Section 2 — Verifying News and Obeying Righteous Leadership

Al-Ḥujurāt’s first section of five verses outlined the

manners with Allāh and His Messenger, and the specific and exclusive behaviour a Muslim must exhibit towards the Final Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), who was sent to complete the divine message and perfect the best manners. We recognised that no opinion or action should precede his. No voice should outdo his, neither in his presence, in the vicinity of his purified grave, over his reported directives or general Sunnah, nor in the sittings of his inheritors who are the scholars of Islām.

As a mercy to mankind, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) built a community upon the finest ethics. Putting Allāh and His Prophet first appropriately structures the ummah, such that it is protected first from vice, then conflict, and a subsequent disunity. Whoever overlooks Allāh and the Prophet’s prerogative of being first is none but a deviator, rebellious one or ‘Fāsiq’.

It naturally follows that giving precedence to that Fāsiq brings about vice, conflict and disunity. Such conflict impacts the followers of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and, as a result, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) himself for ‘your suffering is distressing to him.’¹²⁴ In this way, this second section of al-Ḥujurāt too is about not harming the Prophet of Allāh (peace and blessings be upon him) in any way.¹²⁵

The Qur’ānic Passage · Verses 6-8

You who have Īmān! If a deviator brings you a report, scrutinise it carefully in case you attack people in ignorance and so come to greatly regret what you have done. Know that the Messenger of Allāh is among you. If he were to obey you in many things, you would suffer for it. However, Allāh has given you love of Īmān and made it pleasing to your hearts, and has made Kufr, deviance and disobedience hateful to you. People such as these are rightly guided. It is a great favour from Allāh and a blessing. Allāh is All- Knowing, All-Wise.¹²⁶

Verify Before You Act · Verse 6

Once again addressing the people of Īmān, Allāh says:

You who have Īmān! If a deviator brings you a report, scrutinise it carefully in case you attack people in ignorance and so come to greatly regret what you have done.¹²⁷

Imām al-Ṭabarī writes on these verses:

‘You who have believed in the truthfulness

of Allāh and His Messenger, if a deviator

brings you a report about a group of people then scrutinise it.’

Other authentic Qur’ānic recitations (Qirā’āt) mention ‘fatathabbatū’ rather than ‘fatabayyanū’. In both cases, the meaning is to wait until you can establish the veracity of the report and not rush to accept it. It can be said that, more specifically, ‘tathabut’ is to establish the veracity of the report itself, while ‘tabayyun’ is to go further and establish the circumstances surrounding the report.¹²⁸

‘Take the time to establish its veracity just in case you end up inflicting anything on an innocent people out of ignorance, and by doing so regret both your unfounded accusation and the action you took as a result.’¹²⁹

While Muḥammad Metwalī al-Shaʿrāwī comments:

‘The categorical mention of regret is because this is what is anticipated of a Mu’min after having mistakenly fallen into sin. And regretting a sin is the very first step towards repentance.’¹³⁰

This is the third call. In it we are introduced to the mannerisms Muslims should exhibit towards one another. It is not preceded with a conjunction (ḥarf ʿatf) like ‘and’ which would say ‘and you who have Īmān!’; rather, it starts afresh with ‘You who have Īmān!’ This gives the statement and what follows it individual emphasis and importance, as it is a new and individually-titled section of injunctions. A ‘Fāsiq’ is a person who has ‘Fusūq’, which is to do what Islām ranks as a major sin (kabā’ir). Some have said that Fāsiq in this instance means a liar (Kādhib).¹³¹ We will shed more light on this later.

The use of the conditional device ‘if’ (in), instead of ‘when’ (idhā), implies that such a circumstance should be rare or exceptional and by no means the norm. ‘In case you attack people in ignorance’ then lays out the consequence of inventing news and should be read as a warning to those planning to do so. ‘To greatly regret what you have done’ implies, from a religious perspective, that the sin of attacking or blaming others on the basis of false news is not only on the originator of that news but on those who act upon it.¹³²

The Emphasis of Repetition

We explored how repeating ‘you who have Īmān’ causes an individual to feel curiosity and anticipation, and thus make one more attentive to what is essential. Repetition of address throughout the Qur’ān has the same effect. In Sūrat Luqmān, the wise man’s discourse of advice to his son demonstrates this. Focus on his advice preceded by ‘my son’ against those merely connected by the conjunction ‘and’:

