Was It Sinful for Me to Accidentally View Naked Photos While Trying to Delete Them?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I know someone who had been in an affair with another woman. Somehow, I found pictures of her nakedness on my tablet. I am not involved in this activity at all. I deleted the photos, trying my best not to look, but I accidentally saw some.
Am I sinful because I unintentionally saw them without having any lust?
Answer
Thank you for your question. I am so very sorry that you were exposed to such nonsense, and I pray that you can wipe the images from your mind.
Unintentional
There will be no sin on you as you did not intend to look and only saw it accidentally. What happened is something unfortunate that Allah dislikes, even though you were not sinful. Seeking forgiveness in such a case is still optimal.
The best thing to do is to follow the advice below of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). Also, take steps to ensure that no one is using your devices for taking pictures like this, or at least block their usage somehow.
Seeking Forgiveness and Good Deed
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), told us, “Have taqwa (fear) of Allah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards the people.” [Tirmidhi]
An excellent formula that you can use for repentance is from this: Ibn ‘Umar said, “I heard the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), asking Allah to forgive him a hundred times in this assembly with the words, ‘O Allah, forgive me and turn to me and show mercy to me. You are the Ever-Turning back (to his slaves), Merciful.’” [Tirmidhi]
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي، وَتُبْ عَلَيَّ، وَارْحَمْنِي، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ.
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
