Spreading people’s personal messages and conversations
Praise be to Allaah.
If the person entrusted it to him on the basis that it was a secret, then it is not permissible for him to spread it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A conversation in a gathering is a trust.” Similarly, if spreading it will result in harm to his Muslim brother, that is not permitted because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.” Similarly, if spreading it will result in scandal for a sinning Muslim brother whose sin has been concealed by Allaah, it is not permissible to spread it. But if spreading it will serve a shar’i interest and benefit the person or people in general, and the person did not state the condition that it had to be kept a secret, then it is o.k. to spread it in that case, indeed one may be rewarded for that.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
[view link]
If the person entrusted it to him on the basis that it was a secret, then it is not permissible for him to spread it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A conversation in a gathering is a trust.” Similarly, if spreading it will result in harm to his Muslim brother, that is not permitted because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.” Similarly, if spreading it will result in scandal for a sinning Muslim brother whose sin has been concealed by Allaah, it is not permissible to spread it. But if spreading it will serve a shar’i interest and benefit the person or people in general, and the person did not state the condition that it had to be kept a secret, then it is o.k. to spread it in that case, indeed one may be rewarded for that.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
[view link]