“My son, do not associate anything with Allāh. Associating others with Him is a terrible wrong...¹³³ My son, even if something weighs as little as a mustard- seed and is inside a rock or anywhere else in the Heavens or Earth, Allāh will bring it out...¹³⁴ My son, establish Ṣalāh...”¹³⁵

In the next verse he says:

“And do not avert your face from people out of haughtiness and do not strut about arrogantly on the Earth. Allāh does not love anyone who is vain or boastful.”¹³⁶

Each time the matter is related to Islām’s fundamental creed (ʿAqīdah), a grander matter such as Allāh’s Oneness (Tawḥīd) or establishing Ṣalāh, he repeats his address ‘yā bunay’. But for those matters related to interacting with Allāh’s creatures, he uses the conjunction ‘and’.¹³⁷

Who is a Fāsiq?

Who is a Fāsiq? Some have said that a Fāsiq is a person who indulges in major sins or insists on lesser sins to such a degree that they totally outweigh his good deeds. In Islām, major sins are generally considered those with an associated penal punishment in the Qur’ān or authentic Sunnah. This, unsurprisingly, includes adultery, fornication, alcoholism, theft, unsubstantiated or uncorroborated accusations of fornication, and the like. Lesser sins encompass most other sins we accumulate in our daily lives. Fāsiq is not an easy accusation to throw around at those who commit lesser mistakes as a Fāsiq is usually easily identified from his or her outward insistence on unambiguous abominations.

Linguistically, the Arabs say, ‘fasaqat al-rutabah’ when the inner pulp of a date separates (fasaqat) from its skin. When this happens, the pulp loses its surrounding protection, is exposed to pests and starts to decay. In much the same way, a Muslim is surrounded by the shield of Īmān. When a person slips out of this fortification, one becomes exposed to sin and, if acclimatised to it, becomes a Fāsiq. This person then becomes even more vulnerable to all types of pests, corrupters and further decay.¹³⁸

Both the words Fāsiq and Naba’ (news) are in the indefinite form. In other words, Fāsiq is not al-Fāsiq, and Naba’ is not al-Naba’. Neither is particularised. This delivers the meaning that if any Fāsiq that can be described by that title, due to them being known for any type of Fusūq (noun – an action of deviance), brings any piece of news, scrutinise it. The type of Fusūq does not need to be of a particular sort, or specifically related to their trustworthiness. If a person’s Fusūq is related to their open promiscuity or insistence on financial wrongdoing, for instance, that person falls under this category and their trustworthiness should be scrutinised.¹³⁹ This is because acclimatisation to Fusūq of any sort usually indicates that one’s inner religious compass is fragile. The fact the Fāsiq could not protect themselves from harm, it stands to reason that they would be less willing, and likely unable, to protect society at large.

Who and How Do We Scrutinise?

How should the verse of scrutinising reports affect how we receive accounts in general? According to Ibn ʿĀshūr, a number of legal principles can be derived from the verse. Firstly, one must investigate the trustworthiness of the unknown person before accepting their witness or account. One is not presuming they are Fāsiq, but that their trustworthiness is yet to be determined. Thus, it is to prevent taking action against others on the basis of unverified news. Secondly, if a person cannot be known in any way, their statements should not be accepted. Thirdly, it is sufficient for a single trustworthy person to come with a report or statement, or to provide a witness account for it to be accepted, except in cases where Islām explicitly demands more than one witness. Finally, the ‘regret’ mentioned in the verse indicates that if a person fails to adequately scrutinise and proceeds to take inappropriate action, he or she is also blameworthy.¹⁴⁰

Thus, included in the address are: (i) the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); (ii) the scholars of Islām – in order to establish the principle of transferring knowledge and authority and when issuing legal verdicts; (iii) the leadership – so as to only rely on trustworthy accounts, and (iv) every individual who hears this verse until the end of time. And Allāh knows best.

