To what extent is the story true about Sultan Murad IV, who inspected his subjects in disguise and found a dead man whom no one cared for, and people described him as a heretic, a drunkard, and an adulterer, while his wife testified to his righteousness, justifying his actions as being for the purpose of alleviating evil from Muslims, and that the Sultan himself prayed over him and buried him as the man had predicted?

The widely circulated story of Sultan Murad IV regarding having good assumptions is not authentic for two reasons: First, there are no memoirs of Sultan Murad IV that mention the story. Second, Sultan Murad IV was known for prohibiting alcoholic beverages and closing down places that sold them during his reign. Even if we assume the story is true, it is not valid to use it as an argument for the obligation of having good assumptions about someone who frequents suspicious places. This is because a Muslim must not put themselves in positions of accusation, to safeguard their own honor and reputation, and because Satan flows through a human being like blood, as stated in the Hadith of Safiyyah bint Huyayy. The Salaf (pious predecessors) emphasized that whoever exposes themselves to suspicion should not blame those who have a bad assumption about them. Therefore, a Muslim must avoid doubtful matters and is not permitted to enter suspicious places except for the purpose of enjoining good and forbidding evil, if the benefit outweighs the harm.