If you leave your front door open, does that mean someone has the right to come in and take your belongings? Of course not. Similarly, the fact that there is no password on your neighbour’s Wi-Fi doesn’t mean they have given you permission to use it.
Although there is no law that explicitly prohibits using an unprotected personal Wi-Fi signal without permission, the Dubai Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments has clarified in a fatwa that it is contradictory to Islamic conduct.
Putting the ethical implications of this freeriding to one side, it is practical to protect your network from being misused. The world has seen major internet hacking incidents in recent years, some of which can be attributed to a general ignorance about security. And what if it turns out that your neighbour is using your internet connection to download illicit content?
We should all assume responsibility for our own lives. As the old Arabic proverb says: “Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel.”