He Came To Eliminate Your Suffering

After calling believers to show due respect to the greatest Messenger and Seal of the Prophets (peace and blessings be upon him), Allāh cautioned that following he whose moral compass is fragile – the Fāsiq – is bound to bring regret. Regret not only for erring against an innocent people, but for carrying the religious burden of that crime. Every sin comes with its exhausting physical and spiritual burden, in this world and the next, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to eliminate.

The Messenger’s Guidance and the Gift of Faith · Verse 7

Know that the Messenger of Allāh is among you. If he were to obey you in many things, you would suffer for it. However, Allāh has given you love of Īmān and made it pleasing to your hearts, and has made Kufr, deviance, and disobedience hateful to you. People such as these are rightly guided.¹⁴¹

‘Know well, people of Īmān, that the Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings be upon him) is among you. As such, have Taqwā of Allāh, in case you say what is false or invent lies because Allāh conveys your news to him and guides him to what is right in his matters. Were the Messenger of Allāh to act upon your opinions, you would suffer difficulties and be fatigued in a lot of your affairs. Allāh has, however, given you the love of Īmān in Allāh and His Messenger.

You obey the Messenger of Allāh and are underneath his charge, and by this Allāh has saved you from that suffering. Moreover, Īmān has been perfected in your hearts, so you believed. Allāh has also made the denial of Allāh and disbelief in Him (Kufr), dishonesty¹⁴² (Fusūq), and doing what Allāh has prohibited by going against His Messenger and absconding from his instructions

(‘Isyān) disliked to you. These people are the followers of the path of truth (Rāshidūn).’¹⁴³

Fusūq, as alluded to earlier, can refer to major sins, whilst ʿIṣyān can be a reference to lesser sins. With this understanding, the seventh verse outlines, in decreasing order of severity, three detestable things to the Mu’min who truly wishes to serve their own interest and is on a sound disposition: disbelief, major sins, and lesser sins.¹⁴⁴ Following this Qur’ānic style and content, one can wholesomely implore Allāh in the prophetic Duʿā’:

“Allāh, make Īmān beloved to us and make it pleasing to our hearts, and make Kufr, deviance and disobedience hateful to us and make us of the rightly guided (Rāshidīn).”¹⁴⁵

The Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings be upon him) was among us. He, by through revelation, knew better our own interests, and was tempered by His Lord to be more concerned about us than our own selves. His opinions on our behalf are thus more beneficial to us than those we make for ourselves.¹⁴⁶

Elsewhere, Allāh says:

The Prophet is more worthy of the Mu’minīn than themselves.¹⁴⁷

He is the worthiest of our obedience and loyalty and simultaneously more concerned for us than we are for one another.

Returning to this seventh verse of Sūrat al-Ḥujurāt, the placement of ‘know that’ (iʿlamū) at the beginning creates a sense of anticipation and lends weight to what will follow, ‘The Messenger of Allāh is among you’. The companions already know that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is among them, but the prompt warns them to be careful and heedful, as the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is present and the heavenly link to Allāh through live revelation is still intact. Even after his physical presence, his guidance is ever-present in his Sunnah and legislation,¹⁴⁸ which are far superior to our own whims and desires.

The literal and linguistic construct of, ‘know that the Messenger of Allāh is among you’ is in fact, ‘know that among you is the Messenger of Allāh.’ This subtlety expresses that the Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings be upon him) is the main constituent. He is the essence, whilst you are his surrounding envelope. The value of an ‘envelope’ is determined by what it contains, not by its envelope. The construct furthermore accentuates that the best you can internalise within yourselves as humans is the Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings be upon him) and his guidance. The more of him you internalise, the more valuable you become and if it were not for him, nothing would have given you recognition or inner value.¹⁴⁹

‘If he were to obey you in many things,’ were your wishes contrary to his, ‘you would suffer for it.’ At the same time, ‘many things’ suggests there are many other areas that Islām gives Muslims the privilege to make their own judgements on. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself consulted the companions when he received no definitive divine inspiration, such as where to position the army on the day of Badr and what to do with the captives. ‘However, Allāh has given you love of Īmān,’ includes the love of Islām itself, not only its inner convictions or belief system. Thus, Allāh has given you the love of Islām, Īmān, and the rules and regulations in the religion of Allāh brought by His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Allāh says to His Prophet in another verse:

