The Shari’ah Status of Spreading Rumors (Ishā’ah)
The Shari’ah (Legal) Status of Spreading Rumors (Ishā’ah)
Ishā’ah refers to rumors or hearsay that are spread without knowing their authenticity or source. They are generally conveyed with words like “it is said,” “it was said,” “it was heard,” or “it is claimed.” During the dissemination of these rumors, they are almost always altered and exaggerated.
In the Holy Qur’an, Allah Almighty commands:
{يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِنۡ جَآءَكُمۡ فَاسِقٌ ۢ بِنَبَاٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوۡۤا اَنۡ تُصِيۡبُوۡا قَوۡمًا ۢ بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصۡبِحُوۡا عَلٰى مَا فَعَلۡتُمۡ نٰدِمِيۡنَ}.(1)
Translation: "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."
In the commentary of this verse, Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in Tafsir Ahsan-ul-Bayan:
“Setting aside the discussion of the context of revelation, a very important principle has been stated in it, which is of utmost importance at both individual and collective levels. It is the responsibility of every individual and every government that whatever news or information comes to it, especially from wicked, sinful, and mischievous people, it should be investigated first so that no action is taken against anyone based on a misunderstanding.”
Similarly, Sheikh Abdur-Rahman bin Nasir Al-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) states in his Tafsir:
“This is also among the etiquettes that wise people adhere to: when a disobedient person brings them news, they investigate his news and do not act upon it without investigation. This is because there is a great danger and risk of falling into sin. For when the news of a sinful and wicked person is taken as the news of a truthful and just person, and a ruling is made according to its requirements and demands, it will lead to the unjust loss of life and property, which will cause regret. After hearing the news given by a sinful and wicked person, its investigation and verification are obligatory. If evidence and context indicate its truthfulness, it should be acted upon and confirmed. And if evidence and context indicate its falsehood, it should be considered a lie and not acted upon.”
“In this noble verse is evidence that the news of a truthful and just person is acceptable, the news of a liar is rejected, and the news of a disobedient person is to be held in abeyance. Based on this, the Salaf (early Muslims) accepted many narrations from the Khawarij who were known for their truthfulness, even though they were disobedient.”
It should be remembered that we will be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about everything we do with our limbs and faculties, as Allah Almighty has said:
{وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ ۚ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولَٰئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْئُولًا}.(2)
Translation: "And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned."
Regarding this verse, Maulana Abdur-Rahman Kilani says in Tafsir Tayseer-ul-Qur’an:
“A very great principle of Shari’ah is that one should have a good opinion of every person until some dishonesty or wrong action of his comes to light openly. Everyone should neither say anything without investigation, nor harbor suspicion against anyone without reason until he has thoroughly investigated. He should not accuse or slander anyone without thinking, nor spread any rumor, nor harbor malice and enmity against anyone. Similarly, it is necessary for the court not to impose any punishment on the accused until his crime is proven. Then this process of investigation is not confined to these matters only, but also includes those customs and traditions that have been passed down from ancestors. It is necessary to investigate whether their origin exists in the Shari’ah or not.”
“The eye and the ear are mentioned because we get most of our information through these sources, and the job of the heart is to reflect on them and reach a correct conclusion. It means that the limbs of those who hold such suspicions, spread baseless rumors, and accept things without investigation will also be questioned.”
Furthermore, it is narrated from the Prophet ﷺ in this regard:
“كَفَى بِالْمَرْءِ كَذِبًا، أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ”. (3)
Translation: “It is sufficient for a man to be considered a liar that he narrates everything he hears.”
In Islam, the spreading of rumors and hearsay has been strongly condemned. Muslims have been commanded to first investigate and verify news. From ancient times, it has been a practice that people have tried to spread everything they hear without any investigation. But in the present era, especially since the rise of social media, this tribulation has increased further and is continuing to grow, and people are also witnessing its gravity.
If all aspects of this hearsay are considered, it is found that they are related to either religious, worldly, or personal matters:
1- Religious connection in the sense that on social media, the statement of any person is taken and it is said that this is a verse, this is a Hadith, this is the saying of so-and-so, etc., and people share it without any investigation. Or they present someone’s grave as the grave of the Prophet ﷺ, or they publish it under the names of other prophets and companions that this is the grave of such-and-such prophet or such-and-such companion, except for those graves about which we know with clarity, they are exceptions.
2- Or in a worldly sense, such as someone making a prediction about astronomy or a prediction about geology that earthquakes will occur at such-and-such time or place, or this or that will happen, and people share it without investigation.
