The ruling on recovering stolen property by stealing it back

The questioner:
May Allah reward you. The questioner also asks: If something is stolen from a person, and he cannot recover it from the thief except by stealing it from him, what is the ruling on that?

The Shaykh:
This is a legal ruling that requires proof. We do not say, "Take it without proving that it was stolen from you." Yes. And the matter must not become a free-for-all. One person steals and says, "I was stolen from." Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh:
Prove that this is your property that he took from you. Prove that this is your property that he took from you. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that this is called the issue of seizing one's property: whoever finds his property with a man who has gone bankrupt has the right to it. So if you prove that this money was taken from you, you have the right to take it. You recover it. But without proof, there will be chaos, with everyone making claims. Yes.