No, by your Lord, they will not have Īmān until they make you their judge in the disputes that break out between them, and then find no resistance within themselves to what you decide and submit themselves completely.¹⁵⁰

Notice that ‘Allāh has given you the love of Īmān’ and none, besides Him, granted you that love. Attributing this gift to the Almighty, using the greatest of Allāh’s names – ‘Allāh’ – is to inspire effort and perseverance in you, the receiver. Consequently, you will struggle against any sinful inclination for the sake of Allāh by recalling that He gave you the love of Īmān to begin with.¹⁵¹

‘You Would Suffer for It’

It may seem counter-intuitive that sinful desires bring about suffering. Surely it is more cumbersome to do what you are told. In the European era dubbed the ‘Enlightenment’, people were told that godlessness, secularism and later versions of liberalism (read: doing whatever one desired) would be their salvation from dogmatic theocracies and make them happy. It takes little to prove how cock-eyed these philosophies were in seeking to address suffering in the ‘free world’, now beleaguered with depression and suicide.¹⁵² It seems absurd to many that divine regulation can address human suffering and liberate them from the distressful fetters brought about by vice. This is, however, obvious to the Mu’min who recognises that the One Who Created knows what best serves the interests of His creatures:

...If he were to obey you in many things, you would suffer for it.¹⁵³

Allāh created us for Paradise, which is also our place of origin. We were removed from that home of comfort and happiness to another of fatigue and misery through the perception of unrestricted liberty. Iblīs, the Shayṭān, lost the company of Angels in the Heavens and became debased and rejected through the same. When the Pharaoh took liberty to claim divinity, boasting:

“Does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me; do you not see?”¹⁵⁴

The same water submerged him, bringing an end to much comfort and ease:

How many gardens and fountains they left behind, and ripe crops and noble residences. What comfort and ease they had delighted in! So it was. Yet We inherited these things to another people.¹⁵⁵

The devastating consequences of sinning against Allāh are so far-reaching that they enter into every part of a person’s livelihood and every phase of a person’s worldly existence and Hereafter. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“Immorality never appears among a people to such an extent that they commit it openly, but plagues and diseases that were never known among the predecessors will spread among them. They do not cheat in weights and measures but they will be stricken with famine, severe calamity, and the oppression of their rulers. They do not withhold the Zakāh of their wealth, but rain will be withheld from the sky, and were it not for animals, no rain would fall on them.”¹⁵⁶

Sins deteriorate one’s physical capabilities. Ibn al- Qayyim reasons:

“This is because a Mu’min’s strength is sourced from his heart, the stronger his heart, the stronger the body. Even if the sinner’s body is strong, he will be let down and deceived by it when he needs it most. Look at how the powerful physiques of the Persians and Romans let them down when they needed them most and were crushed by the Muslims due to the strength of the latter’s bodies and hearts.”¹⁵⁷

When Allāh decrees for the nations of Gog and Magog (Ya’jūj and Ma’jūj) to wreak havoc on Earth, the combined force of humanity will not be able to stop them. People will be too feeble because of rampant immorality. Concerning this prophecy, our mother Zainab (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhā) asked the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):

“Allāh’s Messenger! Shall we be destroyed though amongst us there are pious people?” He said, “Yes, if vice becomes rampant.”¹⁵⁸

Your Suffering is Distressing to Him

It was never the mission of our beloved Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to make our lives difficult, but to guide us to what is best, even if we convince ourselves otherwise. In fact, the Messenger’s (peace and blessings be upon him) manifesto that pervaded the oldest scriptures is captured in the Qur’ān:

Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them.¹⁵⁹

The lawful is beneficial, and the unlawful detrimental. Read that, ‘if he were to obey you in many things, you would suffer for it,’¹⁶⁰ then read ‘your suffering is distressing to him; he is deeply concerned for you; he is gentle and merciful to the believers.’¹⁶¹ Now let us ask ourselves, if my suffering causes the Messenger distress, how could obedience to his guidance possibly be the cause of my distress? It is the essence of comfort and rescue. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was so desperate for our deliverance from that distress that he exclaimed he was:

“Like that of a man who came to some people and said, ‘I have seen with my own eyes the enemy forces.’”

