Verifying News Before Sharing: A Moral Obligation in Islam
THE PROHIBITION OF DISCLOSING UNRELIABLE AND UNINVESTIGATED NEWS
ALLĀH says:
وَإِذَا جَآءَهُمۡ أَمۡرٌ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡنِ أَوِ ٱلۡخَوۡفِ أَذَاعُواْ بِهِۦۖ وَلَوۡ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ وَإِلَىٰٓ أُوْلِى ٱلۡأَمۡرِ مِنۡهُمۡ لَعَلِمَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَنۢبِطُونَهُۥ مِنۡهُمۡۗ
And when they hear news of security or fear, they publicize it. Had they referred it to the Messenger or their authorities, those who sought news could learn it from them.
Here ALLĀH chides HIS slaves for doing something that is not befitting, and teaches them that when news comes to them of any important matter and any matter that affects the public interest and has to do with reassurance and the joy of the believers, or some disquieting matter that may signal bad news, they must verify it and not hasten to spread that news. Rather they must refer to the Messenger (ﷺ) and to the people in authority, people of wisdom, knowledge, sincerity, reason and maturity, who know about things and what is and is not in the public interest.
Then if it is determined that there is some interest to be served by broadcasting the news, and that it will encourage the believers and make them happy, or it will alert the Muslims to some plot of their enemies, in that case they may go ahead and broadcast the news. But if they determine that there is no interest to be served, or that there is some slight interest but the harm it will cause outweighs that interest, then they should not broadcast it. Hence ALLĀH says: “those who sought news could learn it from them” that is, because they will be learning it from those who have examined the matter on the basis of their mature thinking and knowledge.
This points to a basic principle of manners and attitude, which is that if there is to be a discussion concerning any matter, it should be referred to those who are qualified to discuss it, and no one should try to pre-empt them, because this is more likely to develop the right understanding of the issue and to lead to sound decision-making and avoidance of error. It also indicates that it is not allowed to be hasty in spreading news as soon as it is heard; rather what is enjoined is to think about it and see whether it is beneficial, in which case one may go ahead and broadcast it, otherwise one should refrain from doing so.
{Tafsir As-Sa’di}
In the introduction to his Sahih, Imam Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said: “Narrating everything one hears is sufficient to make a person a liar.”
In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that Al-Mughirah bin Shu`bah said that the Messenger of ALLĀH (ﷺ) prohibited: “It was said,” and, “So-and-so said.”
This Hadith refers to those who often convey the speech that people utter without investigating the reliability and truth of what he is disclosing.
{Tafsir Ibn Kathīr}