الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا”
مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ
“وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
“All praise is to Allah. We praise him, we seek His help, His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and of our actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him. Whomsoever Allah leads astray, none can guide him.
I testify there is no God but Allah alone, without any partners, and that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is His servant and messenger.”
Welcome to the Friday Khutbah! A weekly series on the AlMaghrib Journal, based on sermons delivered by our esteemed instructors! We hope you find it beneficial!
Last year, in a small town in the UK, there was a tragic case involving the murder of some girls attending a dance class, a story which sent shockwaves throughout the country.
Immediately, a rumour began that the murderer was an asylum seeker with an Arabic-sounding name. That was last summer, and the entire country responded.
It caused widespread protests throughout the country. Masajid were attacked, police cars were overturned, a library was burned down.
It created a security crisis in the country. By the time the dust settled, it turned out that it was not a refugee at all. It wasn’t an asylum seeker. It was a person who was born in the United Kingdom who was not of Arab ethnicity at all.
But yet, by the time that news became verified, the harm had already been done, and this is not the only instance we have seen in recent times.
Wars can be launched. People can be killed. Misinformation can spread.
Allah gives us a principle, which is to verify before we amplify.
The Quranic Principle of Verification
Allah says:
“يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَأٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَن تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ”
“O you who believe, if an evil-doer comes to you with news, verify it, lest you harm others out of ignorance and become regretful.”
[Quran 49:6]
Spreading unverified information can lead to regret in this life and accountability in the Hereafter.
Those we harm with our words will have the right to seek justice on the Day of Judgment. This is not limited to major tragedies; misinformation at any scale can be destructive.
The Social Media Challenge
In our times, social media amplifies both truth and falsehood at lightning speed. A single accusation or story can destroy reputations in hours.
There was a case where a Muslim influencer accused a restaurant of Islamophobia. Thousands of people, without verifying the claim, bombarded the restaurant’s Google ratings, causing its score to plummet from 4.9 to 3.5 overnight.
Later, witnesses confirmed that the influencer’s version of events was false, and in fact, it was the customers who had behaved disrespectfully. Yet, by then, the damage to the business was already done.
This is what happens when we fail to verify before we amplify. Attacking the reputation of a business based on false claims is an act of shahadat zur, bearing false witness, which the Prophet ﷺ described as one of the gravest sins.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Shall I not inform you of the greatest of major sins? … To join partners in worship with Allah: to be undutiful to one’s parents…”
He ﷺ then sat up from his reclining position before saying:
“…And I warn you against bearing false witness.”
The Companions said that he ﷺ repeated the last warning until they thought he would never stop.
[Sahih al-Bukhari]
The Culture of “Breaking News”
In today’s news cycle, everything is labeled as “breaking,” and there is immense pressure to share information immediately. However, the Quran advises believers to pause, reflect, and verify before spreading news. Allah says about those who receive news related to security or fear:
“إِذَا جَاءَهُمْ أَمْرٌ مِّنَ الْأَمْنِ أَوِ الْخَوْفِ أَذَاعُوا بِهِ وَلَوْ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ وَإِلَى أُوْلِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْهُمْ لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَنْبِطُونَهُ مِنْهُمْ”
“When there comes to them news of security or fear, they spread it. But if they had referred it back to the Messenger or those in authority, those among them able to draw correct conclusions would have understood it.”
[Quran 4:83]
A story from the time of the Prophet ﷺ illustrates this beautifully.
A rumor spread that the Prophet had divorced his wives, causing widespread panic. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) went directly to the Prophet to confirm the truth, rather than speculating.
This act of going directly to the source is a timeless lesson for us all.
Practical Steps to Verify Information
How can we practically implement this principle of verification?
1. Pause Before Sharing: Ask yourself, is this information truly important or relevant? The Prophet ﷺ forbade idle talk and taught:
“From the excellence of a person’s Islam is to leave what does not concern him.”
[Sunan al-Tirmidhi]
2. Go Back to the Source: Whenever possible, confirm the truth with the people involved or trusted authorities.
3. Cross-Reference: In an age of fake news, cross-check information with multiple credible sources before spreading it. A quick search can reveal whether a report is trustworthy.
4. Consider Timing: Breaking news is rarely the full story. Waiting allows the truth to emerge and prevents spreading half-truths.
In a time of deception and information overload, our responsibility as Muslims is to be sources of calm and clarity, not chaos and fear.
We ask Allah to make us people of truth, who extinguish the fires of fitnah (discord) rather than fanning them.
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