Heedless of his warning, he took off his clothes, simply to draw their attention to him, so that he can warn them of what awaits. He continues:

“I am a naked warner [to you] so save yourself, save yourself! A group of them obeyed him and went out at night, slowly and stealthily and were safe, while another group did not believe him and thus the army took them in the morning and destroyed them.”¹⁶²

The notion that we can do and believe whatever we like is much like insects swarming towards a furious flame, mesmerised by its lure and temptation, but oblivious to its heat and devastation. The Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings be upon him) makes an earnest effort to keep us clear of the flame, grabbing us by his blessed hands and struggling to take us out of the blaze:

“I am going to hold you back from fire, but you are slipping from my hand.”¹⁶³

May Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon our beloved master, Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him). So fortunate is his ummah, may we be ransomed for him. Besides his way, worldly happiness and freedom and eternal salvation are unattainable. Besides the light Allāh gives, there is simply no light. And all praise and thanks are due to Allāh.

Allāh’s Great Favour

From the outset of Sūrat al-Ḥujurāt, we are reminded that Allāh sent us a Messenger; defined our social structures and lines of conditional and unconditional obedience; elucidated the path to truth (Rushd); warned us of its impairers; addressed their behaviour, then made this path beloved to the People of Īmān. He gave us what we need, made it beloved to our hearts, and then rewarded us for it.

Allāh’s Grace and Wisdom · Verse 8

It is a great favour from Allāh and a blessing. Allāh is All-Knowing, All-Wise.¹⁶⁴

Where did all of these countless blessings and privileges emerge from?

‘It is a great favour from Allāh and a blessing, from the One Who possesses full and perfect knowledge. The One, the Almighty, Most Wise, who Knows those who deserve to receive the boundless gift of guidance and those who deserve otherwise. He is Wise in His words, actions, legislations, and decrees’¹⁶⁵

A Great Favour (Faḍl) against Equity (ʿAdl)

What is the difference between Faḍl and ʿAdl? ʿAdl is equity or justice, a magnanimous divine concept and characteristic. It is to give tit-for-tat; to give or receive exactly what is warranted. Allāh will punish by His ʿAdl. To live a long life whilst renouncing the cause of one’s existence, Allāh, is to be neglected and eternally end up in Hell. This is ʿAdl in its most complete sense. But when Allāh bestows, rewards and overlooks or forgives sin, it is through His favour (Faḍl). If we were to be dealt with equitably after sin, we would deservedly be ruined not just for the nature of our misdeeds, but for the exaltedness of He Whom we chose to disobey:

If Allāh were to take mankind to task for what they have earned, He would not leave a single creature crawling on it, but He is deferring them until a specified time. Then, when their time comes, Allāh sees His slaves!.¹⁶⁶

A judge once asked a claimant, “Do you want me to judge by ʿAdl or what is better?” The claimant asked, “And in a Court of Justice, what is better than ʿAdl?” The judge replied, “Faḍl.”, to which the claimant asked, “And what is the difference?” The judge said, “ʿAdl is to take the right due to you, but Faḍl is to relinquish your claim and forgive the one who has wronged you.”¹⁶⁷ And to Allāh belong the most exalted examples.

Ponder on Islām and its legislations. Nothing that Allāh obligated upon us benefits Him in the slightest. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise, and the All-Powerful. He was such before everything in existence and He will continue to be thus after we die. Our obedience does not increase Him in any of this. What He obligated on us is equivalently an obligation on the rest of society. For instance, whilst Allāh commands us not to steal or to trespass the inviolable rights of others as individuals, He likewise commands millions of others to not steal from you or to trespass your inviolabile rights. Being protected from harm takes priority over indulging in it. We therefore benefit from a thing being made Ḥarām before our engaging in it is even confirmed as Ḥarām.

