Is It Okay to Wrong Others or Take Their Rights if One Has a Good Intention?

Question:

Is it okay to wrong others or take their rights if one has a good intention?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

The Prophetic principle “Actions are judged by intentions.” [Bukhari and Muslim] assumes that the actions are permissible to begin with. It is not permissible to do something that is forbidden with good intention.

Similarly, it is not permissible to take someone else’s rights “with a good intention.” For example, one could not take someone’s credit card away from them to stop them from spending money on sinful things. This kind of power is saved only for the police.

Even in extenuating circumstances where someone is allowed to take someone’s rights away, they are still given it back in another form. [al-Ashbah wa al-Nadha’ir, Suyuti] For example, if you had to steal someone’s car in order to take someone to the hospital in an emergency, one would still have to pay for the use and/or damage caused to the car.

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.