Ruling on setting up a recorder to watch over a relative’s conversations

This question was put to Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercyon him) and he said:

I think that this is a kind of spyingand it is not permissible for anyone to spy on anyone else, because we have noright the judge anybody except by what is apparent. If we start spying onpeople we will have a lot of headaches because of this spying and we will beupset by what we hear and see.

Allaah says(interpretation of the meaning) “And spy not” [al-Hujuraat49:12]after saying (interpretation of the meaning), “O you who believe! Avoid muchsuspicion; indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not” [al-Hujuraat 49:12].

But if the head of the household sees indicationsof these evil telephone calls, then there is nothing wrong with setting up arecording device without their knowledge, but he realizes that there issomething going on, he should not keep quiet and keep listening, rather heshould rebuke them straightaway, because if he communities to listen,because he may hearsomething that will upset him even more. For example, if he comes across a badtelephone conversation, he must rebuke the one who is doing it straight away,and not delay it until the next day; he must put a stop to it from thebeginning.

But with regard to mere suspicionbased on waswaas (insinuating whispers of the Shaytaan), it is not permitted (for him to set up thisdevice), but if he knows that the matter is serious and that it is actuallyhappening, then it is OK to set up a recorder so as to find out what is going on.