The Ruling on Looking at People’s Private Matters and Its Relation to the One Who Seizes What Is Exposed
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Honorable Shaykh, does looking at people’s private matters, such as their public documents like wills and others, fall under the ruling of the one who seizes what is exposed?
Answer:
This is forbidden; it is not permissible to look at people’s papers. However, it does not carry the ruling of the one who seizes what is exposed, because this is exposed and apparent. It is exposed, and it is obligatory for him to cover his private matters, cover his daughters, and cover [his affairs]. But if he is negligent, or if the women are negligent, it is not permissible to look at it; this would be forbidden, and he would commit a sin. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:[An-Nur 24:30] The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Is it not the case that a person looks at what Allah has forbidden? But if what Allah has forbidden is hidden, and he comes upon it while it is hidden, in his house or in his inheritance, that is the one who seizes what is exposed. As for when it is exposed and he looks at it, this is forbidden, and he commits a sin. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, does looking at people’s private matters, such as their public documents like wills and others, fall under the ruling of the one who seizes what is exposed?
Answer:
This is forbidden; it is not permissible to look at people’s papers. However, it does not carry the ruling of the one who seizes what is exposed, because this is exposed and apparent. It is exposed, and it is obligatory for him to cover his private matters, cover his daughters, and cover [his affairs]. But if he is negligent, or if the women are negligent, it is not permissible to look at it; this would be forbidden, and he would commit a sin. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:
Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts
قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْThe glance is a poisoned arrow from the arrows of Iblis
النظرة سهم مسموم من سهام إبليس
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، باب قتال أهل البغي — islamhouse.com (56:56)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.