A rendition into English of
The
Manners and characteristics when talking on the phone
أَدَبُ الهَاتِفِ
By
Shaykh
Bakr Aboo Zayd
[May Allaah have Mercy on him]
All Praises are for Allaah and Peace and Blessings be upon
the Messenger of Allaah, his companions and all those who follow his guidance
until the Last Day;
To Begin:
The Manners and characteristics when talking on the phone
within Shariah comprise of the same rulings that already exist within the
Shariah. The etiquettes needed when visiting, seeking permission, the
etiquettes of talking, the characteristics of conversation and its topics. The
Shariah has also already discussed the amounts, times and places for these
etiquettes. All these areas have already
been covered in Shariah and have been mentioned in the pure texts of our
religion, either in its principles or the rulings and regulations. Not only do
the texts talk about the rulings but the texts also guide to actions which are
more virtuous for us to follow, manners that are of the highest of conduct. All
of the above have all been built on the encouragement for us to be generous and
thoughtful; this is the basis on which the foundation of the blessed and
comprehensive Shariah is built on.
It has been narrated that The Prophet [Peace and Blessings
of Allaah be upon him] said;
“Kindness is not present in a thing except that it
beautifies it and it is not absent in a thing except it makes it horrid.”
It is also narrated that he [Peace and Blessings of Allaah
be upon him] said;
“Whoever has been prevented from having kindness then he has
been prevented from having all good.”
These characteristics and manners are enforced from two
aspects; the manners that already exist in the deed we are doing within it; and
the manners that are needed so that we may reach a desired goal.
Sometimes it is difficult for us to acquire what we seek to
obtain because of weaknesses in ourselves. However we are always encouraged to
have good manners which always bring about the desired outcome.
From here, being adorned with good manners helps in
spreading Islaam. For instance, the way Islaam spread, came about by there
existing brotherhood, companionship and the upright cooperation that the
Muslims had with each other. They protected their oaths, they upheld their
trusts, they sought to spread betterment; they overturned oppression and
tyranny, so the rights of everyone were restored thus because of this great
principle in Islaam, which is to have good manners, Islaam was able to spread.
The manners of one have an effect on another and it carries
throughout the whole of the society, the population as a whole will be changed
for the better. Creating compassion is a goal that the Shariah sets out to
attain. It encourages us to make excuses for those who disappoint us because
not everyone is on the same level of intelligence. We don’t share our
abilities, we don’t share the same levels of diplomacy and generally people
differ on the way they deal with each other. The noblest thing for us to do is
that if we are enlightened with something then we should explain this to
others. If we are reminded then we should remind others because this drives us
towards progression. So the reasons for this treatise are three;
Firstly, it is a reminder for me and
those who Allaah Wills from my brothers.
Secondly, it’s a caution against those
who harm others. For example, the caller may call the person and remain silent
on the phone until the person has to ask who is calling, this is from the bad
manners that we are prohibited from following.
Another example is giving out other peoples numbers without
their permission, undoubtedly this is a treachery against the trust this person
has given you.
Thirdly, the phone, the loudspeakers
and mobile phones are all forms of technology that have become extremely
important in our daily lives. These apparatuses enable us to communicate with
each other quickly without exerting too much effort. Thus it has helped in
saving our energy, our time, our wealth and at times it helps us to get what we
want almost instantly. So we Thank and Praise Allaah for this favour upon us.
Due to these reasons, it is important for us to know the
manners and characteristics of using the phone from an Islaamic perspective and
how the Shariah encourages us to use them.
From them, the Shariah explains that we must do the
following;
Make sure you are ringing the correct telephone
number:
We must always make sure we have the correct number before
dialling as ringing the wrong number will disturb others. At times people are
sleeping or busy and they are bothered by people calling the wrong number. So a
way to overcome this mistake is to make sure we have inputted the correct
number into the phone or saved the correct number in our address book. Even
after these measures you connect to the wrong person, you should say, ‘Please
excuse me’.
For the caller, if you realise that you have made a mistake
don’t keep pestering the person, if they have told you it’s the wrong number or
you get a similar recorded message then leave it, however you won’t be sinful
for sincere mistakes.
However, if you annoy others on purpose then you have left
the kind manners we are encouraged to have you will be sinful, whilst the one
being annoyed may be rewarded.
Choosing an appropriate time to call
If you need to call someone and you find out that they are
busy or you are trying to call at a time that
people normally eat or sleep, then do not persist in calling them unless
there is a dire need to do so.
The person who visits your home is like the person who is
calling you on your phone, so the caller must seek permission before starting
the conversation and making sure that the time is appropriate;
“And if it is said to you, "Go back," then go back; it
is purer for you.” [Noor 24:28]
So you must make sure that the time is appropriate, you make
sure you observe the time for when people usually eat and sleep and the time
they have with their families.
Look how the Shariah commands us, even the
child, to seek permission before we enter. Children are free to enter at any
time but if they want to enter at three specific times during the day; before
Salaat al-Fajr, at the time of Dhuhr and after Salaat al’Ishaa, they must seek
permission. As for the adult, he must always seek permission throughout all the
hours of the day.
“O you who have believed, let those whom your right
hands possess and those who have not [yet] reached puberty among you ask
permission of you [before entering] at three times: before the dawn prayer and
when you put aside your clothing [for rest] at noon and after the night prayer.
[These are] three times of privacy for you. There is no blame upon you nor upon
them beyond these [periods], for they continually circulate among you - some of
you, among others. Thus does Allaah make clear to you the verses; and Allaah is
Knowing and Wise. And when the children among you reach
puberty, let them ask permission [at all times] as those before them have done.
Thus does Allaah make clear to you His verses; and Allaah is Knowing and Wise.”
[Noor 24: 58-59]
Added to this, The Prophet [Peace and Blessings
of Allaah be upon him] prohibited the person returning from a journey to return
to his house unexpectedly, without informing them that he is about to return
home. The wisdom behind this is that the person returning may return to his
house and find it in an unclean state or he may see something from their
appearance that disheartens him.
In conclusion, the caller must take the utmost
care in making sure he is being appropriate and if the person you are trying to
reach asks to be excused, we should wholeheartedly accept it. If you are told
to wait then wait, as you are the one who is seeking not the one being sought.
However, for places that are constantly open and
available to receive telephone calls, such as hotel receptions or call centres,
then this has an exception to the rule and they have a separate ruling. This
exception can be derived from the Ayah of seeking permission;
"There is no blame upon you for entering houses not inhabited in
which there is convenience for you. And Allaah knows what you reveal and what
you conceal."
[Noor 24:29]
The houses that are being referred to in this
Ayah are houses that are left open for people to dwell in, such as those who
have a need or a rest house for travellers. All in all, these types of houses
in this Ayah isn’t specified for any particular person or group, so once your
need is fulfilled you move on, similar to what we have today in hotels.
Seeking permission; the caller should not attempt
to reach the other person by excessive phone calls
It is important for one not to be excessive in
trying to reach the person they are trying to contact rather they must be
balanced in their attempts to reach them. Once you have tried a reasonable
amount of times, you shouldn’t pursue it further. In fact, the caller shouldn’t
exceed three attempts, due the hadeeth that has been agreed upon, that the
Prophet [May the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him] said;
“If you seek to enter three times and you have
not been granted permission, then leave”.
Another hadeeth explains the wisdom behind this
ruling of seeking permission;
The Prophet [May the Peace and Blessings of
Allaah be upon him said;
“Seeking permission before entering has been
legislated in order that we don’t see something that we aren’t supposed to see.”
[Narrated by Bukhaaree]
Of course, these ahaadeeth aren’t directly
related to the etiquettes of using the phone. However the wisdom behind seeking
permission can be applied to the rulings connected to using the phone. Seeking
permission prevents one being disturbed, prevents harm afflicting others, its
spreads good manners and blocks the path for people not being exposed. These
factors have contributed to an age old problem. For instance, a woman once went
to the house of Imaam Ahmad ibn Hambal [May Allaah have mercy on him] and
knocked on his door, constantly with force. He then opened the door with a
great deal of annoyance and rebuked the woman saying, “This is the knocking of
the police!”
Look at the characteristics and mannerisms of
the Companions [May Allaah be Pleased with them all] with the Prophet [May the
Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him]. If they wanted to see him, they
would knock and wait at the door of his house until they were seen to, as it
was narrated by Imaam Bukhaaree in his book, Adab al-Mufrad, by al-Khateeb in
his book al-Jaam’iah and by Imaam al-Qurtubee in his Tafseer [12/217].
This example can be applied to modern times
where we have door bells; we should use these to let the person know that we
are trying to reach them without being forceful, prolonging and not forgetting
to be gentle.
The Duration of phone calls
Everything has a prescribed duration, and every
conversation comes with an appropriate duration. So we should be cautious in not prolonging,
harming and creating hardship for the person we are calling.
The caller must greet with; As-Salaamu Alaykum
The person who is calling is the one who is
putting himself forward, so if the person decides to call another then he must
begin with the greeting of Islaam, ‘As-Salaamu Alaaykum’, this from the symbols
of Islaam. This greeting is a supplication for security and peace and it is
from the virtues of the Ummah of Muhammad [May the Peace and Blessings of
Allaah be upon him].
The person who lifts the receiver and is greeted
in this way must reply to this greeting, this is what has been narrated in the
noble Sunnah.
On the authority of Rabee’ [May Allaah be
Pleased with him] who said, a man from Banee ‘Aaamir told me that he went to
the Prophet’s [May the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him] house and
sought permission to enter. So when he arrived he asked, “Can I come in”?
So when the Prophet [May the Peace and Blessings
of Allaah be upon him] heard this, he told his custodian to go out and teach
this man on how to seek permission. So he went to him and told him to say;
“As-Salaamu Alaykum, may I enter?” So the man sought to enter again but this
time he asked, “As-Salaamu Alaykum, may I enter?” So the Prophet [May the Peace
and Blessings of Allaah be upon him] permitted him to come. [Narrated by Aboo
Dawood]
This hadeeth proves that the one who wants to
enter, then it is upon him to begin with the Salaam. Therefore, if a person is
trying to ring another, he must be the one who begins with the Salaam and he should
be quiet until he is spoken to.
It is also important to know that leaving the
blessed greeting of Islaam is not permissible. Some people have changed this
greeting to things such as ‘Good Morning’ or ‘Illuminated Morning’. Specific to
the way people on the telephone, we hear people using greetings like, ‘Hello’.
This greeting in its origin comes from France and it is being incorporated in
the Arabic language, as people persist in using it.
It is also important to note that it is not
permissible for the caller, once the call has connected, to remain silent. This
is contrary to Islamic etiquettes from various viewpoints;
· It
contradicts the Sunnah as the person who is seeking to gain the other persons
attention is the one who should begin with the Salaam.
· It
is bad manners, as it seems by the caller being silent that he is testing the
person he is calling. So the person who has received this call will lift the
receiver and enquire about this silence by asking, ‘Hello? Anybody there?’
These are bad manners that have been prohibited by Allaah.
If the receiver responds to your call and lifts
the receivers and asks, ‘Who’s speaking?’ Then the caller must answer clearly
and avoid being obscure.
It is narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah [May
Allaah be Pleased with him] said;
“I sought permission to enter the house of the
Prophet.” The Prophet [May the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him] then
asked, “Who is it?” I replied by saying, “It’s me.” He rebuked me by saying,
“Me!? Me!?” [Narrated by Muslim]
Aboo Dawood has a similar narration where he
adds the wording, “It is as if he disliked it.”
