The Perils of Unverified Reports within the Reach of Malicious Bigots and Extremists
In The name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Allah, The Exalted, says:
يٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُوۤاْ إِن جَآءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوۤاْ أَن تُصِيبُواْ قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُواْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ
O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with news, verify it, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterward, you become regretful of what you have done. [Al-Hujuraat 6]
Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
This is also one of the moral etiquettes that are obligated to the people of (sound) understanding to embody and practice; that if a rebellious sinful person informs them of some news, they should verify the information, rather than accepting it at face value, as doing so poses significant risks and the potential for sin. This is because when the news from such a person is regarded with the same credibility as that from a truthful, reliable person, one might pass a judgment based on that news and what it necessitates, thus lead to the loss of life and wealth without due right, ultimately resulting in regret. Therefore, what is obligated regarding the news from a rebellious sinful person is verification and clarification. Should the evidence and clear signs affirm the truth of the information, it is acted upon and accepted as true. Conversely, if the evidence indicates that he is lying, it is declared as lies and not acted upon. Thus, this verse illustrates that news from a truthful individual is to be accepted, news from a liar is to be rejected, and news from a rebellious sinful person is suspended (until ascertained), as we have stated. [1]
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
Beware of kadhib (lies), as it corrupts one’s ability to teach people as well as one ability to illustrate information based on how it should actually be. The liar presents what is present as something non-existent and what is non-existent as something present; misrepresents the truth as being something false and falsehood as being something true; misrepresents the good and the evil, so he corrupts his conception and knowledge, which subsequently results in his punishment. Then he portrays what is not true to the one who has been duped by him – the one who is drawn to him – and therefore corrupts his conception and knowledge.
The soul of the liar turns away from existing reality, preferring the non-existent, and falsehood. And when his conception and knowledge is corrupted, which is the basis of every wilfully chosen deed, his deeds become corrupt and marked by lies, so those deeds would emanate from him just as lies emanate from the tongue- neither benefits from his tongue nor his deeds (i.e. in relation to the specific affair). Because of this, lying serves as the foundation of immorality, as the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, “Indeed, lies lead to immorality (or wickedness), and indeed, immorality (or wickedness) leads to the fire.” [Bukhaari 2606/2607]
Lies first emerge from the heart and then on the tongue, corrupting it; then they transfer to the limbs and corrupt their deeds, just as they corrupt statements of the tongue. As a result, lying prevails over his utterances, deeds, and state of affairs; corruption gets deeply ingrained in him, and its disease leads to destruction if Allah does not grant him recovery with the medication of truthfulness, which uproots the source (or basis) of the lies. This is why the basis of all deeds of the heart is truthfulness, and the basis of their opposites is lies, such as boasting, self-amazement, pride, being glad (with ungratefulness to Allah’s Favours), conceitedness, boastfulness, insolence, weakness, laziness, cowardice, disgrace, and others.
Every righteous deed, whether done privately or publicly, is founded on truthfulness. And the source of every corrupt deed, whether private or public, is lies. Allah punishes the liar by preventing him (i.e. due to his own chosen evil) from those things that will bring him well-being and benefit, while He rewards the truthful one by granting him the ability to attain the beneficial things of the worldly life and Afterlife. There is nothing comparable to truthfulness in terms of how it brings about the affairs of well-being in this life and the next, and there is nothing comparable to lying in terms of how it corrupts and harms one’s worldly and Afterlife affairs.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ
O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds) [9:119]
هَٰذَا يَوْمُ يَنْفَعُ الصَّادِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ ۚ
This is a Day on which the truthful will profit from their truth. [5:119] [2]
In our contemporary landscape, a multitude of ideologues and provocateurs inundate the unsuspecting with a barrage of opinions, creating a labyrinth of confusion through sheer information overload. While possessing the right information is undeniably beneficial, empowering individuals to exercise sound judgment when grounded in solid principles and expertise, the situation becomes perilous when an excess of data is coupled with a lack of integrity and impartiality. This toxic combination allows the unscrupulous to exploit the naive, leading them astray from the true essence of the matter at hand. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “If you contemplate the statements of the people of falsehood, you will indeed find them clothed with expressions and presented in a good light with sophisticated terms that are quickly accepted by those deprived of sound discernment to the extent that the wicked sinners would give (good) names to the greatest types of wicked deeds”. [3]
