Are Muslims living in non-Muslim countries bound to obey the traffic lawsof that country? Is the speeding fine Islamic?

· 8 Rajab 1421 AH1 min readFatwa 1197English

Question

The question text was not published separately; the title stands in for it.

Are Muslims living in non-Muslim countries bound to obey the traffic lawsof that country? Is the speeding fine Islamic?

Answer

Muslims living in a non-Muslim country are bound to follow the laws of the country as long as they are not contrary to Shari?ah.
According to the Shari?ah, public amenities, for example, roads, parks, etc. should be used without causing any harm to another person. (Buhooth fi Qadhaaya fiqhiyya Mu?aasira; pg.292) Speeding on public roads is a great danger to the lives of others. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure the safety of its citizens by enforcing strict speed control. The speeding fine is one of other deterrents of speed control.
Any person convicted of overspeeding is duty bound by the Shari?ah to pay the speeding fine.

And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best,

Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Answered by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Questions about this ruling, answered only from the archive with sources.

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