Islamic view on Rumors

 Updated on January 06, 2022

Faith calls upon us to bring out the best in ourselves and in others. Treating other people with integrity and respect is a sign of a believer. It is not permissible for a Muslim to spread rumors, gossip, or engage in backbiting of another person.

Teachings of the Qur'an

Islam teaches the believers to validate their sources, and not engage in conjecture. Repeatedly in the Qur'an, Muslims are warned about the sins of the tongue.

“Do not concern yourself with things about which you have no knowledge. Verily, your hearing, sight, and heart — all of them will be called to account" (Qur'an 17:36).

"Why do not the believing men and women, whenever such [a rumour] is heard, think the best of one another and say, “This is an obvious falsehood”? . . . When you take it up with your tongues, uttering with your mouths something of which you have no knowledge, you deem it a light matter. Whereas in the sight of God it is an awful thing!" (Qur'an 24: 12-15).

"Oh you who believe! If a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth, lest you harm people unwittingly, and afterwards become full of repentance for what you have done (Qur'an 49:6).

"O you who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others; it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former). Nor let some women laugh at others; it may be that the (latter are better than the (former). Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames. Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed. And those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong.

Oh you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible), for suspicion in some cases is a sin. And spy not on each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? No, you would abhor it...But fear Allah. For Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful" (Qur'an 49:11-12).

This literal definition of the word “backbiting” is something that we don’t often think about, but it is notable that the Qur'an regards it as distasteful as an actual act of cannibalism.

Teachings of the Prophet Muhammad

As a model and example for Muslims to follow, the Prophet Muhammad gave many examples from his own life about how to deal with the evils of gossip and backbiting. He started out by defining these terms:

The Prophet Muhammad once asked his followers, “Do you know what backbiting is?” They said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He continued, “Saying something about your brother that he dislikes.” Someone then asked, “What if what I say about my brother is true?” The Prophet Muhammad responded: “If what you say is true then you have backbitten about him, and if it is not true, then you have slandered him.”

Once a person asked the Prophet Muhammad for a description of what kind of good work would admit him into Paradise and distance him from the Hellfire. The Prophet Muhammad began to share with him a list of many good deeds, and then said: "Shall I inform you of the foundation of all of that?" He took hold of his own tongue and said, "Restrain yourself from this." Surprised, the questioner exclaimed, "Oh, Prophet of Allah! Are we held to task for the things that we say?" The Prophet Muhammad replied: "Does anything topple people headlong into Hellfire, more than the harvests of their tongues?"

How to Avoid Gossip and Backbiting

These instructions may seem self-evident, yet consider how backbiting and gossip remain the main causes of the destruction of personal relationships. It destroys friendships and families and fuels mistrust among community members. Islam guides us in how to deal with our human tendency towards gossip and backbiting:

Recognize that Allah sees and knows all things, while our own understanding and view is limited.

Recognize that nobody is perfect; we are all lacking in some way.

Recognize that Shaytan seeks to fuel doubt and mistrust among believers.

Speak well or keep quiet. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: “One can greatly beautify himself with two habits--good manners and lengthy silence.” On another occasion, he said: “Let the one who believes in Allah and the Hereafter utter good words, or let him be silent.”

If you hear a rumor about someone’s misfortune, strive for compassion rather than continuing the gossip. Remind others not to gossip, and if they don't listen, walk away. Allah praised such action in the Quran: "If they hear gossip, they walk away" (Quran 28:55).

Avoid spying. Spying fuels the trading of secrets and misinformation, and it creates a climate of mistrust.

Seek to make excuses for others. If a person does something that you think is wrong in some way, try to look at the situation from other person’s point of view. If we do this, we are less likely to dwell on the negative and seek to talk about it with others.

Repent to Allah for any mistakes you make, and seek the forgiveness of the person you hurt.

Exceptions

There may be some situations in which a story must be shared, even if it is hurtful. Muslim scholars have outlined six situations in which one is justified in sharing gossip:

When making a complaint to a judge about an injustice that has been done, in order for one to reclaim his or her rights.

To seek help which will prevent a person from continuing to commit a certain sin.

To seek advice from a Muslim scholar about whether a particular action is allowed or disallowed. In this case, one may mention a certain situation without giving names, in order to obtain a judgment on the matter.

To identify a particular person.

If someone publicly declares his sins, openly, there is no harm in speaking about it.

To warn others about a certain person. For example, it is an obligation for us to warn others about a person who is known to cheat or steal.

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Stubborn personality

 

You wouldn’t be able to achieve much if you didn’t believe in yourself. That said, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Some people act stubborn and claim it is due to their “confidence.” False. Stubbornness leads to arrogance. If you want be a critical thinker and stop alienating the people you love, watch out for these five signs you are a stubborn person (#4 will ruin your reputation in a hurry).

1. You fear new situations.

Stubborn people are afraid of change. Whether they realize it or not, they perceive new situations as threats that should be avoided at all costs. Anyone who tries to impose a change on them could be viewed as an oppressor subconsciously.

