What is your advice to writers who publish unverified news that incites discord and weakens the resolve of Muslims, claiming that they are unsure of the veracity of what they write?
One must verify news during times of tribulation and stay away from rumors. The Lawgiver (Allah and His Messenger) warned against narrating everything one hears, as indicated by the : "It is enough a lie for a person to narrate everything he hears," and the verse: "O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate," because excessive talk leads to error and recounting people's sayings without verification. Umar ibn al-Khattab warned against tribulations, for the impact of the tongue in them is like the impact of a sword. History is full of examples of the danger of rumors, such as the incident of the Slander (Al-Ifk). The Shar'i (Islamic legal) methodology for dealing with news includes deliberation and verification. Verification means exerting effort to know the truth of the news and its circumstances, because a believer pauses until he ascertains.
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Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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