In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, who is All-Seeing over every thing. He knows the treachery of the eyes and what the breasts conceal. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, alone with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. May Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him in abundance. To proceed:
Dear brothers and sisters! Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
“He who seeks to listen to the talk of a people secretly will have molten lead poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection.” [Bukhari]
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was establishing a new community in Madinah and reforming their practices and so his advice ranged from anything and everything whether it was what to eat, how to get married, financial transactions, or improving one’s relationship with Allah. He set the boundaries and showed the best practice for every aspect of life.
The above mentioned Prophetic Hadith addresses the everyday issue of conversations between people. What is allowed and what is not allowed? In this Hadith we are taught that when two or more people do not want their conversation to be overheard, it is punishable to deliberately eavesdrop.
The religion of Islam regards privacy as important and the Shari’ah incorporates this in Islamic law to an extent which does not exist in other laws around the world.
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is saying that if you see people engaged in a private conversation one is not allowed to sneak up on them or put one’s ear to the door to catch what they are saying. It is haram and prohibited.
The punishment is that molten lead will be poured into their ears on the Day of Judgment. It is a very painful punishment because they are breaking the rules of privacy.
Someone may ask, what if the conversation is taking place in a public space? Does that mean others can listen in? If some people physically move to be alone, for instance they go into the corner of the room, it is obvious from their action that they do not want anyone to hear their conversation. To go and sit by them is an invasion of their privacy and space.
Ibn Abbas reported the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as saying:
“If anyone listens to other people’s talk when they try to avoid him, lead will be poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection.” [Abu Dawud]
Therefore whether it is in the workplace or the Mosque or public area, if someone has demonstrated that they are speaking privately, others are not justified to listen to their conversation.
They may be discussing something personal and they do not want others to barge in and sit down next to them, this is rude and unacceptable.
Of course, if one is listening to a conversation that is not private and those chatting do not mind their listening, it is not prohibited and haram. For instance, two Islamic scholars may be discussing knowledge or the Qur’an and Hadith, so listening to them and benefiting from their discussion is fine – as it’s not private, it’s not a secret and they do not mind or even approve of your listening, though they happen to be talking together.
Phone-tapping, hacking into someone’s account and spying are prohibited and haram.
In the old days, when people used landlines, they often had two or three phones in the same house, so it was possible to pick up a third handset and listen in to the conversation that was going on. This is prohibited and haram and hacking into someone’s system and listening is also prohibited and haram.
Today, we can use a plethora of new technologies to spy on others and record their conversations without their knowing or their consent. With a few exceptions, this is prohibited and haram.
Similarly going through someone’s private papers and documents, reading their letters or diary, going through their phone and checking their chats without their consent is prohibited and haram.
The exceptions to this are spying on the enemy or criminal. This is to do with security and is not on an individual basis but at local, national and international level. Our governments have a special department for this.
If you are on a WhatsApp group chat or any other virtual platform on social media, there may be a discussion, sharing of ideas, debates and arguments or shared documents with the expectation that these are not divulged to other people or groups. If the policy of that group is that you are not permitted to share any comments or conversations without prior consent then you have to abide to the regulations and the rules of the group. You cannot cut and paste, screenshot or forward messages to another group. Someone may say something in that group because there is a specific context, or because they trust those people, forwarding their messages may mean that their opinion is taken out of context or misunderstood and distorted. Therefore it would be haram to share their messages without their consent.
When you are in someone’s home, and especially if you are spending the night and have been given a room, don’t rifle through their drawers and poke your nose in their cupboards. These are their private things. Lower your gaze and do not go through their things. It is an amanah (trust), so don’t breach their trust. Imagine if they opened the door and found you searching through their things and trying to open locked cabinets.
What is private, must remain private. Apart from listening, it is also prohibited and haram to look at someone when they are in a private space – in other words peeking at them without their knowing and invading their privacy.
It is mentioned in other Prophetic Hadith that looking at people without their knowledge is not just prohibited and haram but they would be justified to attack the one who is spying on them. This shows the extent to which such an act is disliked.
Anas Ibn Malik reported that a Bedouin came to the house of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him), and put his eye to the crack of the door. Therefore the Prophet took an arrow or a sharp stick and aimed it at the Bedouin as to gouge out his eye. The man left and the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
“If you had stayed, I would have gouged out your eye.” [Nasa’i]
This shows how highly our Shari’ah regards privacy and its zero tolerance towards invading someone’s private space.
Some might say it is severe to knock out the eye of a peeping Tom, however those who spy need to appreciate the consequences of their action. The paparazzi go to extreme lengths to get shots of celebrities when they are away from the press. They hire helicopters, zoom in from hidden positions and then plaster those images all over the media. This is prohibited and haram. If they knew that they could have their eyes knocked out for doing this, they would hesitate and think 100 times before doing this. Yet they know no one can touch them and that there is significant profit to be made by capturing those private shots or private events.
This is why the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) educated us that this is severely punishable. Do not read gossip magazines or watch gossip programmes because they are snooping and prying into people’s private lives and their mistakes. It is exposing people which is prohibited and haram.
A private conversation is an Amanah – a trust. To leak discussions is prohibited and haram. Personally, I have experienced this. There have been times when some Shaikhs have gathered to discuss sensitive topics which were not meant for the public domain or were in the initial stages of launching. Yet, though these were held privately or in the preparation of an event, the discussions would appear in the news. The whole project would be destroyed because of these leaks.
Therefore we need to educate ourselves and our children, our community; where to draw the line. Cleaners and maids have access to people’s private spaces, particularly when left alone, they should be very careful not to open drawers and cupboards and take advantage of their position. Other workers such as electricians, plumbers, carpenters, builders, doctors etc are entrusted with people’s private matters must be very careful not to breach confidentiality.