Similarly, it is also unclear if one is asked to
name himself and he replies with his Kunya, by saying it is Aboo Fulaan, for
example. This is being obscure as well and this is not known from the way of
the Salaf. In contrary to this, the Salaf would have a Kunya that would be
suited to a special characteristic that they may possess or the Kunya itself
would help define the person. Kunya wasn’t something known before Islaam but
when Islaam came, the Companions [May Allaah be Pleased with them] were keen to
use them; Aboo Bakr, Aboo Dharr, Umm Haani [May Allaah be Pleased with them
all].
The point is one should be wary of using a Kunya
that will disguise the person, has nothing connected to his name, or a
characteristic of his. If you go to someone’s house and he isn’t there then
don’t bother the inhabitant, this is bad manners and etiquette. This distracts
the people in the house and may even cause them discomfort, so why does the one
who does this think he is so special?
Ending the conversation with Salaam
As the conversation began with Salaam, likewise
it should end in the same manner, using one of the symbols of Islaam.
It has been narrated on the authority of Aboo
Hurayrah [May Allaah be Pleased with him] that the Messenger of Allaah [May the
Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him] said; “If one of you finishes his
gathering then he should do so with Salaam. If he intends to leave the
gathering then he should do so with Salaam because those who were there before
him have this right over him.”[Narrated by Aboo Dawood]
Being discreet in your voice
This is necessary and a ruling that applies to
all types of conversations. So the person speaking on the phone shouldn’t be
loud. Likewise he shouldn’t be too quiet, rather he should be balanced, not
being annoyingly loud or inaudible, but balanced.
This is a mannerism that most people have when
having a conversation with their parents, an elder person or someone who has
status. However the opposite is true for when he is with his friends.
So be aware of falling into being unbalanced,
raising your voice should only be done if there is a need to do so and be
cautious in raising your voice without need. It is serious, as raising your
voice is a way one can break his connection with Allaah, The Glorified and The
Exalted, as He informed us that His slave Luqmaan advised his son to do such;
“And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice; indeed, the most
disagreeable of sounds is the voice of donkeys”
[Luqmaan 31:19]
And there are numerous evidences addressing this
point
From them is the fact that raising your voice
disrespects the person you are talking to, for how many times has raising ones
voice over the phone created disharmony? Thus doing this over the phone will
cause the benefit intended behind calling the person to be lost.
Women and the Phone
If one of the speakers on the phone happens to
be a woman, then it is important that she doesn’t beautify her voice. Allaah,
The Glorified, has prohibited the wives of the Prophet [May the Peace and
Blessings of Allaah be upon him], the mother of the believers [May Allaah be
Pleased with them all], not be luring in their conduct. In the time of prophethood,
the generation of the Companions [May Allaah be Pleased with them all], despite
being that virtuous were still commanded to control their voices, as the Most
High says;
“O wives of the
Prophet, you are not like anyone among women. If you fear Allaah , then do not
be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but
speak with appropriate speech.”
[Ahzaab 33:32]
So how would it be for other than them? They
have been prohibited from making their voices appealing as this is more
befitting for them to be in this way, as it is stated that they must fear Allaah
as they are believing women thus this becoming a characteristic of them. Not
only this, they were commanded to use beneficial talk and spread righteousness
in their conversations. They were prohibited from speaking to others in a lustrous
and arousing fashion, thus it is not permissible to talk to a foreign man in a
manner that they may talk to their husband.
So be cautious! A woman shouldn’t extensively
talk to a foreign man if there is no need for it, the Shariah has prohibited
this and to turn away from this. Rather, there must be a point for her to talk
to this person.
So be cautious! Be wary of raising and
stretching your voices, be wary of beautifying and making your voices soft in
front of others, be wary of contracting and thinning your voices, be wary of
rhythm and submissiveness in your voices.
