فَتَبَيَّنُوا Check the Facts!

The Qur'an says:

إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَأٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ 

"If a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth, so you don't ignorantly wrong people, and then afterwards become sorry for what you have done." (49:6)

We shouldn't believe everything we are told and we should always check information. In fact, I would add to that verse by saying we should not only check what a wicked person tells us, but no matter who tells us. It's quite natural to be wary of things that a wicked person tells you - but we often lower our guard when it comes to information or stories a good person or a friend tells us. We are far more likely to accept things without question when it comes from family & friends. However it is you alone who is responsible to check information for yourself, and it is you alone who will be held accountable for it as the Qur'an says:

وَلاَ تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُوْلَئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُولاً 

"Do not follow things you have no knowledge of, for indeed your hearing, sight & heart will be held responsible for it." (17:36)

Checking our facts and finding out for ourselves is our personal responsibility as sentient beings created with a mind to reason with and a free will to act. We are responsible to delve deeper to ascertain the truth rather than just accept whatever we are told.

It's not that anyone is out to intentionally deceive you. It's simply that there are a hundred and one reasons why word of mouth information may be wrong. Even things you see with your own eyes can be misunderstood and misinterpreted. Beware of making assumptions or drawing conclusions without knowing the facts. The human mind has evolved the habit of filling in details to make up an incomplete picture. This can be useful when we need put together clues - but it can also be terribly misleading and harmful and indeed hurtful to others.

There are often many forces at play that cause us to accept information without checking the facts. For example we naturally accept and seek out self-justifying information. We find it easy to see perspectives that fuel our preconceptions, while instinctively dismissing those that conflict with them. Another factor is in-group bias, which is a manifestation of our tribalistic tendencies, our need to forge close bonds with the people in our in-group. This makes us more likely to unquestioningly accept information from our in-group, while rejecting that which comes from outsiders to our group or tribe.

This is why it is essential to study all sides and and make an effort to see all perspectives. Wear other people's shoes and try to see through their eyes. Don't be quick to accept nor pass on rumours and gossip. The person telling you might well be a respected and honest person, but that doesn't mean that everything they say is correct.

I remember studying the Tafseer of Zamakhshari and came to Sura al-Noor, where it describes the accusation of adultery made against Aisha. This happened during a caravan trip in the desert with the prophet. Aisha was seated inside her Howdah on top of a camel. Then during a brief stop, Aisha left her howdah to search for a missing necklace. However the caravan departed without realising she was not in the Howdah and so she was left behind. She remained there until the next morning, when Safwan found her and brought her back to Muhammad at the next camp. Rumours were then spread that Aisha and Safwan had committed adultery. Muhammad went to speak directly with Aisha about the rumours. He was still sitting in her house when he announced that he had received a revelation from God confirming Aisha's innocence.

Zamakhshari in his commentary said that he had never seen such strong and angry language used in any other part of the Qur'an, as had been used in these verses. This shows how important it is not to make accusations and spread gossip without knowing the facts. Yet passing on gossip or even just sitting and listening while others gossip is such an easy and common occurrence. We think nothing of it, but as the Qur'an says it may seem trivial and insignificant to us but it is very serious in the sight of God - as the Qur'an says:

"You welcomed it with your tongues, and uttered with your mouths things that you have no knowledge of, thinking it a trifle, but in the sight of God it is most grievous." (24:15)

Human nature is such that we enjoy stories and we often pass them on without checking if they are true - nor even caring if they are false. We give them a free pass when they confirm our bias or titillate and amuse us. But the more we take part in such behaviour the more we harm ourselves as well as others. We become gullible & naive. We far too easily fall for silly stories and allow ourselves to be manipulated and prone to frauds & scams. The rise of the internet & smartphones has made spreading such things even easier. I regularly get emails and WhatsApp messages with all sorts of nonsense in texts, photos and videos. Nor are these coming from any "wicked" people, but from friends, relations and people I love and respect. I remember once at a meeting the picture at the top of this page was handed around. These were the accompanying words:

“Recent gas exploration activity in the south east region of the Arabian desert uncovered a skeletal remains of a human of phenomenal size. This region of the Arabian desert is called the Empty Quarter, or in Arabic, al-Rub' al-Khali. The discovery was made by the Aramco Exploration team. As God states in the Qur’an that He had created a people the like of which He has not created since. These were the people of Aad where Prophet Hud was sent. They were very tall, big, and very powerful, such that they could put their arms around a tree trunk and uproot it. Later these people, who were given all the power, turned against God and the Prophet and transgressed beyond all boundaries set by God. As a result they were destroyed. The Ulema of Saudi Arabia believe these to be the remains of the people of Aad. Saudi Military has secured the whole area and no one is allowed to enter except the ARAMCO personnel. It has been kept in secrecy, but a military helicopter took some pictures from the air and one of the pictures leaked out.”

Everyone around me just nodded piously whispering; "Mashallah" and "Subhanallah" and things like "*They* don't want the truth to get out!" I was very suspicious but I didn't want to contradict the sister in the middle of the gathering as she had obviously gone to the of trouble of photocopying them for us all. However that evening I searched on the internet and it didn't take me long to find out that it was a photoshopped hoax. The funny thing is even though the hoax has been exposed on several sites, the picture is still doing the rounds. Sadly we allow ourselves to become easily fooled and misled because we don't take the very simple advice: فَتَبَيَّنُوا - check and verify. Find out the truth for yourself.

There is a saying by Edgar Allen Poe: "Believe none of what you hear, and half of what you see.'' That is because not only is the information we hear often wrong but even what we see with our own eyes can be misleading. When I was in the police cadets I remember being taught that witness testimony is amongst the most unreliable sources of evidence. For a start memory is notoriously unreliable and the mind has a natural tendency to fill in parts that may be missing or were unclear, often based on prejudices and preconceptions. Also we tend to focus on certain things which causes us to filter out other things. I remember an experiment that illustrated that perfectly. There were 5 or 6 people throwing a basket ball to each other and the subject was asked to count how many times the ball was thrown to each member. When the session finished the subject - to his surprise - wasn't asked how many times the basket ball was thrown, but instead was asked how many gorillas were there? That is because during the session a man dressed in a gorilla outfit had walked right through the group of basketball players. But because the subject was focusing on how many throws each player did he missed seeing the Gorilla. He missed seeing what was right before his eyes!

Be aware there is often much more to events than meets the eye. Don't be lazy. Question what you hear and see and look below the surface. Be bold and courageous and don't close your eyes because you might not like what you see or because it might contradict preconceptions. Recognise your own biases and preconceptions and resist the urge to accept information simply because it confirms them. Let us follow the Qur'an's advice فَتَبَيَّنُوا and don't just believe everything we are told. Check the facts, look deeper and seek knowledge from the proper source - this is your individual responsibility - and seek knowledge as the prophet said:

“Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.” and “Whoever treads a path in seeking knowledge, Allah will make easy for him the path to Paradise.”