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Q&A · Society & Ethics

Does Islam say anything about littering and keeping public spaces clean?

The Prophet ﷺ said that faith has some seventy branches, the highest being "lā ilāha illā Allāh" and the lowest being the removal of harm from the road (Sahih Muslim 35) — so clearing litter is an act of faith, and casually dropping it is its opposite. Allah forbids corrupting the earth after it has been set right (Quran 7:56), and He does not love those who spread corruption in the land (Quran 2:205). The Prophet ﷺ also warned his companions against sitting in the roadways, and when they said they needed to meet there, he told them to give the road its right: lowering the gaze, removing harm, returning greetings, and enjoining good and forbidding evil (agreed upon — Sahih al-Bukhari 2465, Sahih Muslim 2121). Vandalism, graffiti on others' property, blocking pavements and dumping waste all fall under harming people, which is forbidden whether those harmed are Muslims or not.

Evidence — the daleel
Sahih Muslim 35 ṢaḥīḥQuran 7:56Quran 2:205Sahih al-Bukhari 2465 ṢaḥīḥSahih Muslim 2121 Ṣaḥīḥ
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Informational, not a personal fatwa. Consult a qualified scholar for rulings on your situation.

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