Asalamu alikum

Still refusing to confirm it before you repeat it?

These days we find that many people are still falling into the same holes that their parents and grandparents fell into. How is this possible? For those of us that were not always Muslim, we knew that if someone sat around repeating all that they heard, then their narrations were not to be trusted. We knew that we could not take what such people had to say and base anything off of it. These tale-carriers were rarely even considered to be respectable people in the eyes of the community. This is what we knew before we were Muslim.

Now, for those that have been guided to Islam, as well as those that were born Muslim and raised as Muslims, we need to figure out how it is that we not only base our understandings and lives off of these people, but as well we have become these people.  Subhanna Allah.

We find ourselves from among the biggest of gossipers and tale-carriers (may Allah rectify our affairs… Allahuma ameen). We hear something, and want to be the first  to let all of our families, friends and associates know the story, as though it makes us look like we are in the loop. Subhanna Allah. When will we learn?

Maybe if we understand it from a religious point of view, things will change.

We are living in a time in which peoples desires, love for popularity and being seen among the community seem to have taken over the hearts of many. (May Allah cure us from this sickness… Allahuma ameen). We always find ourselves walking around not only hearing but also contributing to the “He said, She said” conversations. Many-times we don’t even concern ourselves with finding out if what is being said is true or not.

Allah said in His book,

{وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ ۚ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولَـٰئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْئُولًا}

{And follow not (O mankind i.e., say not, do not, witness not, etc.) that of which you have no knowledge (e.g. one’s saying: “I have seen,” while in fact he has not seen, or “I have heard,” while he has not heard). Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned (by Allah).}

[17:36]

We also find that Allah said,

 {مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ}

{Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).}

 [50:18]

So we see here that Allah has not only COMMANDED us to stay away from following behind, aiding in and spreading those things that we do not have knowledge about. He has also warned us about the fact that what we do and say may be recorded and we may be held accountable for it on that day where everyone will be brought before their Lord. Why are we so determined to set ourselves up to earn Allah’s displeasure? This is not something that is hard for people to turn away from. But the desire to be the firs to put the information out there often overtakes us. We find that this desire leads us to doing and saying things that we know we should not have anything to do with.

As well the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,

“كَفَى بِالْمَرْءِ كَذِبًا أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ” 

“It is enough to render a man a liar that he relates everything he hears.”

[The Introduction of Sahih Muslim]

Brothers and Sisters, think about this for a second. Generally when we are told information, it is very possible that this information is either true or false. In these days and times we very often come across information that when  actually checked into, it would show that either it is completely incorrect or that it isn’t exactly as it was related to us. Subhanna Allah. We find this often. How many times have you been told something, and then looked into it and found exactly what was described to you in this article?

Can anyone possibly say that there haven’t been many times where we have been told that someone said something that was not actually stated, or that was miss quoted or used out of context? None of us can say that we have not experienced that many times. If we know that this has been the case, how is it that we still find ourselves repeating this information, regardless of how many-times we hear it, or how many people we have heard it from?

The point that I am trying to make here, is that it is an obligation on each and every one of us to begin to make sure that what we are saying is true.  we also,  need to make  sure, that the one(s) that we get our information from are reliable and trustworthy individuals that also got the information from reliable sources. This is in terms of both information dealing with our secular affairs as well as our religious affairs. 

We see the importance of verifying our information in that verse that we all have heard one million times before. Allah said,

{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَن تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ}

{O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with a news, verify it, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful to what you have done.}

[49:6]

So hopefully we see the harm in what we have been doing, and we will begin to work towards correcting not only our future, but rather the future of the Muslim Ummah. May Allah correct all of our affairs and keep us all firm upon the straight path. Allahuma ameen.