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yā-ʾayyuhā lladhīna ʾāmanū ʾin jāʾakum fāsiqun bi-nabaʾin fa-tabayyanū ʾan tuṣībū qawman bi-jahālatin fa-tuṣbiḥū ʿalā mā faʿaltum nādimīna
O you who have faith! If a vicious character brings you some news, verify it, lest you should visit [harm] on some people out of ignorance, and then become regretful for what you have done.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah al-Hujurat - Verse 6
6. O you who believe! If an evil-doer comes to you with important news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance [out of haste in belief and making decision], and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done.
Addressed to believers, the blessed Verse in question is saying that if an evil-doer comes to you with intelligence, do not acknowledge it unless you investigate its veracity, otherwise if you do something in ignorance, you may have done something wrong and thereafter you may regret what you have done. A number of jurisprudents make use of the blessed Verse in question to argue the authenticity of a tradition transmitted by one single but honest transmitter, since the contextual meaning of the blessed Verse indicates that the intelligence imparted by a wrong-doer is not to be trusted.
Concerning the occasion of the revelation of the blessed Verse in question, it is said that the Noble Prophet (S) dispatched Walid ibn ‘Uqba ibn Abi Mu’it to collect the alms tax from Banu Mustaliq. The latter intended to pay homage to him and in so doing went to welcome him. Upon seeing them, Walid was afraid and thought that they were there to take his life. Thus, he returned to the Noble Prophet (S) saying that they failed to pay the alms tax and intended to take his life.
The Noble Prophet (S) became sad, but they came unto him saying:
“We had come to pay homage to your messenger by welcoming him, but upon seeing us, he returned and we are unaware as to the reason behind his return. Now, we have come to see whether he conveyed the truth. The alms tax is ready. Send someone to collect it.”
The Noble Prophet (S) summoned Khalid ibn Walid and ordered him confidentially to go to them and see if they acted upon Islamic precepts and collect the alms tax if he sees that they act upon precepts but confront them like disbelievers if they fail to act upon them. When Khalid reached there, he heard the evening call to prayer. He collected the alms tax and returned. It was then that the blessed Verse in question;
(“O you who believe! If an evil-doer comes to you with important news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance [out of haste in belief and making decision], and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done”)
was revealed. Another occasion for the revelation of the blessed Verse is reported but for the sake of brevity, mention is not herein made of the same. Now, let us take a glance at the meaning of fisq (“wrong-doing”) and fasiq (“wrong-doer”). The Arabic word fisq denotes deviation and in Qur’anic terms, it connotes deviation from the straight path. The word is the antonym of ‘adala (“justice”) and fasiq is applied to someone who commits a grave sin but fails to repent it.
The Arabic word fisq is employed in different contexts in the Holy Qur’an, including: disobedience of the Pharaoh and his people to Allah:
(“Indeed they are a people who are disobedient to Allah,”) 8 ;
Hypocrisy:
(“Indeed, the hypocrites are disobedient to Allah,”) 9 ;
abusing Prophets and disobedience to their injunctions:
(“They said: ‘O Moses! We shall never enter it so long as they are there. Therefore, go you and your Lord and fight you two, we are sitting right here.’ He said: ‘O my Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother, so separate us from the people who are disobedient to Allah.’”) 10 ;
those who do not judge based on Divine Law:
(“Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein. And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such people are disobedient to Allah.”) 11 ;
the deceitful:
(“And ask them about the town that was by the sea; when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath, when their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath and did not come to them on the day they had no Sabbath. Thus, We made a trial of them, for they used to disobey Allah.”) 12 ;
those who leave aside the significant obligation of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil:
(“Therefore, when they forgot the reminding that had been given to them, We rescued those who forbade evil, but We seized those who did wrong with a severe torment because they used to disobey Allah.”) 13 ;
those who prefer their families and worldly possessions over jihad for Allah’s Cause:
(“O you who believe! Take not as helpers your fathers and your brothers if they prefer disbelief to belief. And whoever of you does so, then he is one of the wrong-doers.”) 14 ;
obvious sins and sexual deviations and unlawful sexuality:
(“Indeed, We are about to bring down on the people of this town a great torment from the sky, because they have been disobedient to Allah.”) 15 ;
consumption of unlawful food:
(“Unlawful to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering, and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns and that which has been [partly] eaten by a wild animal unless you are able to slaughter it [before its death] and that which is sacrificed on stone altars. Unlawful is also to use arrows seeking luck or decision; all that is disobedience to Allah.”) 16 ;
accusing chaste women:
(“And those who accuse chaste women, and produce not four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes, and reject their testimony forever. Indeed, they are disobedient to Allah.”) 17 .
Other instances are not mentioned for the sake of brevity. The Holy Qur’an harshly criticizes those who hear rumors and disseminate the same without investigation as to their authenticity
(“When there comes to them some matter touching public safety or fear, they make it known. If only they had referred it to the Messenger or to those charged with authority amongst them, the proper investigators would have understood it from them. Had it not been for Allah’s Favor and Mercy bestowed upon you, you would have followed Satan, but a few of you.”) 18 .
The Holy Qur’an has stipulated a harsh chastisement for those who agitate the society through spreading false news among people:
(“If the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease and those who spread false news amongst the people in Medina do not cease [their activities], We shall certainly let you overpower them. Then, they will not be able to stay in it as your neighbors but a little while.”) 19 .
In his last year of life, when the Noble Prophet (S) was on pilgrimage he said:
“Those who spread false news are large in number and their number will grow in future. Whoever voluntarily accuses me of lying shall abide in Hell. Compare whatever you hear concerning me against the Holy Qur’an and my traditions (sunna). If you find them consistent with them, acknowledge them, but you do not, reject them.” 20
Imam Sadiq (as) cursed a certain person who falsely attributed traditions to his father (as) saying:
“Whatever you hear from us compare it against the Holy Qur’an or our words, if you find testimony for the same, you may accept them, otherwise do not acknowledge them.” 21
Imam Ridha (as) said:
“Our words are substantiated by the Holy Qur’an and Prophetic traditions.” 22
It is worthy of note that one of the most significant of Islamic sciences is that of transmission authorities (rijal) by which sound and unsound traditions narrated by transmitters may be assayed. Believers are supposed to be interested in investigation of matters rather than being superficial and look at matters simplistically.
Footnotes