Someone asks: “Why do you relentlessly emphasise verification in these times?”

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Amīr al-Mu’minīn Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu, said: “Adhere to the truth, it will place you in the ranks of its people on a day when (nothing) will be judged except based on truth.”

Someone asked: “Why do you relentlessly emphasise verification in these times?”

We say to them:

Twenty-six years ago, in Manchester, we received news from individuals who ascribed to the Sunnah that another group of brothers from another city were speaking negatively about us. Due to being young and protective, and because there was already suspicion due to other matters, we did not verify the news, and this eventually led to a heated verbal confrontation. The details are too painful to narrate. Furthermore, there is no need to narrate the details of this painful incident because Allah found a beautiful way out for us, and reconciliation was achieved after some time. May Allah forgive everyone who was involved.

Then, recently, after the death of many senior scholars, we suddenly saw how some of those who are considered to be closely attached to them conspired and twisted narratives without verification until this led to serious violations of honour. However, Allah, by His grace, nullified all of it through self-incriminating proof against the one who pursued the path of cut-and-pasting, misrepresentation, and misinformation while hiding behind the good suspicions of others and recommendations.

So, nowadays, our first stance is neutrality when close people dispute through intense competing narratives. We have learnt not to confuse confidence with precision, familiarity with complete knowledge, or loyalty with fairness when looking at the narratives of people who know each other very well. Both may possess genuine but incomplete knowledge.

We have come to know through painful experience that the knowledge of people who know each other extremely well can be very useful, but it can also make a disagreement more complicated. Each may possess extra information that the other does not possess. Each may offer interpretations that sound convincing because they are supported by personal history.

We have come to know that even if one thinks that he can be a judge of the entire relationship of the disputing parties, there may be another person who can also do the same or even better.

We have come to know that neutrality does not mean believing nobody; rather, it means allowing the evidence to gradually unfold through robust scrutiny, careful deliberation and verification to guide one’s judgement, rather than allowing pressure to make one ally with anyone’s narrative based on sentimentalism. Therefore, we have learnt that we must hear both sides clearly and not be influenced by the halo effect or reciprocity bias reinforced by authority bias.

We have come to learn through painful experience that in times of personal disputes that involve competing narratives, we must separate respect for a person from agreement with his position, establish a clear boundary between admiration and pressure, refuse to become a messenger in the conflict, and protect everyone’s dignity unless sound principles are openly violated. We have learnt not to merely protect a one-sided story to preserve a person’s reputation at the expense of robust verification.

We have come to accept over the years that pursuing robust verification from both sides may disappoint some people, perhaps even some of our closest family members, but that is what it takes to protect oneself from violating the rights of others. Over the years, we have come to accept the fact that some may consider commitment to verification as betrayal, but we have realised that whoever wants to maintain truthful and meaningful relationships must be ready to lose approval and cordiality, and expect the possibility that some relationships may change, while seeking the aid of Allah to strengthen one’s resolve and not purchase belonging at the expense of a clear conscience and robust verification.

We have come to value being included, but one must not purchase inclusion by pretending to believe what he has not established to be the full facts during a disagreement between people who know one another very well. We have learnt to make it absolutely clear that any person can develop their own perception regarding others, but one should not allow such views to determine how he sees himself due to his insistence on robust verification, while asking Allah for emotional independence without becoming emotionally detached. We have come to learn that one should not retaliate by behaving in the manner in which others treat him due to his firm stance on robust verification.

This does not mean that we doubt the narrations of the trustworthy. However, during disputes, we must hear both sides by establishing robust, impartial verification, showing respect to both sides, harbouring good thoughts until every aspect of the realities manifests, striving to safeguard ourselves – both in private and public – from selective rage, selective accountability, trial by proxy and background deliberations. Also, we completely distance ourselves from the daringness of youthful ego and excitement that led us to utter bold claims against others twenty-six years ago. And one of the things we fear the most is inflating the shortcomings of others while trivialising our many flaws. We ask Allah to grant us Tawfiq to reserve our rage and antagonism – in private and public – against the Mubtadi’ah and the persistent transgressors, but while doing so with Taqwah and justice.  And Allah knows best.

Everyday: In These Times of Competing Narratives, We Value Fair Play, Context and Verification

[1] Why, in the Current Climate, We Insist to Every Mancunian Youth We Meet That They Establish Thorough Verification

[2] Why, in the Current Climate, We Insist to Every Mancunian Youth We Meet That They Establish Thorough Verification