Respect of Privacy (of a family member) in Islam

**JamesBond007** · 08-02-2010

How important is the respect of privacy in Islam?

My older sister, whom I do love dearly, doesn't respect my privacy at all. She will go through my phone, facebook, computer, pretty much everything to find out what I'm doing wrong and immediately report it to my mother. She is 24 and married, and to be completely honest, this really pisses me off.

I can't have any privacy in my home with my sister around, and it's driving me crazy. Is this haram in any manner because it doesn't seem right to me. Whenever I tell her to stop or to mind her own business/life she always says, "There is no minding my own business in Islam".

Guys, what can I do to stop this?

**Dagless** · 08-02-2010

How old are you? You sound old enough for your privacy to be respected.
I don't know how she can look at your phone, computer, or facebook. Why don't you protect these things with a password or some other security measure?

**Rhubarb Tart** · 08-02-2010

spying is haram. Let your sister know that. She isn't allowed to do this.

I dont know whether spying is haram for children.

**JamesBond007** · 08-02-2010

Originally Posted by Dagless

How old are you? You sound old enough for your privacy to be respected.
I don't know how she can look at your phone, computer, or facebook. Why don't you protect these things which a password or some other security?

I'm 21 years old and a senior in college.

I have started to protect all those, I have put a pw on my computer, log out of fb now, and put a pw on my phone, but it just angers me that I have to put a password on it because of her.

To be fair, I was experimenting with marijuana for a couple months, but I got over it (most muslim college kids do right?), and when my sister found out about it 3 months later, she decided to go and tell my mom instead of directly talking to me. It just seems very immature. Why hurt our mother when you can come and talk to me about it?

Originally Posted by sweet106

spying is haram. Let your sister know that. She isn't allowed to do this.

I dont know whether spying is haram for children.

Are there any hadiths or verses in the Quran where I can show her this?

**Rhubarb Tart** · 08-02-2010

http://www.islamicthinkers.com/index...ing_haraam.pdf

Islam forbids a Muslim to spy on another Muslim or on the people
of Zimmah whether to benefit himself or others because
the text in the Quran is general, Allah (SWT) says: “O you
who Believe avoid much suspicion, indeed some suspicion
is a sin. And spy not on one an other neither backbite
one another.” [EMQ 49:12] In this Ayah Allah (SWT) forbids
Muslims from spying on or even doubting other Muslims. And
this prohibition is general and includes all kinds of spying on
Muslims whether to benefit the one spying or any other person.

It is collected in Bukhari and Muslim and narrated upon the
authority of Abu Hurairah that the Messenger Muhammad
(saw) said: “Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst
of false tales. Do not look for others faults, do not spy on
one another, do not practice najash (biding over one another),
do not be jealous of one another, do not hate one another
and do not desert or stop talking to one another. O
Allah’s worshippers, be brothers”. This verse and hadith is
clear evidence that all types of spying on Muslims is prohibited.

In addition, it is reported by Muslim upon the authority of Abu
Hurairah and in Ahmad upon the authority of Abu Barza Al-
Aslami (ra) that the Messenger Muhammad (saw) said: “O you
who believe from your tongues but whose Imaan has never
settled in their hearts. Do not backbite Muslims, do not follow
up their aworaat (e.g. spying on them or tracing their
errors and personal affairs); whoever does so Allah will punish
him for all his errors and will expose his affairs even if he
is settled in his own home”

Al-Misswar Bin Makhrama that the Messenger Muhammad
(saw) said: “Whoever earns and eats from exposing any secret
of a Muslim, Allah will put fire in his mouth in Jahannam
and whoever earns and clothes himself from exposing any
secret of a Muslim Allah will cloth him with clothes of fire in
Jahannam”.

It is reported by Muslim upon the authority of Abu

Hurairah that the Messenger Muhammad (saw) said: “If someone
looks into your home without your permission and you
throw a stone and blind him there is no sin on your neck or
blood-money towards him” and it is further reported in Bukhari
and Muslim upon the authority of Sahl Bin Sa’id that a
man was looking from a hole into the Prophet’s room and the
Prophet had a short sharp arrow with which he (saw) was
scratching his head. He (saw) said to him that: “If I had known
that you were spying on me I would take stabbed you in your
eye through the hole, verily requesting permission to enter
peoples houses has been legislated for the sake of looking
into peoples houses”

I hope that helps.

**Ummu Sufyaan** · 08-03-2010

i dont know, but you should talk to her and tell her that it annoys you. maybe she means well by it...either way she should know that you don't appreciate it.

**S_87** · 08-11-2010

wow nosey!

put a password so she cant access and if she continues, start going through her things to show her how it feels.

**N1LOY** · 08-12-2010

Her intentions are good, but methods are wrong. Tell her about the Quran's quotes above.
She still treats you like a younger brother... maybe you should get married. [jk]
Do you two still live under the same roof?

One more thing... why would you feel annoyed when being spied even if you are doing nothing wrong?

And no... I will never experiment with Marijuana and as a Muslim I will never touch it. May Allah guide you.