May I Spy on My Sister to Prevent Unlawful Online Interactions?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam
Question: Assalaamu ‘alaikum.
Am I allowed to spy on my sibling using the computer without her awareness and read her messages, aiming to protect her from unlawful mingling?
Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha’Allah.
No, you cannot spy on her and read her messages.
Allah Most High says, “O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, for some suspicions are a sin. Do not spy on one another, nor backbite one another…” [49.12]
Taqwa comes about through training; it cannot be beaten into people. You should direct her to the good, attend gatherings of the righteous, and lead by example. Supplicate for her, and don’t suspect any wrongdoing of her as we are to have a good opinion (husn al-dhann) of our fellow believers.
Please see: Younger Sister Woes: Dealing With Wisdom & Leading By Example and: Making 70 Excuses for Others in Islam – A Key Duty of Brotherhood
And Allah alone gives success.
wassalam,
Tabraze Azam
Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani