Refrain from
Spreading Rumours

One should refrain from passing on anything they hear. One should think critically, investigate its genuineness, and only then form one’s opinions.

One of the commandments of the Quran is: “Believers, if an evil-doer brings you news, ascertain the correctness of the report fully, lest you unwittingly harm others, and then regret what you have done.” (49:6)

When a number of people live together in a society, all kinds of untoward incidents can take place. Then many different versions of these events are circulated and spread throughout the whole of society. But experience shows that just the hearing of some news is not enough, because if people start narrating it to others, it almost always happens that the nature or the wording of the news undergoes a change. If the event was initially a simple matter, by the time it reaches the last stages, it has become a very grave matter indeed.

The solution to this problem is that people should learn to think more critically. They could refrain from immediately passing on anything they hear and adopt the practice—especially in the case of bad news—of properly investigating the matter. That would be more judicious. They must examine the nature and genuineness of anything reported from all aspects and only then should they form their opinions.

If, on hearing bad news, say of a crime, and without investigating the facts, you communicate to others what is an unsubstantiated opinion about a supposed miscreant, you will have given a bad reputation to someone who is perhaps not even guilty of any crime, thus doing him immense harm. When the truth is finally made public, you will feel nothing but shame. Investigation is essential to distinguish facts from rumours. Those who are disinclined by nature to proceed to further examination, should refrain from expressing their views to others. Proper investigation is essential if the right conclusions are to be arrived at. Speaking without investigation is totally frivolous and, moreover un-Islamic.