That to investigate and research any news before spreading it is a basic principle
of Shariah and its injunction is plainly stated in the Qur'aan & Sunnah as
Allah (SWT) states:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ (الحجرات: 6
[49:6] O you who believe, if a
sinful person brings you a report, verify its correctness, lest you should harm
a people out of ignorance, and then become remorseful on what you did.
And Allah (SWT) states:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَتَبَيَّنُوا وَلاَ تَقُولُوا لِمَنْ أَلْقَى إِلَيْكُمْ السَّلاَمَ لَسْتَ مُؤْمِنًا تَبْتَغُونَ عَرَضَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فَعِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَغَانِمُ كَثِيرَةٌ كَذَلِكَ كُنتُمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَمَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَتَبَيَّنُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا
[4:94]O you who believe, when you go out in the way of Allah, be careful, and do not say to the one who offers you the Salam (saLutation), .You are not a believer. to seek stuff of the worldly life. So, with Allah there are spoils in abundance. In the same state you were before; then Allah favored you. So, be careful. Surely, Allah is All-Aware of what you do.
Sayyidina Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated
that Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) said, "It is enough
falsehood for a person to transmit everything he hears." [Muslim]
It is so because many people merely accept everything they hear or read and don't endeavor to investigate (its truth) and establish its authenticity and forget to act upon this basic principle which Allah (SWT) has commanded since those from amongst the Jinn and humans who are influenced by Shaytaan are busy in spreading falsehood and thus abandoning this basic principle enables many from amongst the people to abandon the truth and adopt falsehood until they begin to establish the realities of their lives upon falsehood and this has resulted in hatred, enmity and ill feelings between sons of Adam.
These naive
people will continue to harbour ill feelings towards Musliheen (those who
attempt to make peace and reconcile) and good feelings towards Mufsids (those
who attempt to spread vice and corruption) if they continue on their path of
accepting everything (as truth) they read or hear.
How much blood has been shed, how many idols have been
worshiped as a consequence of accepting random speeches and writings as truth?
(This is one paragraph Translated from Arabic book “Islah
Wal-Insaaf, La-Hadam Wala-Ait’saaf”
By Shaykh
Yusuf Ibn Isa Al-Malahi (HA)
Full article available on www.central-mosque.com
