The Ruling on Working in the State’s General Investigation Department
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Question:
I work in the General Investigation Department, and I have heard from some of my brothers that this work is forbidden because it involves spying on Muslims. It may also involve shirk (associating partners with Allah), because one enters the mosque not for prayer, but to monitor the imam of the mosque. I hope you will provide a sufficient answer, as he expressed it?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family, and his Companions, and whoever follows his guidance. As for what follows:
There is no doubt that the investigation department poses a great danger to its officers. However, if one of them intends good and benefit for the Muslims, the protection of the country from the evil of the wicked, and the pursuit of matters related to reform and public benefit, then this does not harm him. He will be rewarded for his actions in spying on those whose evil is feared for the Muslims, which means searching for them and identifying them. This is not the kind of spying that Allah has forbidden, which is identifying the people of evil in order to remove them from the country or to punish them for what they do, specifically those who display evil among the Muslims.
Likewise, identifying the imams of mosques: have they fulfilled their duty? Are they qualified for the imamate, or are they not qualified for the imamate? All these tasks have their importance and their merit. It is obligatory for those responsible for them to take care of them and to monitor them.
Likewise, the mu'adhdhins (callers to prayer), and others such as the doorkeepers, and other matters. If the intention behind this is to benefit the Muslims and to identify those who have fulfilled their duty, so that they may be thanked and affirmed, and those whose work is contrary to the truth and who cause harm in their work, so that they may be prevented from it by disciplining them for what they did, or dismissing them from their work, or removing them from the country for their bad deeds, then he has a reward for what he did.
As for spying in order to harm the Muslims, oppress them, and encroach upon them, to take their money, and because he seeks to please the officials thereby, and he cares only about his present, immediate interest, then there is a great danger and a great affliction upon him. There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
I work in the General Investigation Department, and I have heard from some of my brothers that this work is forbidden because it involves spying on Muslims. It may also involve shirk (associating partners with Allah), because one enters the mosque not for prayer, but to monitor the imam of the mosque. I hope you will provide a sufficient answer, as he expressed it?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family, and his Companions, and whoever follows his guidance. As for what follows:
There is no doubt that the investigation department poses a great danger to its officers. However, if one of them intends good and benefit for the Muslims, the protection of the country from the evil of the wicked, and the pursuit of matters related to reform and public benefit, then this does not harm him. He will be rewarded for his actions in spying on those whose evil is feared for the Muslims, which means searching for them and identifying them. This is not the kind of spying that Allah has forbidden, which is identifying the people of evil in order to remove them from the country or to punish them for what they do, specifically those who display evil among the Muslims.
Likewise, identifying the imams of mosques: have they fulfilled their duty? Are they qualified for the imamate, or are they not qualified for the imamate? All these tasks have their importance and their merit. It is obligatory for those responsible for them to take care of them and to monitor them.
Likewise, the mu'adhdhins (callers to prayer), and others such as the doorkeepers, and other matters. If the intention behind this is to benefit the Muslims and to identify those who have fulfilled their duty, so that they may be thanked and affirmed, and those whose work is contrary to the truth and who cause harm in their work, so that they may be prevented from it by disciplining them for what they did, or dismissing them from their work, or removing them from the country for their bad deeds, then he has a reward for what he did.
As for spying in order to harm the Muslims, oppress them, and encroach upon them, to take their money, and because he seeks to please the officials thereby, and he cares only about his present, immediate interest, then there is a great danger and a great affliction upon him. There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.