3- Or sometimes this rumor is about individuals, that such-and-such scholar has passed away while he is alive, or someone has been put in jail, whereas it is false news. This is especially the case with the rumors spread by the Ikhwani (Brotherhood-affiliated) people regarding the Imams of the Haramain (the Two Holy Mosques), and our Muslim society begins to forward it based on this without investigation.
Similarly, some mischievous people, indulging in greed and materialism, create some fake links and say that this has been offered as a prize by the prime minister of such-and-such country, so whoever forwards this message to thirty people will be included among the prize winners, etc.
There are many who neither consider the time of night nor the busy hours of others; they just forward whatever they receive without investigation and feel no aversion to it, whereas Allah, the Lord of Glory, says: {َاِذۡ تَلَـقَّوۡنَهٗ بِاَلۡسِنَتِكُمۡ وَتَقُوۡلُوۡنَ بِاَفۡوَاهِكُمۡ مَّا لَـيۡسَ لَـكُمۡ بِهٖ عِلۡمٌ وَّتَحۡسَبُوۡنَهٗ هَيِّنًا ۖ وَّهُوَ عِنۡدَ اللّٰهِ عَظِيۡمٌ}.(4)
Translation: "When you received it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allah, tremendous."
Regarding the punishment for those who spread rumors without any investigation, it is narrated from Samurah ibn Jundab (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said one morning:
“Last night, two visitors came to me and they woke me up and said to me, ‘Come with us.’ I went with them. We came to a man who was lying on his back and another man was standing over him with an iron hook. He would come to one side of his face and rip his cheek to the back of his head, and his nose to the back of his head, and his eye to the back of his head. Then he would turn to the other side and do the same as he had done on the first side. He would hardly finish with the second side before the first side would return to its original, healthy state. Then he would do the same again as he had done the first time (and this was happening continuously).
Then the Prophet ﷺ explained the reason for this punishment, saying: “This is the man who would leave his house in the morning and fabricate a lie that would spread throughout the world.”(5)
Disadvantages of Rumors (Ishā’ah):
1- Defamation of an individual or group among Muslims.
2- Humiliation and disgrace of Muslims and their isolation in times of difficulty.
3- Dividing Muslims and fueling disputes among them.
4- The mixing of true and false news.
5- The erosion of trust among people.
6- Causing great harm to an individual or group of Muslims.
How can we combat rumors…?!
1- First, investigate the authenticity of news, then transmit it.
2- Leave public affairs to the people in authority (rulers and scholars).
As it is in the Qur’an:
{وَاِذَا جَآءَهُمۡ اَمۡرٌ مِّنَ الۡاَمۡنِ اَوِ الۡخَـوۡفِ اَذَاعُوۡا بِهٖ ۚ وَلَوۡ رَدُّوۡهُ اِلَى الرَّسُوۡلِ وَاِلٰٓى اُولِى الۡاَمۡرِ مِنۡهُمۡ لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِيۡنَ يَسۡتَنۡۢبِطُوۡنَهٗ مِنۡهُمۡؕ وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهٗ لَاتَّبَعۡتُمُ الشَّيۡطٰنَ اِلَّا قَلِيۡلًا}.(6)
Translation: "And when there comes to them information about [public] security or fear, they spread it around. But if they had referred it back to the Messenger or to those of authority among them, then the ones who [can] draw correct conclusions from it would have known ab1out it. And if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, you would have followed Satan, except for a few."
3- Rely on official sources for public news.
4- Pay no attention to unreliable news.
5- Only transmit useful and verified information among people.
6- Abandon that which is meaningless and futile.
As it is in the Hadith: “مِنْ حُسْنِ إِسْلَامِ الْمَرْءِ تَرْكُهُ مَا لَا يَعْنِيهِ”.(7)
Translation: “Part of the perfection of a person’s Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him.”
7- Have a good opinion of your other Muslim brothers.
In conclusion: A rumor is something that an envious and spiteful person creates, then a fool spreads it, and then many foolish people believe it. So, try not to be one of these three.
Each one of us should not quote or publish the translation of a verse, a saying, or any news without investigation. Because sometimes what you consider to be good news and hasten to spread among people without investigation may turn out to be the opposite and change into bad news. Similarly, we should not confirm what someone says about a person without seeing it with our own eyes, because we live in a society where people are accustomed to spreading rumors…
(1) Al-Hujurat: 6
(2) Al-Isra: 36
(3) Sahih Muslim: 5
(4) An-Nur: 15
(5) Sahih al-Bukhari: 7047
(6) An-Nisa: 83
(7) Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 2317 – Sahih
Umm Muhammad Khushnuma Muslehuddin
Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah Al-Mukarramah
