Before You React, Verify First
Verifying Information Before Acting: An Islamic Principle of Justice and Mercy
Summary
In this Ramadan daily Tafseer episode, Sheikh Ali Mashhour discusses a Quranic verse emphasizing the importance of verifying information before taking action based on it. The scholar explains that Muslims must ensure two critical things before reacting to any news or situation: first, that the information is accurate and correctly transmitted, and second, that any response aligns with Allah's commands and prohibitions. The lecture stresses that believers should never harm, annoy, or ostracize others based on unverified information or without proper Islamic justification, whether through speech, actions, wealth, or social influence.
Note: This transcript was generated using YouTube's automatic captioning, with AI-assisted cleanup for readability. It may contain inaccuracies due to background noise, audio quality, or limitations of the transcription software — particularly during Arabic recitation. Listener discretion is advised; please refer to the original video for precise wording.
Worthy person comes to you myth, a piece of information some major news that demands your attention. Do not react to this news. Do not base your actions. on this news until you are sure that this has been correctly transmitted to you. Lest you afflict with harm, a people based on ignorance, and at the end of the day, find yourselves in a state of regret. The point here of this verse is that we are to never base our actions on misinformation. We are never to base our reaction. Or our interactions with others based on shoddy information. We have to make sure of two things when we, especially, when we deal with other people. Two things Number one, we have to make sure that we are seeing things as they are. Meaning, the information is correct. It's been properly transmitted to me. I am sure that I am seeing I'm sure that I am seeing the situation for what it truly is. The second thing is I need to make sure that in my reaction I need to make sure that I am doing according to the command of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So, there's two things. Number one, I need to be sure that I am seeing things as they are. My observation is not clouded. Things are as I have as I have perceived them to be. So, I need to make sure my perception is correct. And second of all, when I react, I need to make sure that my reaction is correct and appropriate to the situation. Appropriate how. It is in accordance with the commands of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. It is far from the prohibitions of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. It not okay to just react. It is not okay to harm another person, to harm, or even annoy another person. There's a difference between harm and annoyance. To merely annoy another person. Whether that be even with dealing with them coldly. after being warm to them. I'm now all of the sudden cold. Cold shoulder. This is a kind of boycotting, ostracizing of a person. This is something that hurts people. I not allowed to inflict pain on another human being in any way until I am sure that number one, I have perceived the situation for what it is and number two, I am reacting in accordance with the will of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. If I don't have both of those things locked in in a sense of surety. I am certain of both. I have no right to harm another person in any way. Whether that be with my tongue, whether that be with my actions, with my wealth, with my money, with my clout, right? Maybe I I know a lot of people, a lot of people to take my, they follow me in the way that I conduct myself and if they see me cold with a person, they'll all, in turn, be cold with this person. I am harming another person actively. That is not permissible without those two things clearly in place. So, we will continue tomorrow in.