THE UNNOTICED LIE: NARRATING EVERYTHING ONE HEARS

Abdullah ibn Amir narrates: “My mother called me one day when the Messenger of Allah (saw) was sitting in our house. She said: Come here and I shall give you something. The Messenger of Allah (saw) asked her: What do you intend to give him? She replied: I intend to give him some dates. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: If you were not to give him anything, a lie would be recorded against you.” (Abu Dawud, Adab, 88)

The Prophet Muhammad (saw), who throughout his life never uttered a single lie and was known even by his enemies as “Muhammad al Amin” (Muhammad the Trustworthy), described what many might consider a trivial and common behavior as a “lie,” as seen in this example. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) was exceedingly sensitive about the avoidance of lying and consistently warned his ummah on this matter. He rejected the dismissive attitude of “Who has ever died from lying?” and emphasized that lying could lead to hellfire, as he stated: “It is obligatory for you to tell the truth, for the truth leads to virtue and virtue leads to paradise, and the man who continues to speak the truth, and endeavors to tell the truth, is eventually recorded as ‘siddiq’ (truthful) with Allah, and beware of telling of a lie for telling a lie leads to obscenity and obscenity leads to hell-Fire, and the person who keeps telling lies and endeavors to tell a lie is recorded as a liar with Allah.” (Muslim, Birr wa Sila, 105)

Just as knowingly telling a lie is a sin that leads a person step by step toward hellfire, unknowingly transmitting falsehoods and facilitating lies by repeating everything one hears is equally sinful. To highlight this truth, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: “It is enough of a lie (sin in a different narration) for a man that he narrates everything he hears.” (Muslim, Muqaddimah, 5; Abu Dawud, Adab, 80)

This hadith clearly demonstrates that it is sinful for a Muslim to convey information to others without verifying its accuracy. Similarly, the hadith commands Muslims to be diligent in investigating the source of a report to avoid falling into the position of a “liar” by transmitting false information. This directive is more explicitly expressed in the following verse: “O believers, if an evildoer brings you any news, verify (it) so you do not harm people unknowingly, becoming regretful for what you have done.” (Hujurat, 49:6)

The meaning and ruling of the verse, which emphasizes that it is not appropriate to accept information brought by unreliable individuals without verifying its accuracy, are general and apply universally across all times and places. This instruction is crucial for ensuring the orderly functioning of social and legal life and for preventing injustices and disturbances. (Kur’an Yolu Tefsiri, V, 89–90).