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Stealing From The Rich Allowed In Islam (Example Of Caliph Umar (rta))
A friend says that Islam permits stealing from the rich under adverse circumstances like during famine or drought or in situations of life and death so that the poor can fulfill their basic needs, but if we look at the condition of a third world country like Pakistan today we see that a great proportion of the population falls under the poverty line and the government doesn’t look after their needs so my friend believes that in these circumstances if the poor start stealing from the rich then it would be justified. I believe that the end doesn’t justify the means, we are taking what belongs to others without paying a price for it and if we justify this act then stealing would become a norm. Can you tell what Islam says about poor people stealing from the rich? And if the poor cannot steal in these circumstances then what can they do for survival? I know that there is a system of Zakat in Islamic societies but if the rich aren’t paying Zakat then what can the poor do?
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4 Replies
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Stealing From The Rich Allowed In Islam (Example Of Caliph Umar (rta))
updated 9 months ago
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Replies
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Ask your friend to provide the reference where God allows stealing for the poor.
All we can do is asking the government and the rich to fulfill their duties towards the poor and ask the poor to find avenues to earn money and work hard.
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The friend mentioned Hazrat Umar ibn Al Khattab’s saying: “The hand of the thief is not cut who steals a bundle of dates or in a year of famine” and a hadith narrated from Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq: “In the time of famine and drought the hands of a thief are not cut off for stealing edible items like bread and meat etc.”
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These statements are not Deen. Deen is what Allah and his Rasool tell us that it is Deen. There is no such allowance. The above-mentioned instances are excuses for not giving a person the extreme punishment of cutting off a hand, however, lesser punishments can be given or in some cases, one can be excused altogether, but accepting an excuse for a crime does not mean the crime is allowed.
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Got it. Thankyou for taking out time to answer the question.
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