The Right to Privacy in Islam (Part Four)

By Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi, New Age Islam

Abstract:

This article explains the importance of the right to privacy in Islam. Islam strongly teaches that every person’s private life, honour and personal matters must be respected and protected. The Qur’an clearly warns believers not to spy on others, make unnecessary suspicions, or search for people’s hidden faults. Such behaviour can damage personal dignity and disturb peace in society. Islamic teachings also emphasise good manners in social life, such as seeking permission before entering someone’s home and greeting the residents with salam. Scholars explain that a home is meant to provide comfort, freedom and security, and unnecessary interference can cause harm and distress. The Qur’an even teaches rules of privacy within the household, asking children and servants to seek permission at certain times. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also strongly warned against secretly looking into others’ private spaces. Overall, Islam gives great importance to protecting privacy and discourages behaviour that humiliates or harms others, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims.

Main Points:

·         Islam strongly protects every person’s privacy, honour, and personal life from spying, suspicion, and unnecessary interference.

·         The Qur’an clearly forbids spying, excessive suspicion, and searching for the hidden faults of others.

·         Muslims are instructed to seek permission and greet residents before entering other people’s houses.

·         Homes are meant for comfort and peace, therefore disturbing someone’s privacy can cause harm.

·         Islamic teachings about privacy apply to everyone in society, including both Muslims and non-Muslims.

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Islam gives every person the right to privacy, confidentiality and protection of personal matters. This is a very important right because it protects a person’s honour and his or her private life. One way of interfering in someone’s private life is to spy on them or try to discover their hidden affairs. The Qur’an clearly forbids such behaviour. Allah says:

يَآ اَيُّـهَا الَّـذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوْا كَثِيْـرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّۖ اِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ اِثْـمٌ ۖ وَّلَا تَجَسَّسُوْا۔ ( الحجرات : 12)

“O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion. Indeed, some suspicion is a sin. And do not spy on one another.”

Just imagine what happens when someone begins to investigate and search into the private matters of another person. Such behaviour not only insults the individual but can also disturb peace in society. Therefore, it is not right to investigate someone’s private life or interfere in their personal matters without a valid reason. The above verse of the Qur’an clearly points to this principle.

The well-known scholar Syed Abul A‘la Maududi writes:

“Do not search for people’s secrets. Do not try to discover the faults of others and do not keep looking into their personal affairs. Whether this behaviour is based on suspicion, bad intention, or curiosity, it is forbidden in Islamic law. A true believer should not try to uncover what Allah has kept hidden about others. Reading someone’s private letters, secretly listening to conversations, peeping into neighbours’ houses, and trying in different ways to investigate people’s personal lives are all forms of bad behaviour that can create many kinds of social problems.”

(Tafhim al-Qur’an, Vol. 5, p. 88)

A similar idea is expressed in a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He said:

“If you try to find out the hidden faults of people, you will corrupt them or come very close to corrupting them.”

(Sunan Abu Dawud)

In another verse of the Qur’an, Allah commands believers not to enter other people’s homes without permission:

يَآ اَيُّـهَا الَّـذِيْنَ اٰمَنُـوْا لَا تَدْخُلُوْا بُيُوْتًا غَيْـرَ بُيُوْتِكُمْ حَتّـٰى تَسْتَاْنِسُوْا وَتُسَلِّمُوْا عَلٰٓى اَهْلِهَا ۚ ذٰلِكُمْ خَيْـرٌ لَّكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُوْنَ۔

(النور: 27)

“O you who believe! Do not enter houses other than your own until you seek permission and greet their inhabitants with Salam. That is better for you so that you may take heed.”

(Qur’an 24:27)

While explaining this verse, Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani draws attention to the social manners and ethics taught by Islam. In his famous commentary he writes that it is unfortunate that although Islamic law has given detailed instructions about seeking permission before entering a house—and the Prophet (peace be upon him) strongly emphasised this teaching—many Muslims today neglect it. Even educated and religious people often do not consider it important.

He further explains that Allah has given every person a place to live, whether it is owned or rented, and that home is meant to provide comfort and peace. The Qur’an also refers to this blessing when it says that Allah has made homes a place of rest and tranquillity. This comfort can only exist when a person can live freely in their own home without unnecessary interference from others. Disturbing someone’s freedom in their own home causes discomfort and hardship, and Islam strictly forbids causing harm to others. Seeking permission before entering someone’s house protects people from such disturbance and also shows good manners. When a visitor seeks permission politely, the host receives him with respect and is more willing to listen and help. But if someone enters without permission in a rude manner, the host may feel annoyed and treat him as an unwelcome disturbance.

(Ma‘arif al-Qur’an, Vol. 6, pp. 386–387)

The Qur’an also gives guidance about privacy within the household. Allah says:

يَآ اَيُّـهَا الَّـذِيْنَ اٰمَنُـوْا لِيَسْتَاْذِنْكُمُ الَّـذِيْنَ مَلَكَتْ اَيْمَانُكُمْ وَالَّـذِيْنَ لَمْ يَبْلُغُوا الْحُلُمَ مِنْكُمْ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ ۚ مِّنْ قَبْلِ صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ وَحِيْنَ تَضَعُوْنَ ثِيَابَكُمْ مِّنَ الظَّهِيْـرَةِ وَمِنْ بَعْدِ صَلَاةِ الْعِشَآءِ ۚ ثَلَاثُ عَوْرَاتٍ لَّكُمْ ۚ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَا عَلَيْـهِـمْ جُنَاحٌ بَعْدَهُنَّ ۚ طَوَّافُوْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ بَعْضُكُمْ عَلٰى بَعْضٍ ۚ كَذٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّـٰهُ لَكُمُ الْاٰيَاتِ ۗ وَاللّـٰهُ عَلِيْـمٌ حَكِـيْـمٌ۔ ( النور: 58)

“O you who believe! Let those whom your right hands possess and those of your children who have not reached puberty ask permission from you at three times: before the Fajr prayer, at midday when you take off your clothes for rest, and after the ‘Isha prayer. These are three times of privacy for you. Apart from these times there is no blame on you or on them, as they move about attending to you and to one another. Thus Allah makes His signs clear to you, and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.”

(Qur’an 24:58)

The importance of this rule is also emphasised in a hadith. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“If I knew that you were looking inside without permission, I would have struck your eye. Permission has been required so that people do not see what should remain private.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari,

All these teachings clearly show that Islam strongly emphasises the protection of privacy and personal life. Unfortunately, the situation today often appears very different. People intentionally interfere in the private lives of others, search for their weaknesses, and humiliate them. Such behaviour damages social harmony and weakens unity within society. Therefore, it is very important to avoid this behaviour and protect the moral fabric of society.

It should also be made clear that just as Islam protects the privacy of Muslims, it also forbids interference in the private lives of non-Muslims. In other words, this principle of privacy applies to everyone.

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Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi is an Islamic scholar, author, and a regular columnist for New Age Islam.

URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-human-rights/right-to-privacy-islam/d/139173

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