Most educated Muslims are aware that the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet are, in spirit, against the invasion of privacy and the dissemination of reports of wrongdoings that harm only the sinners’ souls and no other creature. Indeed, many scholars are of the opinion that such activities are downright unlawful in Islam.

It is therefore perplexing that Malaysia is somewhat famous for the overzealousness of its religious police. We’ve all heard of horror stories about their knocking on the doors of hotel rooms and even homes in an attempt to catch Muslims committing zina or khalwat.

One wonders how they interpret, for instance, Verse 19 of Chapter 24 of the Quran: “Verily, those who desire that lewd sinful acts should be propagated among those who believe, they will suffer painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter.”

Many exegetes, reading this verse from the context in which it appears, have traditionally interpreted it as a warning against scandal mongering.

Ibn Kathir, among the most respected of exegetes, mentions, in connection with this verse, the following well known saying of the Prophet: “Do not shame the servants of God and do not reproach them, and do not look for their faults. Whosoever looks for the faults of his Muslim brother, God will look for his faults and He will expose him.”

In another famous hadith, the Prophet is reported to have said: “Whoever relieves a believer from a difficulty of this worldly life, God will relieve him of a difficulty on the Day of Judgment. And whoever aids and makes easy an insolvency, God will be easy on him in this life and the next. And whoever protects a Muslim, God will protect him in this world and the next.”

Many commentators, reading the above hadith with other hadiths, say “protection” of a Muslim includes protection from the shame of having his indiscretions exposed.

For example, Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz, who was the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia from 1993 until his death in 1999, explained it thus: “If someone sees from his brother something private (i.e. a sin), then don’t expose him. Don’t spread it among the people. Rather, cover it for him, advise him, direct him towards the good, call on him to repent. Do not expose him to the people.”

The Selangor Religious Department (Jais) recently caused controversy when it was reported that it had developed a mobile app, called Amar, that has a feature which allows users to report cases of violation of Shariah law.

Responding to critics who point out that Islam frowns upon the spying that the app may encourage, Jais Director Haris Kasim said upright Muslims should have no cause to fear. Does this mean that Muslims who do not meet Jais’ standard of uprightness do have cause to fear?