Moral Obligation to Avoiding the Reprehensible Act of Tajassus (Spying on Other's Affairs) in Qur ān and Traditions

Purity of the mind and good behavior of a person in society is among the most important teachings of the Qur’ān and Islam، in light of which the ground is paved for man’s growth. The fine quality and precision of the religious teachings in improving human psyche is an issue that، if sufficiently attended to، can solve many of our present social problems. Given this necessity، the problem of spying on one another or on others’ affairs (tajassus) was studied and it was perceived that if a sense of spying others prevails among the people of a society، the psychological health and hygiene of that society will become severely vulnerable; and it has to be regarded a moral disease that can affect a wide range of people’s behavior. The base and criterion of this research is the statement، wa lā tajassisū (And do not spy [on one another]) in āya 12 of Surat al-Ḥujarāt; and some traditions related to this subject are also analyzed in terms of their content and typology with the aim of enhancing public knowledge concerning the consequences of the abnormal conduct of spying on others’ affairs.