Fatwa ID: 08612

 

 

Answered by: Maulana Sakib Shadman 

 

Question:

 

If a group of family members know there is dangerous / harmful scheming going on against them by others and that whenever they gather they discuss their plans, will it be permissible to eavesdrop /record secretly without their permission?

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

 

Answer:

 

Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Quran;

 

{ یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱجۡتَنِبُوا۟ كَثِیرࣰا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعۡضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثۡمࣱۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا۟ وَلَا یَغۡتَب بَّعۡضُكُم بَعۡضًاۚ أَیُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمۡ أَن یَأۡكُلَ لَحۡمَ أَخِیهِ مَیۡتࣰا فَكَرِهۡتُمُوهُۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ }

[Surah Al-Ḥujurāt: 12]

 

Oh you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allāh; indeed, Allāh is Accepting of Repentance and Merciful.

 

We can learn from this beautiful verse that we must avoid suspicion of others. How can you be sure that these people are scheming against you? Perhaps your suspicion has no basis nor proof. Perhaps you are being paranoid. 

 

The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) ascended the Minbar and called out with a raised voice: ’O you who accepted Islam with his tongue, while faith has not reached his heart! Do not harm the Muslims, nor revile them, nor spy on them to expose their secrets. For indeed whoever tries to expose his Muslims brother’s secrets, Allah exposes his secrets wide open, even if he were in the depth of his house.’” He (Nafl’) said: ‘ One day Ibn ‘Umar looked at the House- or – the Ka’bah and said: ‘What is it that is more honored than you, and whose honor is more sacred than yours! And the believer’s honor is more sacred to Allah than yours.

 

Thus we should not unnecessarily find faults with our Muslim brothers, and we should not spy on them out of suspicion. We should protect the honour of our fellow Muslim brothers by not exposing their secrets.

 

However, let us assume that you do have solid proof that a group of people are scheming against you. If appropriate, you may confront them and ask them what their issue is with you. Try to reconcile with those people, even if you believe they are in the wrong.

 

{ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ إِخۡوَةࣱ فَأَصۡلِحُوا۟ بَیۡنَ أَخَوَیۡكُمۡۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ }

[Surah Al-Ḥujurāt: 10]

 

All believers are but brothers, therefore seek reconciliation between your two brothers, and fear Allah, so that you may be blessed with mercy.

 

The best course of action is to resolve your issues in an assertive and collaborative manner so that there is no malice or hostility between you and them.

 

However if this is absolutely impossible, then you may avoid such people who may harbour ill-will against you so that you do not become a victim of their scheme.

 

If avoiding such people does not prevent their scheme from harming you, AND you believe that spying on them is the only way to avoid this imminent harm, then in this particular case it will be permitted to spy on these people. You must have a firm intention that you are only spying on them in order to protect yourself from their evil scheme. You must practice caution in this regard and only spy on them as much as is necessary in order to repel harm from yourself.

 

Once you are able to avoid their evil scheme, you should cease spying on them. However, as mentioned above, spying is only a last resort if you have no other choice. Otherwise you should try to reconcile with these people and advise them towards righteousness, and if this is not possible, you should avoid such people.

 

 

References:

 

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَكْثَمَ، وَالْجَارُودُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُوسَى، حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ وَاقِدٍ، عَنْ أَوْفَى بْنِ دَلْهَمٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ صَعِدَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمِنْبَرَ فَنَادَى بِصَوْتٍ رَفِيعٍ فَقَالَ ‏ “‏ يَا مَعْشَرَ مَنْ قَدْ أَسْلَمَ بِلِسَانِهِ وَلَمْ يُفْضِ الإِيمَانُ إِلَى قَلْبِهِ لاَ تُؤْذُوا الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَلاَ تُعَيِّرُوهُمْ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُوا عَوْرَاتِهِمْ فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ تَتَبَّعَ عَوْرَةَ أَخِيهِ الْمُسْلِمِ تَتَبَّعَ اللَّهُ عَوْرَتَهُ وَمَنْ تَتَبَّعَ اللَّهُ عَوْرَتَهُ يَفْضَحْهُ وَلَوْ فِي جَوْفِ رَحْلِهِ ‏”‏ قَالَ وَنَظَرَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ يَوْمًا إِلَى الْبَيْتِ أَوْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ فَقَالَ مَا أَعْظَمَكِ وَأَعْظَمَ حُرْمَتَكِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُ أَعْظَمُ حُرْمَةً عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْكِ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ ‏.‏ وَرَوَى إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ السَّمَرْقَنْدِيُّ عَنْ حُسَيْنِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ نَحْوَهُ وَرُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي بَرْزَةَ الأَسْلَمِيِّ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوُ هَذَا ‏.‏