If this has been prohibited for the women, then
it is also prohibited for the man to listen to women talking like this. Even if
she is reciting Quraan! The point being, if this type of behaviour continues
within the conversation between the sexes then there will undoubtedly be a
spread of Fitnah.
Here, I would like to point something out to the
men. The man is responsible for his family, it is his responsibility to make
sure that the layout of his house has privacy and it protects the right of his
womenfolk. It is not befitting for a woman to answer the phone when men are
readily available to do so. The man shouldn’t always be absent from the house
for this to happen, rather he should be there to protect her affairs and be
ready to attend to her requirements if she needs him. And upon her is to listen
and obey her husband in matters of piety and what is upright, as being obedient
in this brings about harmony and leaving it off brings about dispute.
When going to the homes of others
It is
from the best of manners when using the telephone to take into account the
current condition of the person you are trying to contact. You must take into
account the affairs in his house, his age, his status, how close you are to the
person, his condition and you must take special care especially if you know he is
busy.
It has been narrated on the authority of Aisha
[May Allaah be Pleased with her] that the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of
Allaah be upon him] said;
“Give people their due according to their status”
[Narrated by Aboo Dawood]
It has also been narrated on the authority of
‘Ubaadah ibn Saamit [May Allaah be Pleased with him] that the Prophet [Peace
and Blessings of Allaah be upon him] said;
“He is not one of us if he doesn’t venerate
those elder than him, have mercy on those younger than him and doesn’t give the
person working his rights.” [Narrated by Ahmad]
The peak of our affair is Islaam, and in regards
to the Islaam of people, then they vary. Some people hold fast to acts of
obedience and others disobey habitually. Some people stay away from innovation
and others are not so extreme in innovations and others are.
As for the non-Muslim then we have certain
aspects of this religion that are exclusive to them, such as greeting them,
giving them respect and the likes.
In general, the person should always seek the
best way to honour his companion, this should always be done without being
extreme and in manner that doesn’t startle the person, rather it should be done
within the boundary of Shariah.
If you have spoken to your friend or colleague
and he welcomes you in to his home or on the phone, however you sense that this
welcoming isn’t usual, then don’t be affected by this sense of alienation.
Always make an excuse within yourself if you experience something like this. It
maybe that he has something important on his mind or he may not be in the mood,
but what is incumbent upon you is to have a good assumption of him. If you feel
that he has been unsettled because of you then make what you are saying brief.
Also from the etiquettes of calling a person is
that you, the caller, must remember that you are in his house so you should be
vigilant on the manner you speak to him and the tone of your voice. Make sure
your children aren’t making a racket in the background; it is upon you to guard
yourself and not to expose your defects in front of others. It is incumbent
upon you to show honour to the person you are calling and not to be over-casual
with the way you talk to him.
It is also important not to be extremely
affectionate with a good friend of yours. Prevent yourself from laughing aloud,
don’t degrade yourself and don’t be extreme in your sociability. Don’t be
pulled in by what other people do in your gatherings because an action you may
do may stick with you and you become known by it.
The mannerisms of waiting on the phone
Most of the people in this respect have two
incorrect approaches; either they play music or fill the gap with idle talk,
this is prohibited or Haraam and there is no doubt or difference in this.
Others use the Quraan, Dhikr or the likes as a
gap filler whilst the caller waits. However, once the time to wait is over and
the person on the other end lifts the receiver, it may be that the Ayah of the
Quraan stops at an undesired place or a place on the Hadeeth which is
contradictory to its meaning, thus it would stop at a place where the Shariah
has not legislated it for it stop nor is it pleased with.
Based on this, the stopping is neither here or
there. It is also possible that the caller may be waiting and may experience a
pause and the Hadeeth continues, how much damage could this cause (as this
would affect the way he understands the Hadeeth)? There is no need for this
type of luxury and there’s no need for this type of excessiveness. All of these
are example of things that are being implemented based on the pretext of being
considerate to other peoples’ feelings, but all of these acts are not
permissible.
