Is This Forbidden?

Question :

All praise is for Allâh Almighty alone, and may He send peace and blessings upon His Messenger Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.

The Permanent Committee for Scientific Researches and Religious Verdicts reviewed a request for a ruling that was forwarded to the office of the General Chairman from the General Trust of the Board of Senior Scholars, no. 2/225. The text is as follows:

As a result of some people demonstrating, the authorities apprehended some criminals and ordered for their stores to be destroyed. After the stores were ransacked, people started to loot them. Is there a sin upon those who took some of the merchandise from those stores? And if it is prohibited to have taken from those stores, what can one do to make amends?

Answer:

The general rule is that a Muslim's blood, wealth, and honor are inviolable no Muslim can attack another.

Muslim in one of these things unless there is a right, for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said in his Farewell Hajj while giving a Khutbah,

"Indeed, your blood, your wealth, and your honor all of these are sacred like the sacredness of this day of yours, of this country oyours, of this month of yours."

He ﷺ also said:
"A Muslim's wealth is not allowed for others, unless he consents."Muslim no. 2564." class="fa fa-archive text-info" aria-hidden="true">

Concerning the situation mentioned, it is prohibited for people to loot and take the property of others. Whoever had taken something in that situation is considered to be a wrongdoer, a person who not only must repent to his Lord, but who also must return the things he took to their rightful owner. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Whoever has wronged his brother should seek to make amends today, before the day when there will be neither Dinar nor Dirham (two currencies), when if he has any good deeds, the wronged will take according to the injustice done to them. And if he (the wrongdoer) has no good deeds, then he takes from the sins of his Companion (the one who was wronged), and the burden (of those sins) are place upon him.

If, however, one is not able, for any reason, to return to the person the property that he wrongfully took from him, he should give what he took or the price of what he took to charity. If he does this and then later find the person whom he wronged, he should inform him of what happened. And if that person is satisfied, then the situation is settled; and if not, then he has to pay him an amount equal to the property that he wrongfully took. May Allah send peace and blessings upon Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.