Certain prominent instigators prevent the naive and misinformed from grasping the true nature of reality with clarity. They do not promote a complete understanding; instead, they lead individuals to perceive matters in a manner that contradicts their actual state or create an illusion of understanding despite evidence that should indicate their misconceptions. At times, they leave individuals in a state of uncertainty and confusion, suggesting that they have a grasp on a subject while simultaneously introducing alternative perspectives that appear equally plausible, or guiding them to an understanding that overlooks contradictory evidence, albeit less likely to be accurate. The absence of verification, in addition to this, poses a significant threat as it acts as a gateway for any disruptive racist criminal, bigot, or a terrorist to exploit religion, justice, and righteousness. The current scenario highlights this danger, especially with the racists, whose malicious actions are being rationalised under the pretext of reclaiming the nation and expressing supposed genuine outrage over a Muslim individual who tragically killed three innocent girls. Despite concrete evidence proving otherwise, the prejudiced rioters persist in targeting mosques, disparaging Muslims, and now even turning their violence towards Asian and black people, causing destruction, looting, squandering resources, and clashing with the police. This is all done under the guise of the right to protest. Allah, The Exalted, says:
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِى كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَٰبِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا لِيَمْكُرُوا۟ فِيهَا وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ إِلَّا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
And thus We have set up in every town great ones of its wicked people to plot therein. But they plot not except against their ownselves, and they perceive (it) not. [Al-An’am 123]
Al-Allamah Zayd Bin Hadi Al-Mad’khali, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: The divine laws of Allah are flawless and comprehensive, as outlined in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. We do not know of any evidence in the Qur’an and Sunnah that permits a small group of individuals to come together for protests that disrupt the peace and waste time. These demonstrations are nothing besides Bidah and misguidance instigated by the devil; fueled by the temptations of the wicked soul and its desires. When these adversaries (shaytan and the evil soul) unite in any affair, they ruin religious and worldly matters, as evidenced by the chaos of these protests. The aftermath of protests and demonstrations: devastation, squandered resources, and the unsettling disruption of tranquility for those who cherish peace. The numerous and significant drawbacks cast a shadow over the very essence of such actions. [4]
It is not uncommon to encounter some of these individuals in a state of inebriation, embodying the essence of vagrancy and violence. Their inability to secure employment stems from their erratic behaviour and addiction to alcohol, their bodies adorned with tattoos that resemble a tattoo catalogue; expressing vehement hostility towards those of different ethnic backgrounds, while paradoxically relying on the tax revenues generated by immigrants in various professions. In their eyes, the misfortunes of their lives are perpetually attributed to external forces. In stark contrast, many immigrants—doctors, nurses, and caregivers—have pursued these professions due to their superior qualifications and educational backgrounds. Meanwhile, the rioters choose a path of idleness, with their arms emblazoned with swastika tattoos. These individuals resemble a circus troupe, mere jesters in a tragic performance. They perceive such destructive riots, acts of violence, looting, and theft as expressions of “patriotism,” misguidedly believing they are serving their country or community. Hence, the devout Muslim endeavours to safeguard sound beliefs, life, dignity, intellect, and possessions, while the racists and those who commit acts of terrorism in the name of religion disregard these fundamental aspects of human existence. Therefore, we do not counteract the negative actions of others with similar negativity; instead, we uphold our responsibilities in our engagements with non-Muslims.
Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated:
Likewise, I invite you to have respect for those people who have the right that they should be respected, from those between you and whom there is an agreement (of protection) [i.e. Non-Muslims]. For the land which you are living is such that there is an agreement between you and them. If this were not the case they would have killed you or expelled you. So preserve this agreement, and do not prove treacherous to it, since treachery is a sign of the hypocrites, and it is not from the way of the Believers. And know that it is authentically reported from the Prophet that he said : “Whoever kills one who is under an agreement of protection will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.”
Do not be fooled by those sayings of the foolish people: those who say: ‘Those people are Non-Muslims, so their wealth is lawful for us [i.e. to misappropriate or take by way of murder and killing].’ For by Allah – this is a lie. A lie about Allah’s Religion, and a lie in Islamic societies.
O my brothers. O youth. O Muslims. Be truthful in your buying and selling, and renting, and leasing, and in all mutual transactions. Because truthfulness is from the characteristics of the Believers, and Allah – the Most High – has commanded truthfulness – in the saying of Allah – the Most High – “O you who believe – fear and keep you duty to Allah and be with the truthful.”
And the Prophet encouraged truthfulness and said : “Adhere to truthfulness, because truthfulness leads to goodness, and goodness leads to Paradise; and a person will continue to be truthful, and strive to be truthful until he will be written down with Allah as a truthful person“.
And he warned against falsehood, and said : “Beware of falsehood, because falsehood leads to wickedness, and wickedness leads to the Fire. And a person will continue lying, and striving to lie until he is written down with Allah as a great liar.”
O my brother Muslims. O youth. Be true in your sayings with your brothers, and with those Non-Muslims whom you live along with – so that you will be inviters to the Religion of Islam, by your actions and in reality. So how many people there are who first entered into Islam because of the behaviour and manners of the Muslims, and their truthfulness, and their being true in their dealings. [5]
Shaikh Abu Khadeejah consistently emphasizes the importance of Hijrah as Europe continues to become less hospitable towards Muslims. Read: https://abukhadeejah.com/question-about-hijrah-from-the-non-muslim-lands-to-the-lands-of-islam/
We ask Allah to facilitate us with Hijrah to the lands of the Muslims as soon as possible Aameen.
[1] An Excerpt from “Tafsir as-Sadi” Paraphrased
[2] An Excerpt from “Al-Fawaa’id”. pages 202-203
[3] An Excerpt from “As-Sawaa’iq al-Mursalah 2/438
[4] An Excerpt from “ الأفنان وتوحيد ابن خزيمة وحديث عن المظاهرات4-4-1432هـ”
[5] salafipublications.com