If a Devious Person Brings You News Then Verify — Verifying Information Before Passing Judgment
tadabbur
Level: basic
knowledge
td-374
إِن جَآءَكُمۡ فَاسِقٌۢ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓاْ
— الحجرات 6
Verse: "O believers, if a devious person brings you news, verify it, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become regretful for what you have done." (49:6) — Context: the Prophet sent al-Walid ibn Uqba to Banu al-Mustaliq who falsely reported they had apostatized — a campaign nearly launched. "Verify" = stop and confirm before acting. The stated reason: "lest you harm a people out of ignorance" — ignorance is passing judgment without knowledge. The digital age has made this verse more urgent than ever: misleading news spreads at unprecedented speed. Lesson: verifying news before sharing or acting on it is a Quranic religious obligation.
Source: Ibn Kathir (7/357); Al-Sadi; Asbab al-Nuzul (Al-Wahidi)
Question: Why does the verse specifically require verification from a devious person news, not anyone?
Answer: Because a devious person is untrustworthy in reporting — while a trustworthy person news is accepted — but verifying from a devious person prevents falling into regret.