Verification in Islam

Not a day goes by without Islam and Muslims being at the centre of discussions and debates in the community. In every newspaper, on every day, you will almost certainly find an article or two concerning Muslims. Unfortunately, however, such articles or comments have led to Muslims accusing or doubting one another, despite being fully aware that the media are known, to Muslims and non-Muslims, to report lies and fabricate stories. 

There is a famous principle in Islam, known to all learned scholars and students of Shariah, which states: ‘Verification is part of the Deen (religion).’ Verifying information is, hence, extremely important in Islam; in fact, it is an obligation.

Allah (SWT) says in the Qur’an, in al-Hujurat, 49:6:

“Oh you who believe! If a fasiq (sinner, liar or evil person) comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done.”

Allah (SWT) commands all those who believe (Muslims) to verify any news or information they hear from someone who is a fasiq (sinner). If this is the case for a corrupt Muslim fasiq, for greater reason we should verify any news we hear from a Kafir. In fact, it is known in Islam by necessity that it is a sin to doubt a trustworthy, upright Muslim, but, on the contrary, an obligation to doubt the Kuffar (disbelievers), especially journalists.

Therefore, if you hear any news from the Kuffar (or so-called Muslims who aspire to be like them) it is an obligation (wajib) upon you to verify it with the person in question – not anyone else – no matter how ‘plausible’ the report may seem.
 

The word Kuffar is the plural of ‘Kafir’, which means liar, or one who conceals the truth. In the time of the Messenger Muhammad (SAW), tabloid papers such as The Sun and Daily Mail did not exist, but instead there were poets who would fabricate and spread lies about the Muslims and their scholars, often accusing them of brainwashing youths, sorcery, preaching hate, or being madmen (lunatics) and extremists (Sabi’ah). But this did not cause friction between Muslims because they were fully aware of the obligation of verifying news and doubting the Kuffar.

One should bear in mind that it is the right (haqq) of a Muslim to be given the benefit of the doubt, no matter how realistic or true a story may sound. The Kuffar, being people who fabricate against Allah and His Messenger (SAW), can mix a word of truth with a hundred lies. 

It should also be borne in mind that images and videos can very easily be manipulated, especially with modern technology and software. And so too can the words of a Muslim be taken out of context and, quite possibly, fabricated.

Allah informs us in the aforementioned verse that a lack of verification will lead to harming Muslims, which will later be a cause for regret: 

“Oh you who believe! If a faasiq comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done.” (al-Hujurat, 49:6)