Is vandalism haram?

Other people's property is sacred

In his Farewell Sermon the Prophet ﷺ told the crowd that their lives, their property and their honour were sacred to one another (Sahih al-Bukhari 67). Smashing a bus shelter, keying a car, spraying graffiti on a wall or breaking a park bench all violate that sanctity. He ﷺ also laid down a basic rule of Islamic law: "There should be no harm and no reciprocating harm" (40 Hadith an-Nawawi 32).

The Quran describes causing destruction on earth as something Allah dislikes:

Public property counts too

Some people think "it belongs to the council, so nobody really loses". In Islam, public property belongs to everyone, which actually makes damage worse: you've wronged a whole community, often including the poor who depend most on buses, libraries and parks. It is also a crime under the law of the country you live in, and Muslims are expected to keep those lawful agreements. See Do I have to follow the laws of my country as a Muslim?

What about protests?

Feeling angry about injustice is understandable, and peaceful protest is something many scholars allow. Smashing shop windows or burning cars is not, even for a good cause. Those shops often belong to ordinary families who did nothing wrong. See Is it haram to rebel against a government?

• Graffiti on your own wall or a legal art wall is not vandalism.
• Graffiti on someone else's wall without permission is.
• Breaking something by accident isn't a sin, but you should still offer to pay for it.

Making it right

Scholars agree that sins against people need two steps: tawbah with Allah, and returning people's rights. If you damaged something, admit it where it's safe to do so, pay for the repair or replace it. If you can't find the owner, give the value in charity on their behalf. Allah's forgiveness is wide. See Will Allah forgive me if I keep committing the same sin?