A way we can resolve this problem is to have a
person readily available to answer the phone at all times, this is the best way
we can consider other peoples’ feelings. If you have someone ready to answer
the phone, a person ready to attend to the callers queries, then this is what
should be the standard, this is the way to respect the caller.
Using other peoples phone
You should try as much as you can, in not using
other peoples phones. If there is a case of necessity, you should be careful
not to use their phone until you have sought their permission. Only seek
permission if you think it won’t be a problem, but if you think that they will
permit you in using their phone out of shame of saying no, or that they feel
upset if you use it, then in reality, you will be asking permission to annoy
them.
The telephone in your home
Remember that the owner of the house is
responsible for what goes on within it; he is the intellect of the house, the
leader, he leads the house without there being anger within neither any
disruption. There is no shouting or yelling in the house, it is ran in the best
of manners, with precision for what is best for his spouse and children as they
are under his responsibility. These are etiquettes that can be found under the
shadow of the Shariah.
The ones using the phone must ponder on the
following;
That the hand of the woman should not lift the
receiver if there is a man present, as the people of the house have a Hijaab
and because of this they are protected from curiosity of the identity of the
one who is calling their phone.
This should be taught and instructed to the
people of the house, even the children so that they may grow up with fruitful
manners.
As for the deprived one, then his house is like
a place of broadcast. Anyone is allowed to answer the phone when it rings the
boys, the girls, the elderly, and the young and if someone rings his home, you
may find at times that they all rush to answer at the same time. If a woman is
on the phone then he talks to her like she is his mother, talking to her and
gossiping for hours. So Oh Allaah! How many homes have this and have been corrupted
with evil? So I ask for Your Kindness, Concealing, Oh Generous! Oh Merciful! So
the one who takes heed, should take heed of this! And the one who has
understanding, take understanding from this!
The phone in the office
Most places now employ secretaries to do their
administrative work, which means that they are responsible for dealing with people’s
queries. The need for having a face-to-face receptionist has reduced as many
queries can be dealt with over the phone. Based on this general backdrop, the
person working on the telephone must be seeking to bring ease and headway for
the people. The more they seek to be accurate in their answers, and remove
themselves from not misguiding people with incorrect information, the better. The
questioners will be happier and more positive with him and this will be a cause
for Allaah to create soundness in his work.
The phone and the person seeking Fatwa
There are ways that the person seeking the Fatwa
can be pleasant when speaking to the Muftee and from these are the following;
To begin with saying the Islamic greeting;
‘As-Salaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaathuhu’. He then can make a
positive supplication for him by saying something such as; ‘May Allaah give you
good’ then to ask the question by saying something like; ‘my question is…’.
Before ending the conversation you should thank him by saying something like;
‘Jazakallaahu Khair, May Allaah reward you’ and then ending with the greeting;
‘As-Salaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaathuhu’.
These are some mannerisms on using the phone, to
be brief, not to make the conversation long and tiring, and being brief may
also give you the opportunity to ask another question if it is possible.
However, there are certain things that one
should be wary of as these could cause harm. Some people ask questions to the
Muftee on issues which they have already researched, and they know the answer,
yet they ring to be stubborn and dispute with the Muftee. This has happened recently with those who
pursue startling the scholars and they have indulged in this.
Also, some seek to get a sense of closeness to a
particular Muftee and once this is established they seek to get a Fatwa from
the Muftee on a particular subject, this is what some of the youth do. They try
to do this to test him and to probe him for any innovation in his religion.
This is because these types of youth have extremism deeply penetrated within
them and by this they create distance between the scholars and the youth of
this Ummah.
Also from the ways of these youth is to create
confusion between the Muftees.
Any way that the questioner can disturb the
Muftee is by asking too many questions in order for the ruling to be lightened
upon them, so that they are given leeway.
The caller can also disturb the Muftee by
calling him at an inappropriate time, and when they call they extend his time
by asking long questions that have no benefit.
