335. FEAR Allaah Before Your Forward That Message!

By Asma bint Shameem

This is a VERY IMPORTANT message to all those who have WhatsApp or other social media.

We MUST VERIFY what we say or teach or forward to others

That’s the DUTY that *Allaah Himself* has placed on us.

Allaah says:

“O you who believe! If a Faasiq (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”
[al-Hujuraat 49:6]

Here Allaah is telling us that we should VERIFY any news before accepting it and spreading it.

Otherwise we’re GUILTY of promoting LIES and FALSEHOOD.

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

“It is enough LYING for a man to speak of everything that he hears.” (Muslim)

And he said:

"How BAD it is for a man to keep saying, *‘They say…’. ”* (al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 866)

 Al-‘Azeemabaadi said:

"Saying *‘they say…’* is akin to conjecture, i.e., the WORST HABIT of a man is to use the phrase ‘they say’ to serve his purposes.So he tells of something, merely repeating what others have said without verifying it, and thus *he transmits lies …*".

 Imaam an-Nawawi said:

“Usually a person hears truth and lies, so if he speaks of everything that he hears, he is *lying* by telling of things that did not happen, and lying by speaking of something other than the way it happened….”

*Talking about the Deen of Allaah without verification is a very SERIOUS SIN*

Allaah says:

"Who is GREATER IN EVIL than he, who, without knowledge, invents a lie about Allaah to mislead people?
Allaah does not guide the evildoers." (Surah An'aam: 144)

Just look at the words Allaah uses!*“Who is greater in evil...!”*

Yaa Allaah!

Do we even understand these words?!

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

“Verily, the WORST of LIES are for a man to claim... that *he saw a dream he did not see, or to say the Messenger of Allaah said what he did not.*” (al-Bukhaari)

And he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:

“Whoever attributes words to me that I did not say, let him take his place in HELL.”
(Muslim)

Such messages are also counted as spreading corruption

Allaah says about such people:

“ and (those who) spread corruption in the land, on them is the CURSE of Allaah (i.e. they will be far away from Allah's Mercy); And for them is the unhappy (evil) home (i.e. Hell).” (Surah ar-Ra’d :25)

The CURSE of Allaah!
For forwarding everything I receive on WhatsApp and social media without verifying?!

*Is that really worth it?!*

*SIN upon SIN*

If people follow whatever false information YOU have spread, then *you will get the SIN of EVERY SINGLE PERSON who does that wrong thing*, without taking away from the sin that’s upon you as well.

*And you will carry this burden on the Day of Judgment!*
Astaghfirullaah!

Allaah says:

*“They will BEAR their own BURDENS* in FULL on the Day of Resurrection, and *ALSO of the BURDENS* of those whom they *misled without knowledge*.Evil indeed is that which they shall bear!”
(Surah an-Nahl: 25)

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

"Whoever starts a bad thing in Islaam, and others do likewise after him, there will be written for him a burden of sin like that of those who followed him, without it detracting in the least from their burden.'" (Muslim)

So please VERIFY the news, before forwarding it; whether it’s related to the Deen or dunya; whether its to do with religious knowledge or medical information or to do with public interest or ANY THING ELSE.

ASK the people of knowledge if you want to confirm something.

And if you are not sure about it’s authenticity, DO NOT forward it.

It is an OBLIGATION placed on you as a *responsible* Muslim.

YOU will be asked about it.

May Allaah guide us and enable us to say only that which is true and proven Ameen.

And Allaah knows best.