Brief Comments on Riyaadh al-Saaliheen #89

Avoid statements which have no references and verify before you narrate:

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Chapter: Ascertaining what one hears and narrates

Allaah تعالى says:

﴿وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ﴾

{And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not or witness not, etc.) that of which you have no knowledge} [Surah al-Israa (17): 36]

He تعالى also said:

﴿مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ﴾

{Not a word does he utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).} [Surah Qaaf (50):18]

1547 On the authority of Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “It is enough for a man to prove himself a liar when he goes on narrating everything that he hears.” [Imaam Muslim – in the introduction to his Saheeh]

[Note: In another narration it is: the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “It is sufficient a sin for a man that he speaks of everything that he hears.” [Sunan Abu Dawood (4992) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]]

1548 On the authority of Samurah رضي الله عنه, The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever narrates a Hadeeth from me knowing it to be false, then he is one of the liars.” (Either the one who invents a lie or the one who repeats it; both are liars). [Imaam Muslim – in the introduction to his Saheeh, Sunan al-Tirmidhee (2662) and Sunan Ibn Maajah (38, 39, 40, 41) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Saaleh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

The author (Imaam al-Nawawee) رحمه الله said in his book (Riyaadh al-Saaliheen) when he discussed about the prohibition of lying; and lying is when a person says something which is untrue. After that chapter he mentioned the following: Chapter: Ascertaining what one hears and narrates.

The person should verify what he narrates and what he speaks about, especially in this age (of ours) where desires are followed, and there is a lot of Qeel wa Qaal (it was said, he said, they said etc.), and speaking about things which may have happened or have never happened.

Then he brought the proof for that from the saying of Allaah تعالى: {And follow not that of which you have no knowledge}, meaning: chase not something about which you have no knowledge and speak not except with knowledge (and when you are sure about it).

And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Whoever believes in Allaah and the last day should speak good or remain silent.” [Saheehain]

And Allaah تعالى said: {Not a word does he utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)}, meaning, he has a watcher who watches his every statement, who is ever present and is not absent from him. This is a clear warning that one should not speak about a thing except when he has (sure) knowledge about it;  otherwise he would be sinning (if he speaks without knowledge).

Then the author mentioned the Hadeeth: “It is enough for a man to prove himself a liar when he goes on narrating everything that he hears”, meaning: if a person begins to narrate everything that he hears without verification and care, he will be susceptible of being labelled as a liar, and this is the reality. Some people may come to you saying: ‘such-and-such has happened’, but when you verify it, it turns out that it never happened; or they would come to you saying: ‘So-and-so has said such-and-such’, but when you verify it, it turns out that he never said such a thing.

And the worst (sin) is when it is done regarding the Commandments of Allaah تعالى and His Sharee`ah (Legislation). One may lie about Allaah and speak about the Qur’aan from his own opinion, and interpret the Qur’aan in a way other than its intended meaning; or a person lies about the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and says: ‘The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said such-and-such (or has done such-and-such)’, knowingly inventing a lie (and attributing it to the Prophet), or he narrates a Hadeeth, knowing that it is a lie, but he himself did not fabricate it, but he says: ‘So-and-so said such-and-such about the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم’, even after knowing that it is a lie, then he is also one of the liars, as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had explained (i.e. the one who invents a lie and the one who transmits it; both are liars).

The conclusion is that it is a must upon a person to verify before he speaks about a thing, and he should verify about the one who brings him the news, is he reliable or not because of the saying of Allaah تعالى:

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَن تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ﴾

{O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with a news, verify it, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful to what you have done.} [Surah al-Hujuraat (49): 6]

(It has become a necessity) especially (in a time) when those who follow their desires have increased, and people have become disorderly and confused, and are engaged more in Qeel wa Qaal (i.e. it was said, he said, they said etc.) without verifying and without evidence. In this case, verifying becomes one of the most important obligations so that one does not become the victim (of falsehood).

And Allaah is the One Who grants success.

[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen of Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen (6/186-187)]

۩•۞•۝•۞•۩

And many have been destroyed because of being hasty:

632 Ibn `Abbaas narrated that the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said to the Ashajj `Abdul-Qais: “Indeed there are two traits in you that Allah loves: clemency, and deliberateness.” [Saheeh Muslim]

Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Saaleh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

(The second characteristic which Allaah loves is): “deliberateness” - the absence of being hasty. And how many people have been destroyed and how many have stumbled because of being hasty in the affairs – irrespective of whether it is (being hasty) in narrating the news, or making judgments based on what one has heard or other than that.

Example: there are people who spread the news simply based on what they have heard. Whatever they hear (or read), they spread it. In this regards the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “It is enough for a man to prove himself a liar when he goes on narrating whatever he hears.” [Imaam Muslim – in the introduction to his Saheeh]

There are people who are quick in making judgments. They hear something about a person, and without verifying if he has said this or done that, they quickly make judgments about him: he has erred; he has deviated or something similar. And this is wrong. Deliberateness in the affairs only brings goodness.

[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen of Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen (3/577-578)]