko bata raha tha aur Nabi nai pucha kyun jaldi jatai ho….story kuch hazam nhi hoe.Sirkar e do Alam ko be information chahiya thi…

      • Aaare nahi bhai, aap galat samjhe ya shayad maine theek se describe nahi kia, Nabi Pak Salal laho alehe wasalam ko obviously ilm tha, but yeh is liye kia jata tha ke hum jaise logon ki rehnumai hosake. Warna aapki baat sahi hai ke Sarkar e do Aalam ko information ki kia zarorrat.

        • Yah baat to theek ha lekn Authentic Proofs kai saath points matchup ho jayin to maza ata ha.

          • Sahi kaha, I would try to find the reference of this Hadees if I can. Aur agar aap kisi aalim se poch sakte ho tu please aap bhi pocho, JazakAllah…

    • Is topic mein molvi/non-molvi ki baat nahi ho rahi bhai…simple baat hai keh kissi ki cheez/property aap uski ijazat k beghair nahi istemal kar saktay..

  • Makes sense but it is so unfortunate that people needed proper fatwa for basic matter of firmness of character & faith. Didn’t their heart ever tell that it was wrong to use other people’s things & belongings without their consent???


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