Spreading Wrong Information about Someone
Fatwa No: 391114

Question

If some one gives wrong information to people about you what to do to that person and ur own brother have wrong information about you

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

It is not permissible for a Muslim to spread wrong information about others, especially if this information entails harming him and degrading his honor. Allah Says (what means): {And those who harm believing men and believing women for [something] other than what they have earned have certainly born upon themselves a slander and manifest sin.} [Quran 33:58]

Abdullah ibn ‘Amr narrated that the Prophet said: “A Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hands the Muslims are safe.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

It is obligatory to advise the one who spread this wrong information and advise him to repent and to rectify what he has damaged and seek the forgiveness of those whom he wronged.

For more benefit on the conditions of repentance, please refer to Fatwa 86527.

The person who is accused has the right to refute this accusation and clarify the truth to those who heard that false information.

Allah Says on the tongue of Yoosuf (what means): {Joseph] said, "It was she who sought to seduce me."} [Quran 12:26]

Abu Hayyan said in his Tafseer (interpretation of the Quran) Al-Bahr Al-Muheet (about the above verse):

“When she seduced Yoosuf and accused him [of trying to seduce her], Yoosuf needed to refute the accusation and said (what means): {It was she who sought to seduce me.”} [End of quote]

It is confirmed that the Prophet said to the two Ansari men who were passing by him and saw him with a woman (Safiyyah his wife): “Do not hasten away! This is (my wife) Safiyah bint Huyay.” Both of them said: "Subhaana Allah, O Messenger of Allah.” (they felt embarrassed that he had to explain so that they would not think evil of him ). The Prophet then said (to them): “Indeed, Satan reaches everywhere in the human body that his blood reaches. I feared that Satan may cast an evil thought in your hearts.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

An-Nawawi said in his book Al-Athkaar:

I know that mentioning one’s good traits is of two kinds:

Blameworthy and desirable; the blameworthy is to mention it for pride....; the desirable is when there is a religious benefit such as when one is enjoining good and forbidding evil.....or repelling evil off himself and the like.” [End of quote]

Allah knows best.

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