We have to have common sense based on the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) so we can protect our privacy and the privacy of others. Just as we want others to respect our privacy, we should not expose theirs.
If one is asked in court to divulge certain information, one has to reveal this. It depends on the details of course. The other exception is that you are allowed to spy on your enemy or on criminal and use technology to know what they are planning or plotting against you or against the nation. This is necessary as part of the protection of your country and your people.
Jabir Ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“Meetings are confidential except three: those for the purpose of shedding blood unlawfully, or committing fornication, or acquiring property unjustly.” [Abu Dawud]
Respected brothers and sisters! No doubt, recording a person’s phone conversation without their permission is generally prohibited and haram as it violates fundamental principles of privacy, trust (amanah), and the prohibition of spying. Islamic teachings emphasise that personal communications are a trust (amanah) that must be safeguarded.
Recording a private conversation without consent falls under several major Islamic prohibitions as follows:
1. Spying (Tajassus):
The Qur’an explicitly commands:
“And spy not.” [Qur’an, 49:12]
Islamic scholars interpret this to include any unauthorised gathering of information about others, including eavesdropping or digital recording.
2. Betrayal of Trust (amanah):
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“If a man speaks and then looks around, it is a trust (amanah).”
This means if someone speaks under the assumption of privacy, that conversation becomes a trust that the listener must not violate.
3. Listening to the Unwilling:
A severe warning exists for those who eavesdrop on people who do not wish to be heard: the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) warned that such individuals would have “molten lead poured into their ears on the Day of Resurrection.”
Islam established comprehensive privacy protections long before the modern laws, treating personal space as a fundamental right.
Fuqaha states that the sanctity of a Muslim’s privacy is as serious as the sanctity of their blood.
Just as one must ask permission before entering a house (Qur’an, 24:27), one must obtain consent before accessing another’s private data or voice.
Instead of seeking out or recording secrets, Muslims are encouraged to cover the faults of others. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever covers the faults of his brother, Allah will cover his faults in this world and the Hereafter.”
While the general rule is a strict prohibition, Islamic scholars mention rare exceptions where recording might be permissible:
1. Obtaining Rights: If the recording is the only way to obtain a “preponderant benefit,” such as proving a legal right in court or uncovering a serious crime.
2. Preventing Harm: In serious situations where there is certain knowledge (not mere suspicion) of wrongdoing, some Islamic scholars allow discreet investigation to prevent greater societal or personal harm.
3. National Security: Spying for legitimate national defense purposes by authorities is generally considered an exception.
Respecting privacy is not just a social etiquette but a religious obligation.
If you must record for professional reasons (e.g., quality improvement), you should use a clear disclaimer at the start so the caller can provide informed consent.
Know that, part of perfecting one’s Islam is “leaving what does not concern him.”
Dear servants of Allah! Also betrayal is strongly condemned in Islam, categorised as a major sin and a characteristic of hypocrisy. Islam emphasises maintaining trust (amanah) and honour in all relationships—personal, business, and social—as a reflection of faith (Iman).
Betraying trust is a hallmark of hypocrisy, as highlighted in the Prophetic Hadith:
“…when he is trusted, he betrays.” [Al-Bukhari]
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) stated that every betrayer will have a banner raised on the Day of Resurrection, publicly revealing their treachery. Allah Himself will oppose those who make a covenant and then betray it. Betrayal, along with other sins like theft, removes blessings from a person’s life.
Ali (RA) said:
“Do not betray anyone who places his trust in you, even if he betrays you.”
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“No religion for the person who cannot keep a covenant…”
Allah the Most High says:
“Indeed, Allah does not love traitors.” [Qur’an, 8:58]
Betrayal is a heavy spiritual debt, where the perpetrator will bear the shame of their treachery on the Day of Judgment.
Betrayal acts as a “poison” to society, destroying trust (amanah). Muslim believers are commanded to uphold their covenants and not betray those who trust them.
Betrayal is a grave sin that shatters the foundation of faith and society. It is considered the direct opposite of amanah (trustworthiness), a core virtue of the Muslim believer.
Betrayal is not just about big scandals; it includes any hidden act of deceiving, lying, or breaking a promise.
Islamic tradition recounts that Allah offered the amanah (trust) to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains, but they all declined, fearing its heavy burden. Only man, in his ignorance and weakness, accepted it.
When people betray you, it is often a gentle call from Allah to return to Him, the one who never betrays. Just as Prophet Yusuf (AS) was elevated to greatness after being betrayed by his brothers, your trials can be the foundation for your greatest triumph. Sometimes Allah removes people from your life as an act of mercy, saving you from unseen harm. The brain area used to trust humans is the same one used to trust Allah. Turning your pain into prayer transforms suffering into worship.
Ya Allah, show us truth as truth and grant us the wisdom to follow it, and show us falsehood as falsehood and grant us the wisdom to avoid it.
Ya Allah, grant victory to Islam and honour to the Muslims, and destroy the criminals and our enemies. Ya Allah, send down tranquility upon the hearts of those striving in Your path, rescue Your oppressed servants, and raise high the banner of the religion, by Your power, O Strong, O Firm.
Ya Allah, grant us security in our homelands, set right our leaders and those in authority over us, and appoint our leadership to those who fear You, are mindful of You, and follow Your pleasure.
Our Lord, give us in this world good and in the Hereafter good, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. Ameen Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum, Ya Zal Jalali Wal Ikram!
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: [email protected] or +2348038289761 or +2348024192217.
This Jumu’ah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today, Friday, Dhul-Qa’adah 6, 1447 AH (April 24, 2026).