 

Nafi’ narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: “The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) ascended the Minbar and called out with a raised voice: ’O you who accepted Islam with his tongue, while faith has not reached his heart! Do not harm the Muslims, nor revile them, nor spy on them to expose their secrets. For indeed whoever tries to expose his Muslims brother’s secrets, Allah exposes his secrets wide open, even if he were in the depth of his house.’” He (Nafl’) said: ‘ One day Ibn ‘Umar looked at the House- or – the Ka’bah and said: ‘What is it that is more honored than you, and whose honor is more sacred than yours! And the believer’s honor is more sacred to Allah than yours.’”

 

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2032

Chapter 85: What Has Been Related About Honoring The Believer, Book 27: Chapters on Righteousness And Maintaining Good Relations With Relatives

Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)

https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2032

 

تجسس ممنوع:

(ويقصد به تتبع عورات الناس وأسرارهم والكشف عن معائبهم بدافع الفضول وإشباع غريزة حب الاستطلاع دون أن يكون له غرض مباح من جلب منفعة راجحة أو دفع مفسدة متوقعة سواء أكان ذلك بالتطلع أو التنصت والاستماع) (١).

——–

ص177 – كتاب موسوعة الأخلاق الإسلامية – أقسام التجسس وحكم كل قسم – المكتبة الشاملة

 

ويستثنى من ذلك ما إذا ظهرت أمارة أو خبر ثقة على وجود اعتداء على حرمة يفوت تداركها، لو لم يُعَجَّل ببعث عيون لاكتشافها قبل وقوعها وردع المعتدي عن عدوانه، كالقتل وارتكاب فاحشة الزنا، وكذا إذا وقعت جريمة اعتداء ولم يعرف مرتكبها، فإن الواجب على ولي الأمر البحث عن مرتكبها ببعث العيون للقبض على المجرم وعقابه. (١)

——–

ص92 – كتاب السباق إلى العقول – خامسا فئة الجواسيس وأقسام التجسس وسيئات الجواسيس – المكتبة الشاملة

 

قال الرملي: (وليس لأحد البحث والتجسس، واقتحام الدور بالظنون، نعم إذا غلب على ظنه وقوع معصية ولو بقرينة ظاهرة، كإخبار ثقة جاز له، بل وجب عليه التجسس إن فات تداركها كقتل وزنى، وإلا فلا.

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ص655 – كتاب شرح بلوغ المرام اللهيميد – الحديث دليل على أن الجزاء من جنس العمل ما وجه ذلك – المكتبة الشاملة

 

(الضرورات تبيح المحظورات)

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ص466 – كتاب تشنيف المسامع بجمع الجوامع – الكتاب الخامس في الاستدلال – المكتبة الشاملة

 

وَأَيْضًا فَقَاعِدَةُ “مُعَارَضَةِ دَرْءِ الْمَفَاسِدِ لِجَلْبِ الْمَصَالِحِ” جَارِيَةٌ هُنَا؛ لِأَنَّ دَرْءَ الْمَفَاسِدِ مُقَدَّمٌ، وَلِأَنَّ قَاعِدَةَ التعاون٦ تَقْضِي بِأَنَّ الْمُعَامَلَةَ عَلَى مِثْلِ هَذَا تَعَاوُنٌ عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ، وَلِذَلِكَ يُمْنَعُ بِاتِّفَاقٍ شِرَاءُ العنب للخمر قصدًا،

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ص465 – كتاب الموافقات – الفصل الثالث في الأوامر والنواهي – المكتبة الشاملة

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Maulana Sakib Shadman

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham