Is it permissible for a woman to search the civil registry to find out if her husband is married to another, and is that considered espionage?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Espionage is forbidden in Islamic law for a husband and others, except to prevent an evil when suspicion arises, based on the Almighty's saying: "And do not spy," and the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) saying: "Do not spy, and do not eavesdrop." Espionage is searching for something whose knowledge would burden its owner. Accordingly, it is not permissible for a woman to search civil records or other sources to find out if her husband is married to another, because the husband is usually pained by his wife's knowledge of this matter.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/145331
Where this answer came from
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 145331
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy