Body scanners at airports
In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.
Answer
There are ten types of journeys.
- The journey for moral self-correction. It means touring and travelling through Allah’s Earth for the particular purpose of witnessing the creation of Allah. Some scholars have said the journey of Saaiduna Dhul Qarnain around the world to be of this kind.
- Journey of Hajj.
- Journey of employment. If a person cannot find an employment in his homeland then he can go to another country and seek employment there.
- Journey for trading.
- Journey for seeking knowledge.
- Journey of Jihad.
- Journey undertaken to guard Islamic frontiers.
- Journey to blessed places such as the sacred Masjids in Islam and the graves of pious people.
- Journey to visit relatives and friends.
- Journey to spread deen or knowledge.
(1 – 9 Extracted from Maariful Qur’an p.355 v.5)
With regards to your question, if the journey being undertaken is for the aforementioned reasons then it will be permissible to undertake these body scanners at airports. Otherwise, one should refrain from traveling. The permissibility of going through body scanners is based on necessity. Thus where there is no need to travel, one should not undertake a journey and be subjected to these measures.
Only Allah Knows Best
Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
