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Is it permissible to spy on a sick person, to speak ill of him, and to defame him, for the purpose of mocking him, knowing that he is afflicted with the touch of a lover [jinn]?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The aforementioned actions of spying on a Muslim, exposing their faults, and defaming them are forbidden, due to Allah's saying: "And do not spy," and the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Do not backbite Muslims, and do not seek out their faults." The spy must repent, and the one who has been spied upon should advise them and report the matter to those in authority over them, after verifying that the spying has occurred. Likewise, ridiculing a Muslim is forbidden, due to Allah's saying: "Let not a people ridicule [another] people." Exposing a Muslim's faults and defaming them is not permissible; the principle is to conceal them unless there is a legitimate Islamic benefit in revealing them.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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