Focus on the following nuance. Since we are the direct beneficiaries of what is Ḥalāl and what is Ḥarām, we are effectively already receiving our wage (i.e., the benefit). After such ‘benefits’, the logical expectation – if the divine transaction was one of ʿAdl – is no further renumeration. But, as it stands, Allāh, through His legislation, gives and then rewards on top of what He gives. It is, therefore, entirely out of Allāh’s Faḍl (rather than ʿAdl) that He rewards us for our obedience, or else we would solely deserve the benefit brought about by the legislation itself and nothing further.¹⁶⁸

When the prophets called their people to Allāh’s worship, their people generally rejected their call. However, almost all the prophets we know of told their people, “I do not ask you for any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.”¹⁶⁹ The prophets were well aware that their people would not pay for what they rejected when offered to them free of charge! But it is as if they were telling their people, “Since I am calling you to what is entirely for your benefit, I would naturally deserve payment for it, but the magnitude of that benefit I am bringing you is so great that none, save Allāh, can afford to pay for it.”¹⁷⁰

The Indispensability of News and its Abuse

One must briefly reflect on why what is today considered a mundane pastime – reporting news – has been surrounded by some of Islām’s heftiest concepts and realisations. Maybe today’s inordinate accessibility to news and participation in conveying it has caused many to belittle its own significance and bearing.

News in and of itself is indispensable. The link between this Earth and the Heavens was established through the intermediary of ‘news’. No human has seen what is beyond the visible cosmos. We were informed, and we trusted those who informed us. Contrary to what atheists pontificate, news can establish irrefutable truths when it is not contradicted by philosophical certainties. There is plenty that believers and even atheists regard as irrefutable truths, living by them and committing their lives to them purely through news they received from trustworthy sources who themselves have ‘seen’. The difference is that believers acknowledge revelation (‘news’) as one of the devices of knowledge, whilst injudicious atheists deny it, despite themselves never observing many of the truths they themselves believe in.¹⁷¹

Messengers convey information about Allāh and about His will:

Tell My slaves (convey the news [naba’] to them) that I am the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.¹⁷²

The Qur’ān contains news of Allāh and His sublime Names and Attributes; news of the previous nations and those that follow, and news of the creation of the Heavens and the Earth, the Angels, the Prophets and Messengers, the Day of Resurrection, Paradise, and the Hellfire. Several tools exist for establishing veracity, but trust is recognised as one of the most powerful. Trust (the audible) eclipses one’s own visual observation (the visual) that can easily be tainted by perception or deception. Not a single human being questioned the immaculate integrity of the Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings be upon him) prior to his Prophethood. Besides the linguistic miracle that debilitated the greatest Arab linguists and the cosmic, scientific, and specific miracles that fortified his message, his own unblemished trustworthiness is one of the greatest testimonies to his message.

Our eyes recognise that he came with something superior in its essence. Logic, too, dictates that a man who never dared lie about a mundane matter, based on the testimony of his enemies, would never tell a lie about Allāh. What, then, is the likelihood of his insisting on a lie that would bring him immense suffering and inordinate personal sacrifice? He was besieged, exiled and fought. On top of this, he credited the truth he had to other than himself.¹⁷³

As humans, we instinctually enjoy one another’s news. Allāh created us with the tendency to live as tight clusters. Our strength as humans is through our communities. Today, the proliferation of news is unlike ever before. It has become a booming business, meticulously designed to catch your attention and concern. It is manufactured to correspond with precisely what you want to hear and disseminate. A report emerging from any end of the earth can change another. News is today’s uncrowned king, terrifying people on every level.

Its extent, combined with the human tendency to proliferate without scrutiny, has deformed truths beyond recognition. In his Muqaddimah, Ibn Khaldūn reasons that scrutinising news is rare and tiresome, and that ignorance comes hand in hand with conveying it and blindly imitating others (Taqlīd).

Upon today’s news, people will interpret their past and define their future. Combined with its impact when consumed and proliferated, much of the news today is manufactured by industries with ulterior motives and vested interests and spun by oligarchs who profiteer from the demise of others. Today, even petty people are trusted to give the news. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“‘There will come to the people years of treachery, when the liar will be regarded as honest, and the honest man will be regarded as a liar; the traitor will be regarded as faithful, and the faithful man will be regarded as a traitor; and the Ruwaybidah will decide matters.’ It was said: ‘Who are the Ruwaybidah?’ He said: ‘Vile and base men who control [or speak about] the affairs of the people.’”¹⁷⁴

Technically, lying is to distort realities knowingly or unknowingly. Of the two, the former is more blameworthy. However, conveying news without verification, even if done ‘innocently’, can easily lead one to later lie intentionally in order to defend their credibility when others discover the falsity of their report.

