12. Eavesdropping and Spying

If you listen to spy on people or eavesdrop on them when they don’t want you to listen, then molten metal or copper will be poured in the ear of a person who does so. Allah will pour hot fluid in the ears of a person who does that because you are transgressing on the rights of others. People have a right to privacy. This is one of the Islamic rights. We are not allowed to spy on other people or backbite on them or involve in their personal affairs, even if what they are doing is a sin.

If people are drinking alcohol in their house, we do not have a right to spy on them. If they are doing it in the privacy of their house, this is a sin that is between them and Allah. Allah will handle it on the Day of Judgment. If somebody takes out their can of beer in the street, then punishment is done on that person because this is exposing the sin.

There were people during the time of ‘Umar(ra) and ‘Uthmaan(ra) – and maybe even Abu Bakr(ra) – who used to commit these sins in their houses and they were never punished for it because they didn’t do it in public. There were people who were Muslim by name and committing these sins in the privacy of their own homes, and they were left alone. Islam does not want them to be exposed. Maybe Allah will guide them to tawbah (repentance). And if they don’t, then maybe Allah will forgive them. Allah forgives whomever He wants and punishes whomever He wants.