Allah سبحانه و تعالى has given a strange order (hukm), the importance of which has increased to a very high degree in these times. Masha’Allah, this is the age of social media. It remains obscure from where the discussions originate from, anonymous reports circulate, fictitious news are being spread, and nowadays, Masha’Allah, scenes are also created in photoshop, voices are also changed and things get completely transformed with the help of technology. In a matter of minutes, rage is caused across the country by spreading rumours. Allah سبحانه و تعالى says:
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِن جَآءَكُمۡ فَاسِقُۢ بِنَبَإٍ۬ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓاْ أَن تُصِيبُواْ قَوۡمَۢا بِجَهَـٰلَةٍ۬ فَتُصۡبِحُواْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلۡتُمۡ نَـٰدِمِينَ
“O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful.” [49:6]
Therefore people who forward everything are great sinners. And let me tell you one more thing, the message which says: “Forward this message instantly” you should just delete it straight away. Why should we pass it on instantly without verifying? Some messages state “if you forward it, you will receive some good news”. Subhan’Allah is it really that simple to receive good news? And this will happen and that will happen and you will attain barakah in business, as if this barakah is no longer in the hands of Allah, but it is now owned by those who forward messages. And they say “If you delete this message, you will suffer some great loss”. It seems they have become the owner of all the treasures of Allah. These are all different methodologies of people spreading rumours and hear say. These are all plans of Satan. Those who forward everything without verifying are liars in the sight of Allah. Their names get written in the list of liars. Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“كفى بالمرء كذبًا أن يحدث بكل ما سمع”
“It is enough for a man to prove himself a liar when he goes on narrating whatever he hears.” [Muslim]
It is not permissible to forward every news, to pass on every report. No! Allah has ordered us to verify the news received from some anonymous or fasiq (evil person).
Once a person wrote something and gave the reference of Muslim Shareef, with name of the chapter and hadith number. I was sitting in my khanqah and when I saw this, I found it strange since the manner of speech of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم is quite different. When I researched, I could not find any hadith with the hadith number which was given. Sometimes it happens that a muhaddith narrates one hadith and then afterwards on the next number, he discusses something or records the saying of a muhaddith with regards to the previous hadith. So it was this type of analysis with regards to the previous hadith and it was not related to the topic in any way, shape or form. It was completely fake. The name of the book, name of the chapter and the hadith number, everything was forged. If a layman sees that the reference of Muslim Shareef is given, he will automatically assume it to be true. No! We cannot even be satisfied with this. First confirm it with elders, do some research and verify it.
“…فَتَبَيَّنُوٓاْ أَن تُصِيبُواْ قَوۡمَۢا بِجَهَـٰلَةٍ۬ فَتُصۡبِحُواْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلۡتُمۡ نَـٰدِمِينَ”
“…investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful.”
Its importance has even more increased in this age.
Excerpt taken from the of discourse Hazrat Shaykh Sayyed Muhammad Talha Qasmi Naqshbandi DB