There are few vices Allāh reproaches in the Qur’ān more than lying. Its atrociousness has always been recognised by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Soldiers of ancient Rome could be cudgelled (beaten with a stick) to death for falsifying evidence or lying under oath. Being a liar is recognisably one of the worst attributes a person can be known for. Befitting our discussion, fabricating lies is of the few vices that precludes a person’s label of Īmān. Allāh says:

It is only those who do not have Īmān in the Āyāt of Allāh, who fabricate falsehood, and it is they who are liars.¹⁷⁵

Al-Ḥujurāt maintains that a person shares guilt by believing the account of a liar. What then of the guilt of the one who creates the lie to begin with? Our mother ʿĀ’ishah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhā) used to say that a man would lie in the presence of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Messenger would continue holding a type of resentment towards that person until he heard of that person turning back and repenting.¹⁷⁶

Besides the individual’s trustworthiness, lying can fuel division, conflict, bloodletting, and the breaking up of families. ʿUthmān (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) was murdered on the basis of a lie, and the devastating war between the companions was peddled and fuelled by liars outside of Madīnah.

Ibn Taymiyyah reasons that truthfulness is the foundation of all good deeds, whilst lying is the foundation of all sins. The distinction of man over animals is through the former’s rationale. Rationale then culminates in composed speech in the form of performatives (Inshā’) or constatives (khabar). The latter describe the world around us, for example ‘the sky is blue’. These descriptions can be affirmed or denied and can thus be changed by lies. Performatives are used to carry out an action and cannot be affirmed or falsified such as to say ‘I apologise’.¹⁷⁷ Constatives can only be established through truthfulness and honesty and are also distorted by the opposite. Constatives are, furthermore, the root of performatives, and form the backbone of knowledge, whilst performatives form the backbone of action. With this in mind, it can easily be seen how sin (action) can result from distorted knowledge.

Using this description, Ibn Taymiyyah argues that since the ability to form constatives is what differentiates man from animal and gives the former rationale, a liar’s behaviour is worse than an animal. Additionally, the distinguishing characteristic between a Mu’min and a Munāfiq is truthfulness.¹⁷⁸ Truthfulness of intention is likewise what distinguishes a sincere person from a show-off, and showing off is a symptom of hypocrisy. And Allāh knows best.

The drive to sin usually happens during moments of distorted reality. This is because Hell is still there, Paradise is still there and Allāh and His inscribing Angels are still watching and recording. But at the moment of sin, something in one’s self causes one to believe that knowledge as if it does not exist, leading him or her to sin. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“Avoid [you people] lying, for lying leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to Hell, and if a man continues to lie and makes lying his object, he will be recorded as a liar before Allāh.”¹⁷⁹

Al-Ḥujurāt is full of open and subtle references to truthfulness and the harm of its opposite. Open lies do not only lead to conflict and guilt, but tear apart the ties of brotherhood. Inner lies defy one’s Taqwā, contradict with claims to Īmān and are ultimately exposed – as we will discover in ‘The Reality of Īmān’. And Allāh is the source of success.

Who Brought The False Report To The Prophet?

The unmatched style and power of the Qur’ān is that it seamlessly addresses past events whilst simultaneously establishing eternal lessons and principles. In the first six verses of al-Ḥujurāt alone no less than three separate accounts are specifically addressed without names, dates, nor unnecessary details.

It was narrated on the authority of Umm Salamah, the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) wife, that the verse of verification was revealed when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a companion by the name of al-Walīd b. ʿUqbah b. Abī Muʿayt to a tribe called Banī al-Mustaliq to collect their Zakāh at the time it was due.

Banī al-Mustaliq had already embraced Islām and there was no doubt about their certainty or devotion. They were cognisant of the due date of their Zakāh and were in fact eager to pay. It is said that they emerged from their town, possibly as a group, to either receive the Prophet’s messenger or to deliver the Zakāh to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) themselves. Just as the Prophet’s delegate, al- Walīd, approached, he saw the uncustomary spectacle: a sizeable and intimidating group of people bearing their arms at the borders of their town. Al-Walīd, struck by fear and suspicion, turned and headed back to Madīnah. Some exegetes reason that what exacerbated this sentiment was some pre-Islāmic hostility that existed between him and members of Banī al-Mustaliq.