One must also bear in mind that when he is
calling the Muftee on his personal phone, it is something that is personal to
him. Thus, he must also pay attention to the fact the number of the Muftee
belongs to him, so spreading his number without his permission is a form of
deception, the explanation of this in detail will follow.
Using other than Arabic Language
The Arabic language is from the symbols of
Islaam. Therefore if someone is going to talk then he should use Arabic in
order to preserve this symbol. He should be careful not to introduce within it
foreign words because it is due to this that new words are born. The Shariah
has prevented us from using words that lead to the Arabic Language being
corrupted and for us to use the language of the Kuffar. This leads for the
Arabic Language from being lost, it becomes mixed with foreign languages which
is opposite for the Muslims using one common language, the language of the
Muslims. Therefore, it is upon you to use the correct Arabic terminologies and
to be spared from using that which opposes it from the terminologies used in
the west.
The phone can be a reviver
The phone can be used to seal ties of kinship
especially if they had previously been cut. It feeds the roots for the plant of
brotherhood. The end result of all of this is that goodness is spread and comes
about, and the needs of your fellow Muslims are met by it.
In Islaam, the sick person has rights. We should
supplicate for him, ask about his health without seeming to be unsympathetic,
and we are encouraged in asking the sick person about the illness that he has
been affected with. Comforting the afflicted one by getting close to him, or
helping him financially or the likes if it; are all ways that he can help
comfort him in his affliction.
Being veiled by the telephone doesn’t prevent
the caller from attaining these virtues; however we shouldn’t be negligent in
visiting those who are sick.
Harm via the telephone
Harming your fellow Muslim is Haraam, to deceive
him is Haraam, exposing his womenfolk is Haraam. These types of harms are
connected to the telephone in the following ways;
A) A growing deception;
It is not permissible for a person who has taken
a responsibility to treat it with mistrust and deception. So if a person passes
on the telephone number of another person without his permission or him knowing,
then this is a type of deception. This is regardless of whether the person
wants to call the other for a worldly or religious reason, or whether it is to
gain some knowledge, recover some wealth, or anything that is akin to this.
It has been established from the hadeeth of
Jaabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansaaree [May Allaah be Pleased with him] who said that
the Prophet [May the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him] who said, “If a
person tells another something then the man has turned around with a trust.”
[Narrated by Ahmad, Aboo Dawood and at-Tirmidhi]
The meaning of ‘turned around’ is that the man
has confided in him and has given him information, therefore the person should
be warned from turning to his right and to his left with this information,
being careful that others don’t hear [See: Fayd al-Qadeer by al-Manaawee
1/339]. Therefore the information that you have been entrusted with is a trust
and has been placed only upon you, if you tell others then you will have gone
against the command of Allaah. If you fail to uphold this trust, by giving away
this information that you have been trusted with, then you will be from the
oppressors. Therefore it is obligatory for you to conceal it as it promotes
good companionship, concealing the faults of others and it prevents gossiping
and backbiting spreading from within the brothers.
It says in Ihyaa ‘Uloom ad-Deen of Ghazaalee,
“Spreading the secrets of others is deception and Haraam”.
Marwaadee said, “Exposing another man’s secret
to others is worse than exposing your own secrets because it involves being
disgraceful from two aspects; it involves deception when you were trusted and
it involves you spreading rumours when you have received information. The harms
from these two are equal, if not one more than the other then they are both at
least equally blameworthy.”
Ar-Raaghib al-Asfahaanee said, “Secrets are
given in two ways:
Firstly, one is told a secret and he is told to
keep it a secret, this is done verbally.
Secondly, when on tries to find the secrets of
others, he does this by spying or eavesdropping.”
So if you save someone’s number on your phone
without their permission or them knowing, then this is like you are tricking
them, it is a kind of dishonesty and a breach of the possessions of others.
