--- description: Stealing your neighbor’s wi-fi would be considered improper Islamic conduct, Dubai's top religious authorities said Monday. title: Stealing Wi-Fi Is Not Proper Islamic Conduct, Dubai Authorities Say image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [United Arab Emirates](/tag/united-arab-emirates/) ## United Arab Emirates Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Stealing Wi-Fi Is Not Proper Islamic Conduct, Dubai Authorities Say  by [Melissa Chan](/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 11, 2016 1:46 PM CUT  by [Melissa Chan](/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 11, 2016 1:46 PM CUT [Stealing your neighbor’s wi-fi](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/2db117f43a3f4dfe82e60559fea1b216/dubais-islamic-authorities-issue-fatwa-against-wifi-theft "undefined") would be considered improper Islamic conduct, Dubai’s top religious authorities said Monday. Using someone’s wireless network without permission would defy an Islamic religious ruling, known as a fatwa, according to the Associated Press, which cited [Dubai’s Islamic Affairs & Charitable Activities Department](http://www.iacad.gov.ae/en/Pages/default.aspx "undefined") (IACAD). The department is legally authorized to determine the overall policy of the Islamic affairs and charitable works in Dubai, according to its website. The IACAD responded to an anonymous reader’s question on its website, saying “there is nothing wrong in using the line if your neighbors allow you to do so, but if they’d don’t allow you, you may not use it.” \[[_AP_](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/2db117f43a3f4dfe82e60559fea1b216/dubais-islamic-authorities-issue-fatwa-against-wifi-theft "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4288434/wifi-islam-fatwa-dubai/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4288434/wifi-islam-fatwa-dubai/"},"headline":"Stealing Wi-Fi Is Not Proper Islamic Conduct, Dubai Authorities Say","datePublished":"2016-04-11T13:46:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T09:28:30.367Z","description":"Doing so would defy a religious edict","url":"https://time.com/4288434/wifi-islam-fatwa-dubai/","keywords":["United Arab Emirates"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Chan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/united-arab-emirates/","name":"United Arab Emirates"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4288434/wifi-islam-fatwa-dubai/","name":"Stealing Wi-Fi Is Not Proper Islamic Conduct, Dubai Authorities Say"}}]}] ```