In some ways, this is a good thing. I perform at my best when I structure my days so they are as consistent as possible. It’s nice to have set times to read, write, study, exercise, eat lunch, and so on. However, you need to get comfortable with the fact that life isn’t always so predictable.

If confronted with an incredibly stressful situation, a person who fears change might find themselves living in denial. They could get fired or divorced, but behave as if nothing happened, because they can’t bring themselves to accept reality. This is not beneficial for anybody. Accept change, no matter how bad it might be. The healing process can’t begin until you do that.

2. You argue about everything.

Stubborn people have trouble admitting when they are wrong. They would rather argue than suffer a blow to their ego. This is especially prevalent in fights between romantic partners.

I used to be very stubborn. An ex-girlfriend once told me she was upset, because I didn’t make enough time for her. I deflected that criticism by blaming her for not taking enough interest in my new passion (fitness — this happened when I first became a personal trainer).

I should have accepted that I was wrong. Sure, she didn’t seem that interested in my new career choice, but that’s probably because I got so obsessed that I started to neglect her needs. I can’t imagine many women would have reacted any differently. Relationships require time and attention to flourish. An apology would have got me a lot farther than being stubborn.

3. You never change your mind.

Stubborn people cheat themselves out of growth and transformation. They cling to past beliefs in a misguided effort to protect themselves from change.

Could you imagine how ignorant we would all be if scientists behaved in this way? We would still be under the impression that the Earth is a flat object in the center of the universe. No, thanks. I’m relieved that history’s most brilliant thinkers were willing to challenge their assumptions.

Look at life as if it is an evolutionary process. When viewed from that perspective, it becomes completely acceptable to change your mind. Let a childlike curiosity guide you through every day. Ask yourself hard questions that might force you to reconsider your stance. Be wrong more often. Your personal development requires it.

4. You resort to ad hominem attacks.

Stubborn people lash out at those who challenge their ideology. They can’t speak with facts or figures (see #5), so they resort to personal attacks. This is very common in comment threads.

“Ad hominem” is a Latin phrase that means “to the man.” Politicians use ad hominem attacks all the time. Instead of addressing a point made during a debate, they expose a flaw in their opponent’s character to cast doubt on their point. This is not an ethical tactic.

Regular people are just as guilty as shady politicians. If you ever catch yourself calling a person “stupid,” then you could be dodging a tricky question. Insulting a person’s character is much easier than addressing their point. If you want to become a critical thinker, you need to stick with the facts.  If you’re not willing to do that, then you might as well keep your mouth shut.

5. You avoid information that contradicts your beliefs.

Stubborn people only read news from sources that confirm their biases. They don’t want to risk exposing themselves to conflicting information, because that could cause an identity crisis.

This behavior is most common in religious people. A child raised to believe “it’s all about faith” will be highly resistant to scientific findings that contradict their religion as an adult. This allows them to willfully ignore any facts that make it harder to believe in their higher power of choice.

This behavior is also common in political partisans. A liberal might avoid reading reports about how government inefficiencies result in wasteful spending, while a conservative might pass on a study that reveals government intervention improved the economy. It is very tempting to seek information that confirms your opinion, while ignoring information that contradicts it.

It’s okay to follow a religion or political party, but don’t be a sheep. If you can’t even acknowledge the existence of opposing viewpoints, how confident can you really be in your belief? Your tunnel vision could be blinding your judgment. Be courageous enough to challenge your perspective. If your belief is worth having, it will be stronger for it

Healthy discussion

Islam encourages healthy discussion among its followers. It encourages an environment where the individuals in a group or in the society sit together and share their intellect as well as thoughts regarding the matters that concern the collective well being. However, Islam discourages any other undertaking that are not directed towards making the life of other people better. One of such acts of conversation condemned by Islam is rumor.

There is no harm in having gossip that is based on sharing experiences and feelings that are authentic, however, Islam condemns any gossiping that is undertaken with the objective of spreading rumors. Muslims who learn Quran can easily understand the forbiddance of spreading a rumor in Quran and the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) also speak against this act.

The lines below discuss the way in which Islam discourages spreading of rumor and the mitigating measures that a Muslim is to adopt against it.

Allah Almighty says in Quran:
Verdict of Islam

“O you who believe! If a Faasiq (liar – evil person) comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done.” (49:6)

In this ayah Allah Almighty explains the problem as well as the solution to it. With one or two encounter or interactions with a person one is able to judge whether the next person is a liar or not, therefore, once that is identified then a Muslim should always verify and weight the news brought by such a person. Lying is the root cause behind the existence of rumor, therefore, those who know that the news come from a lying person, should stop and verify it before spreading it to others. Any action undertaken on the news of a liar without any verification is definitely to cause an action that a Muslim would regret in future.

People might argue that the rumor is just for the sake of gossip and it has nothing to do with lying. As it has nothing to do with lying therefore for them it is permissible to gossip and spread the rumor. Prophet Muhammad (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) regarded spreading of a rumor as a form of lying in the following hadith:

“Should I tell you what is a blatant lie? It is a rumor circulating among people.”