Further to this, if you pass the number on to
others then this is even worse, this is increasing in your deception over them.
This is ripping apart their rights.
So to summarise, if you record the telephone
number of another, without their permission or them knowing, then this is a
crime and a deception. This will compromise your trustworthiness and none would
do this except for the one who is weak in his religion and manners, especially
if one does it in the evil ways that we have mentioned. So fear Allaah, Oh
Slaves of Allaah, and don’t betray your trusts and don’t break your promises.
B) Phone
tapping;
Modern technology has developed with there being
various new inventions available today. Some of these inventions have been
designed for the purpose of entertainment or for people to indulge themselves
in wasteful activities.
From these inventions is the ability to secretly
listen to others people’s conversations. The day and night may go by and the
persons conversations are being recorded or listened to and he may not even
realise it. This is unlawful and not permissible, whether one of the people in
the conversation knows about it or not.
It has been authentically narrated from the
narration of Anas bin Maalik [May Allaah be Pleased with him] that the Prophet
[May the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, ”If you hear people
conversing and they don’t like you listening, then hot lead will be poured into
his ears on the Day of Judegment.” [Narrated by Bukhaaree in his Saheeh and
something similar in Adab al-Mufrad]
C) Mixing between the sexes; from the immodest
actions is that the people of the house use these telephones to go behind their
guardian. They take the phones as an opportunity to do this, spreading diseases
and debasing themselves at the same time. They use these phones to mix or make
it a cause for physical mixing to occur.
The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “Be
careful of entering onto women” [Narrated by Bukhaaree] so we have been
commanded to refrain from them.
Therefore it is upon the guardian to block all
the paths that lead to this. He needs to guarantee himself that his women are
not being idle, being amongst the foolish. From the ways he can do this; he can
place the telephone in a public location within his house, therefore nothing
will be hidden from his sight. Also, he should reduce the number of phones in
the house, especially not allowing his daughters to have their own phones in
their rooms. He needs to organise his house in an appropriate manner, so that
if someone calls, the people answering the phones have the correct attitude
when using the phone. That they are not secluded when talking on the phone,
thus the chastity and nobility will be secured and not hidden from him.
D) Excessive calling; be careful of spending too
much time on the phone, lest you become afflicted by making excessive calls.
For how many people are suffering from this? From the moment they wake in the
morning until they sleep, they need the phone. If they are prevented they
become like a child yearning for his mother. So they are preoccupied in
themselves with talking too much, from one place to another, to one person to
another. His soul is entertained whilst he is harming others.
We can’t do anything for these people except to
make Dua’a for them to be protected, to advise them about the effects of being
excessive.
E) Frightening people on the
phone; it is authentically narrated in the Sunnah that frightening another
Muslim is from the major sins. It is a great oppression. It has been narrated
that the Prophet [May the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “It
is not permissible for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim.” [Narrated by
Ahmad, Aboo Dawood, Tabaranee with a similar wording and al-Bazzar]
Likewise, it is also narrated
in the Sunnah that we are prohibited from pointing a weapon at your Muslim
brother; the reason being is that it may put fear into him, thus being
prohibited. Likewise, scaring your brother on the phone is not permissible.
Types of scaring another on the
phone includes prank calls or calling someone and remaining silent.
Conclusion
This is a summary of some of
the etiquettes one should have whilst speaking on the phone, so it is for the
Muslim to pay attention to them, stay away from what is prohibited and be
cautious of falling into what is forbidden and harmful. If something is
disliked, then it is obligatory for him to stay away from it and this includes
all things mentioned, and that which has not been mentioned in the book.
As for commercial rulings
connected to the phone, such as trading and renting them then these issues have
been addressed by some of the contemporary Fuqaha. For further information,
please refer to the rulings given by the International Fiqh Council as they
have researched many of its areas.
And All Praise Belongs to
Allaah, the Lord of the Aalameen
Bakr Aboo Zayd
4/1/1416
Madeenah an-Nabee
