Is it permissible to publish videos that involve asking passersby about a song, then surprising them by requesting them to recite a surah from the Quran, given their inability to recite, and is this considered an assault on people's honor (hatk al-a'rad) and backbiting (gheebah)?
It is forbidden to harm believers, expose their private affairs, and seek out their faults. This includes asking a person about something that reveals their ignorance of the religion or their weakness in reciting the Qur'an or knowing the Sunnah, which exposes them to ridicule and leads them to openly commit sins. No one should ask a question that leads to open sinning, acting upon the words of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: "All of my Ummah are pardoned except for the al-Mujahirin (those who commit sins openly)." If the recording and publishing are done without the knowledge of the person being questioned, then it is a great evil, a slander, and a violation of people's sanctity and privacy. Therefore, one must abstain from this forbidden act.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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