Hacking immoral websites

Praise be to Allah.

One of the worst things with which people are being tested nowadays, which is different from past centuries, is what they see and watch of the spread of nakedness, promiscuity and permissiveness, and all types of desires which are not deterred by morals, modesty or religious commitment. Women’s bodies have become the cheapest and most insignificant of products. Hardly any Muslim home is free from these evils and dangers. They are to be found on the TV and internet, in the streets and roads, in books and magazines and on mobile phones, competing in lack of modesty and racing to captures and influence people’s hearts and minds. 

Perhaps the most dangerous and most harmful of them is permissive internet sites, because they are easily accessible and because there are so many of them, of many types, and their number is increasing alarmingly, which poses a grave danger that threatens all of mankind, when sin becomes a habit and the values of modesty, reason and faith are lost as the result of immorality. Then let them prepare for a divine punishment or for universal destruction which is what the law of Allaah decrees for everyone who deviates from the fitrah (sound human nature) and indulges in evil.  

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Evil (sins and disobedience to Allaah) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds), that He (Allaah) may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allaah, and begging His Pardon)”

[al-Room 30:41]

As Islam calls for reform and purification, it has enjoined everyone who adheres to it and believes in its principles to strive hard to rid people of evil and warn them against it. This is enshrined in one of the great principles of this religion, namely enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, which is a shar’i obligation upon all Muslims, each according to his situation and ability. 

The tools of immorality have no protection in Islamic sharee’ah, rather sharee’ah does not acknowledge them as property, so they are worthless items, which deserve to be destroyed, so they must be demolished and wiped out.  

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (28/113): 

It is permissible to destroy evil, whether it takes a tangible or intangible form, such as idols that are worshipped instead of Allaah, because their images are evil and it is permissible to destroy them. If they are made of stone, wood and the like, it is permissible to break them and burn them. The same applies to musical instruments, such as drums. It is permissible to destroy them according to the majority of fuqaha’, and this is the view of Maalik and the more well known of the two reports narrated from Ahmad. The same applies to vessels of alcohol; it is permissible to break them and make holes in them, and the shops in which wine is sold may be burned down. Ahmad stated that, as did some of the Maalikis and others, following the report narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him), that he instructions that a shop belonging to Ruwayshid al-Thaqafi in which alcohol was sold was to be burned, and he said: You are fuwaysiq (an evildoer) not ruwayshid (one who is guided). Similarly, the caliph ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) burned a village in which alcohol was sold, as was narrated by Abu ‘Ubaydah and others, because the place where it is sold is like the vessels in which it is sold. This is also the well known view of Ahmad, Maalik and others. End quote. 

See: al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (36/34).  

But what we think with regard to permissive sites is that it is the responsibility of the state, public institutions and specialized centres, and is not the responsibility of individuals. We think that the danger that these sites will cause to individual Muslims who try to destroy them or spoil them – even if they are of a high level of faith and piety – is greater than the efforts they can make and the results that they can achieve. No one nowadays can put an end to all the evil sites, not even one percent of them . The remedy will be by using means to warn and protect people, by blocking the evil sites in the Muslim countries, and developing programs to block them, and spreading awareness and warning people. These efforts can only be undertaken by nations and institutions, not by individuals who could fall victim to their emotions and desire for change, and inadvertently fall prey to these corrupt sites. In the answer to question no. 39923 we have discussed how the Muslim can beware so that he will not lose any of his religious commitment and good attitude in pursuit of an unattainable dream.  

In Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (17/121-122) it says: 

The Muslim has to lower his gaze and avoid looking at those corrupt magazines, out of obedience to Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and so as to avoid fitnah and its places. No one should claim to be infallible. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that the shaytaan flows through the son of Adam like blood, and Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: How often has a glance brought doom to a person. 

The one whom Allaah has put into any position of authority in a Muslim country must be sincere towards the Muslims and keep evil and its people away from them, and keep them away from everything that may harm their religious and worldly interests. That includes preventing these corrupt magazines from being published and distributed, and keeping their evil away from them. This is part of supporting the religion of Allaah, and is one of the means of attaining prosperity, success and power on earth, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, Allaah will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allaah is All‑Strong, All‑Mighty.

41. Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We give them power in the land, (they) enjoin Iqamat‑as‑Salaah [i.e. to perform the five compulsory congregational Salaah (prayers) (the males in mosques)], to pay the Zakaah and they enjoin Al‑Ma‘roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do), and forbid Al‑Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism and all that Islam has forbidden) [i.e. they make the Qur’aan as the law of their country in all the spheres of life]. And with Allaah rests the end of (all) matters (of creatures)”

[al-Hajj 22:40-41]

And Allaah knows best.