Al-Walīd returned to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), informing him that Banī al-Mustaliq had emerged intending to kill him and were, by extension, intending to prevent paying their Zakāh! The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was infuriated and some narrations indicate that he considered dispatching a contingent of soldiers. Others mention that the Prophet did actually dispatch Khālid b. al-Walīd (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) to verify the account. Whilst at the periphery of their town, Khālid sent in scouts to investigate. On their return, they informed Khālid that Banī al-Mustaliq were in fact routinely raising the Adhān and praying the Ṣalāh at its prescribed time. They were undoubtedly still committed to Islām.

Through the Prophet’s investigation, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was able to confirm their real intentions through either Khālid or the physical coming of the tribe to him. Banī al-Mustaliq asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) why the initial delegate (al-Walīd b. ʿUqbah) rushed to leave before collecting the Zakāh, fearing that it was the Prophet who ordered him to return. The tribe continued pleading their case with the Prophet until it was clear that they intended no harm and were extremely committed to

Islām and to their financial duties. Recall the verse:

If he were to obey you in many things, you would suffer for it...

Had the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) believed the account that Banī al- Mustaliq had left Islām and refused to pay the Zakāh, a war may have resulted that would have spilt inviolable blood and wealth, and some may have been punished by Allāh. Like Banī Tamīm mentioned in the previous section, Banī al-Mustaliq came to the Prophet for a similar reason but surrounded by different circumstances. This may be why the two accounts are mentioned side by side. Allāh thus revealed these verses guiding the ummah then and today on the correct etiquette for engaging with collectives of people and upon receiving news in general.

Is a Companion Being Labelled a Fāsiq?

The first question that may come to mind is, does this mean al-Walīd (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu), a companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), can be called a Fāsiq? This is considering such a label’s implications on honesty and integrity, against the established trustworthiness of all companions. As a matter of fact, the Mufassirūn have agreed that this is not the case. What occurred from al-Walīd was nothing more than speculation, and nothing implies that he either desired to cause harm or intended on telling a lie. It is farfetched and unjust to label al-Walīd a Fāsiq since he was mistaken in his judgement, and a person who makes a genuine mistake cannot be called a Fāsiq. It was further narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) merely said to al-Walīd:

“Scrutiny is from Allāh and haste is from the Shayṭān.”¹⁸⁰

Scrutiny allows a person time to reflect, according to Ibn al-Jawzī, and an opportunity to consider, compare, and contrast the different circumstances underpinning an account. It becomes as if a person has consulted himself, or carried out a personal Shūrā. He likens this to bread, the quality of which depends on the time it is left to ferment; the longer, the better.¹⁸¹ Opinion left to ferment is superior to that which is expressed instantly. The word ʿAql, though it contextually refers to the intellect, is linguistically sourced from ‘what restrains from obnoxious action and speech.’¹⁸² The purpose of one’s intellect is thus to restrain a person from doing what should not be done in haste. Haste is the reason for many of our misinformed opinions, confutations and resulting enormous regrets.

Nowhere did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reprimand al-Walīd or order him to repent for what he did. In fact, it was completely out of the ordinary for any tribe to come out to receive the person collecting the Zakāh. Ask yourself, what would the taxman think if he saw the debtor waiting on his doorstep with a weapon in his hand when he had felt unwelcome to begin with? Ibn ʿĀshūr speculates that the leaders of Banī al-Mustaliq tried to deter al-Walīd’s entry on purpose. This was not to prevent their Zakāh, but they felt that his entry would arouse resentment among their laity and remind them of old blood, especially when they saw him taking their money! Ironically, their intentions in that case were to prevent conflict rather than to cause it.

All of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) companions are trustworthy by the agreement of the scholars of Islām. A companion encompasses he or she who saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and believed in him or those who lived around him and supported him. Even if we take the latter, most conservative opinion that a companion is someone who lived directly around him and supported him, this will still include the vast majority of companions we know by name. And Allāh knows best.