[Muslim] 

Thus rumor is not some kind of gossip which one might undertake in leisure, rather rumor spreading is a form of lying and the way it is spoken or spread makes it blatant or obvious. Therefore, those who spread gossip and rumor are actually speaking lie with boldness and without any fear. Ergo, a Muslim ought to differentiate healthy gossip from the one that turns into a rumor which in return is a form of lying spoken at a massive scale.

Pertaining to the condemnation of spreading a rumor and false gossip that does not have any authenticity associated with it, Prophet Muhammad (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said in a hadith:

“Allah has forbidden you to disobey your mothers, to bury your daughters alive, to not pay the rights of others and to beg from others. And He dislikes gossip for you, asking too many questions and wasting money”.

[Bukhari] 

In this hadith the message is as obvious as it gets. Gossiping and spreading a gossip is not one of the acts that is adored by Allah Almighty. Therefore, as imperative it is for a Muslim to obey his or her mother, it is equally imperative for a Muslim to stay away from gossip. The act of gossiping might seem trivial at first, however, if its implications are analyzed one gets to know that they are far grave than what one associates with rumor or casual gossiping.

The seriousness of gossiping and spreading a false rumor is addressed by Allah Almighty in Quran in the following way:
False gossip on spreading rumors

“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 sign of Allah, tremendous.” (24:15)

Being humans we are short sighted and see things only in the perspective or in the vision which is under our control or power. We might spread a rumor thinking it to be casual and not having any graveness associated with it, however, it is not that the rumor is trivial, rather it is our comprehension of things that is trivial and immature. It is only Allah Almighty who has a greater view of things and who knows that what damage could a seemingly casual or trivial gossip could cause, therefore, it needs to be avoided in any cases and under any circumstances.

The question then to ask is that how should a Muslim deal with gossiping or how can he or she keep it away and resist its evil implications. The answer can be easily inferred from the following hadith of Prophet Muhammad (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) in which He said:

“When man wakes up in the morning each day, all his body parts warn his tongue saying: ‘Fear Allah with regards to us, for we are under your mercy; if you are upright we will be upright and if you are crooked, we will be crooked.”

[Tirmidhi] 

The tongue of a person is in the center of it all. It is with this tongue that a person spreads rumors and if this tongue is under the control then the ultimate result would be a person refraining from spreading of rumors. Moreover, one also needs to avoid sitting in the company of liars from whom one hears only false rumors which are then spread by the tongue. Therefore, in addition to controlling one’s own tongue, one should also avoid spreading of rumor by verifying its source first and then telling it to others.

In a nutshell, the spreading of rumor is never trivial or casual that could be done for fun, rather it is always grave and has far reaching implications. Islam detests it, therefore, a Muslim must refrain from spreading of rumor, which can only be done if a Muslim when hearing a news verifies it firsts and then makes sensible use of his or her tongue.

ln the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful Tribalism is a pernicious belief that has afflicted all human societies in every time period, originating in the worship of idols and reconstructing itself into many ideological forms throughout the ages. In modern times, we know it as the scourges of racism, xenophobia, supremacism, and militarism. In practice, it rears its ugly head to us in the shape of prejudice, bigotry, discrimination, and violence. Allah has commanded us to uphold justice with all other human beings regardless of their race, religion, lineage, status, or identity. Allah said: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًا فَاللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا الْهَوَىٰ أَن تَعْدِلُوا O you who believe, be persistently standing firm in justice as witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. Follow not your desires, lest you not be just. Surat al-Nisa 4:135 Tribalists, by contrast, reject universal standards of justice. They divide the world into the privileged in-group and the demonized out-groups, holding to the slogan, “My people (or nation) right or wrong.” Their love of their own people, and hatred of others, causes them to rationalize and justify the unjustifiable. Love for one’s people is normal and healthy, if it leads to good deeds. But such love that comes at the expense of justice is no praiseworthy love at all. Wathila ibn Al-Asqa’ reported: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, is it part of tribalism that a man loves his people?” The Prophet said: لَا وَلَكِنْ مِنَ الْعَصَبِيَّةِ أَنْ يُعِينَ الرَّجُلُ قَوْمَهُ عَلَى الظُّلْمِ No, rather it is tribalism that he supports his people in wrongdoing. Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 3949, Grade: Hasan Tribalism by this definition has been rejected by Islam in the harshest terms. Tribalism is a form of “blind following” whose adherents live in “ignorance,” an allusion to the pre-Islamic worship of idols. Jundab ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: مَنْ قُتِلَ تَحْتَ رَايَةٍ عِمِّيَّةٍ يَدْعُو عَصَبِيَّةً أَوْ يَنْصُرُ عَصَبِيَّةً فَقِتْلَةٌ جَاهِلِيَّةٌ Whoever is killed under the banner of blind following, who calls to tribalism or supports tribalism, then he has died upon ignorance