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Fatwa CenterStealing and other sins
Question
1) What is the punishment for a thief? 2) Which one of the following is the greatest sin and deserves the greatest punishment adultery/fornication, murder or stealing? 3) What is the ruling about watching TV? 4) Is it permissible to get one's right back without the knowledge of the oppressor? 5)Are our prayers invalid because of stealing?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
Stealing is one of the most heinous acts and one of the grave major sins. The evidence that theft is an abominable act is that Allaah ordained a serious worldly punishment for it, which is the cutting of the hand of the thief. Allaah says (what means): {Cut off (from the wrist joint) the (right) hand of the thief, male or female, as a recompense for that which they committed, a punishment by way of example from Allaah.}[Quran 5:38]
In addition to this, a thief is repelled from the Mercy of Allaah. The Prophet said: "Allaah has cursed the thief." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
However, we are not aware of a specific punishment that is allocated to a thief in the Hereafter except that he deserves to enter Hellfire. If we compare which sin is greater than the other among killing a soul, fornication and/or adultery, and stealing, then it appears that killing a soul is the most serious of the three, Allaah knows best. That is because killing a soul is violating the first of the five matters which Islam mandates protection and preservation. The second in degree is fornication and/or adultery, as this is violating the honour and dignity of other people, but this is of a lesser degree than violating a soul. Theft comes next, as this is taking other people's wealth and money, but this is less serious than the aforementioned sins. This order is confirmed by the Prophet when he was asked which sin is greater and he mentioned killing a soul before mentioning adultery and/or fornication. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
As regards the ruling on watching T.V., it differs according to what is being viewed; it could be permissible, disliked or forbidden. It could even be an act by which one seeks nearness to Allaah like watching a religious lecture and the like.
With regard to getting your right from the person who wronged you without informing him, then this is a matter about which the jurists
differed in opinion.
The most preponderant opinion on this regard, however, is that it is permissible to recover one's rights without the knowledge of the oppressor, if this does not cause a greater harm, like subjecting one's honour and dignity to disgrace (i.e. being accused of theft), and the like.
If a person who is wronged gets his proper right according to permissible means in this world, then he is not permitted to claim this same right again on the Day of Judgement. But if a person takes other people's money without right, then on the Day of Judgement, the wronged person may claim his right from the good deeds of his oppressor. If the oppressor has no more good deeds, the sins of the person he wronged will be taken from him and added to the oppressor who will then be thrown into Hellfire.
Allaah Knows best.
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