Using Someone Else's Wi-Fi Connection without Their Permission or Knowledge

15-2-2023 | IslamWeb

Question:

How to compensate stealing someone's wifi connection? If they won't forgive, do I have to pay all the monthly expenses in full when I was connected to them? And some of my family members was also connected without permission, if I pay or if they [my family] pay in full, does this rid me or them from paying too?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu`alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

It is impermissible to use private internet without explicit or customary permission (of the owner). Whoever uses a person's network without his permission, he must seek his forgiveness either by the owner of the network forgiving him and waiving his right on him, or by compensating him for using his network. Compensation is not by paying the entire network bill during the period of use. Rather, the estimation of the value of compensation is to be determined by the people of experience and what has been customary in the values of people’s subscription to networks.

Moreover, if you cannot determine the exact value of the compensation, then you strive to estimate the compensation in a way that most likely you are acquitted from sin.

Matalib Uli Al-Nuha reads: “If his money is mixed with Dirhams of another person, while knowing its owner, then one has to give back to him an amount that most likely acquits him from sin.”

If your family paid the bill in full, then you do not have to pay another amount. Also, if you paid the entire bill, your family does not have to pay another amount.

Allah knows best.