Privacy in Family and Educational Objectives
If there is a conflict between the two duties of protection and respecting privacy, then there should be a prioritization.
Education is a process of helping one develop his talents. There are also issues like Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. So when we talk about education and whether it is allowed to enter one’s privacy with educational purposes, we are considering a general definition of education.
Privacy is something that is not directly mentioned in the verses of the Quran and Hadith.
There are some references to respecting privacy, such as in Verse 12 of Surah Al-Hujurat “Do not spy on one another…”
What is spying on one another? It means trying to find out about what others keep secret. The Quran bans us from doing it and from entering a field that someone is trying to hide from us.
There are also Hadiths in which Muslims are warned against spying on what others try to hide. This is a case of respecting others’ privacy.
Now the question is whether one can use every method for education. The answer is that no the goal does not justify the means.
What is the view of Fuqaha (jurists) on this? There are two views. One says that entering other’s privacy is not allowed even for educational purposes. The other says there could be cases in which it is allowed. They, for example, refer to some Hadiths based on which one can spy on others in certain cases.
The Quran says, “Believers, guard yourselves and your families against the Fire.” (Verse 6 of Surah At-Tahrim)
It orders believers to keep themselves and their families away from hell. This verse is inclusive of all cases.
From this point of view, entering one’s privacy is not permitted unless there is a necessity. For example, if there is no way for education and protection other than entering one’s privacy, there could be a conflict between the two duties of protection and respecting privacy. In that case, there should be a prioritization.
