Question
What is Tajasus?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful
Answer:
Allah (SWA) in the Holy Qur’an has said,
“O those who believe, abstain from many of the suspicions. Some suspicions are sins. And do not be curious, and do not backbite one another. Do one of you like that he eats the flesh of his dead brother? You would abhor it.” (Surah Al Hujurat v.12)
The second social evil which has been mentioned in the aforementioned verse is with regards to Tajasus, spying or prying secretly into the fault of others. An alternative reading of 'tajasus' is 'tahasus'.
The two words in Arabic are near-synonyms. Akhfash says there is a subtle difference in their meanings. Tajasus connotes looking into people’s affairs which they have kept hidden, whilst tahasus connotes searching in general.
Bayanul Qur’an interprets that tajasus and tahasus include the sense of listening to people without their permission when they are talking or eavesdropping at their doors. (Extracted from Maariful Qur’an p.138-p.139 v.8)
Only Allah knows best
Written by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
