Verify Before You Believe (Part 2) – By Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Verify Before You Believe (Part 2) – By Mufti Ebrahim Desai

(An extract from the Tafseer of Surah Hujarat by Mufti Ebrahim Desai.)

”why is it when believing males and females hearing this information, didn’t they say that this is open accusation.”

Faqih Abu Laith Samarqandi (Rahmatullah alaih) mentions an incident narrated by Hammad ibn Salamah (Rahmatullah alaih). A person wanted to sell his slave because he had a bad habit of gossiping. When he sold that slave he mentioned to the purchaser the bad habit of the slave. The purchaser did not think anything serious about the slave’s habit of gossiping. After a few days the slave got used to the master and the master’s wife. He went to the master’s wife and said to her, I have bad news for you, your husband intends taking another wife. This disturbed the wife. The slave then told the masters wife not to worry as he can get her husband out of this love affair. When he sleeps at night, she should cut a strand of his beard and bring it to him.

The slave then went to the husband and said to him that I got bad information for you. Your wife is having a love affair with someone. She is plotting to kill you. At night when he went to bed, and he observed the conduct of his wife. The husband saw his wife approaching with a blade. He turned around and took that same blade and slit her throat with the blade. The husband accepted the slave’s information, and the wife accepted the slave’s information and they acted upon that information. What they should have done was approached one another and verified that information.

At the time of Moosa (Alayhis Salaam), there was a drought. People were making dua but the Dua was not being accepted. Allah sent revelation to Moosa (Alayhis Salaam) that there is one person who has committed a sin, and that is why the rain is not coming down. Moosa (Alayhis Salaam) announced to the people the revelation and asked for the person who committed the sin to own up. No one owned up so they collectively made Taubah and Istighfar. Moosa (Alayhis Salaam) asked Allah who is the person that has committed the sin? Allah revealed to Moosa (Alayhis Salaam) that what I stop you from (uncovering the faults of others), you want me to do that?

Faqih Abu Laith Samarqandi (Rahmatullah alaih) mentions that if anyone brings information to you about the next person, do the following:

1) Verify the information.

2) If you honestly know he is making up the information, scold him, and tell him he is wrong. Do not accept the information as it creates ill feeling in the heart.

3) What you are stopping the next person from doing (passing unverified information), you yourself should not engage in the same sin.

Rasulullah Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam sent Ali (radi Allahu anhu) as a judge to Yemen. Ali (radi Allahu anhu)  complained to Rasulullah Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam that he does not know how to judge. Rasulullah Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam advised him”Oh Ali, do not judge until you do not hear the other party.

We should adopt this policy all the time. When anyone brings information to us, verify it, understand it and then we will be able to make appropriate decisions on the matter. One of the severe causes of the punishment in the Qabr is backbiting, spreading rumors, and spreading Fitnah in the community.

The Tafseer of Surah Hujarat was conducted by Mufti Saheb in U.K [Ramadhaan 2010] and can be download here.