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Fatwa CenterGetting Information on People When It Is Authorized by Law
Question
Asalaam aleykoum.In my country, according to the law everyone have the right to take part of other peoples "Public records" or documents (that are not classified or restricted). The information you can get is for example personal information, a text, picture, what a person have studied, and to get this information a person can and have to ask for it from for example a goverment. Now, I wonder if this is persmissble and halal in islam, to go to the goverment and get information of a certain person if you have good intentions and a good reason? For exampel if you want to know if a certain person is currentlly studying in a certain university but do not want to ask the pesron or because you do not know them etc? Is this action a form of spying even if the information is public?, (but it recuires you to ask for it)? My question is if this action is a form of spying and haram or if it is halal to do this. Please answer as soon as you can. Barak'Allahu feekom.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
The scholars defined spying to be: striving to know people's affairs which they are keen on concealing and which they do not like others to find out about them.
Abu Al-Hilaal Al-‘Askari said in the dictionary of linguistic differences: “The Saying of Allah (which means): {And do not spy.} [Quran 49:12], means that it is forbidden to look for the faults of others and their secrets which they do not approve to be disclosed and they do not like others to know about it.” [End of quote]
Therefore, it is not permissible to find out any information that falls under this criterion, even if it is authorized by law, unless there is a predominant benefit, because it is permissible to spy in some cases.
However, if the person has willingly provided the information, and he knew that the public would have free access to this information, then it is permissible for one to obtain this information from the source to whom the person had provided the information.
For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 224389, 30115, and 16126.
Allah knows best.
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