A Prophetic Lesson on News, Responsibility, and Restraint

A narration is mentioned from Ummul-Mumineen Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), reported in Bukhari. She says that for a short period of time, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) felt some unusual effects on himself in everyday matters. For example, he might ask for food after having already eaten. At other times, when food was offered, he would say that he had already eaten, even though he had not. This situation continued for a few days. These were ordinary, worldly matters, but the Prophet became concerned. Such a condition would not be appropriate for anyone, let alone a Messenger of Allah.

Allah Almighty then revealed the reality of the matter to the Prophet through a dream. The Prophet later described the dream himself. He said that he was lying down, and two men appeared — one standing near his head and the other near his feet. They began speaking to each other. One asked: Does this man have a problem? The other replied: Yes, he does. He asked: What is the problem? The reply was: He has been affected for some days. He asked: What is the cause? The answer was: Someone has done magic on him. It was known that some Jews in Madinah practiced magic. When asked who did it? The reply was: Labid bin A‘sam, a Jew. Then said that the magic was done using some hair along with a comb comb. When asked where these things were? The reply was: They were placed under a stone near a well called Bi’r Fi Dharwan.

The Prophet understood in the dream that these two men were angels, and through their conversation Allah had informed him of what had happened. In the morning, the Prophet took a few companions with him and went to the well of Dharwan. He said that the water looked changed in color, and around it were tall, dense trees, described as looking like the heads of devils. They searched and found the stone, and under it they found the comb and the hair. The Prophet took the hair, went a short distance away, dug into the ground, and buried it there. Then he returned.

Later, the Prophet said to Aisha: The discomfort I had for a few days, Allah has now informed me about it. He told her about the dream, that the angels had explained it, that the person responsible was Labid bin A‘sam, and that the place and the objects had been found. He explained all the details to her. After hearing this, Aisha asked: Where are the hair and the comb now? The Prophet replied; I buried them in the ground. She then asked: Why didn’t you make it public? Why didn’t you show it to people? Everything was clear: the cause was known, the person was identified, the objects were found. Why bury them and remain silent?

The Prophet replied that he was troubled, and Allah had removed his trouble. So why should he spread disorder among people? Allah had shown him the cause through a dream, and he had dealt with it quietly. If he were to announce it publicly in Madinah, it would create chaos. Even when such accusations are made about an ordinary person, they can disturb society, let alone a Messenger of Allah. Allah had protected him and informed him of the matter, so why should he spread unrest by publicizing it? For this reason, only the few companions who went with him knew about it. He did not announce it in the mosque, nor did he tell others, and he buried the items and moved on.

From this incident, scholars explain an important principle. When any news or incident comes to you, the first duty is to investigate it. The Qur’an teaches clear steps regarding news. 

1. The first step is “verify.” If some news reaches you, first check whether it is true or false. Do not move forward without confirmation. The Qur’an warns that if you act on unverified information, you may harm people out of ignorance and later regret what you have done.
2. The second step mentioned in the Qur’an is that such matters should be referred to responsible and knowledgeable people. Let those with understanding and experience decide whether the news should be shared further or not.
3. The third step is to consider the consequences. Even if the news is true, confirmed, and proven, you must still ask: what will happen if it is spread? If spreading a true story will create disorder and harm in society, then restraint is better. This is exactly what the Prophet practiced.

This lesson is shared because today news spreads very easily. Someone hears something and forwards it to dozens or hundreds of people without checking. Many incidents have happened where reactions followed, villages or neighborhoods were disturbed, and the next day it turned out the news was fake.

Here, however, the news was real. The Prophet himself went to the place, found the objects, and identified the person responsible, yet he still chose not to publicize it. When Aisha asked why he did not announce it, he explained that since Allah had protected him, there was no reason to spread unrest among people.

This is very relevant to our daily lives. We all receive news constantly, and we all carry mobile phones. The Prophet warned that it is enough for a person to be considered a liar if he passes on everything he hears. Simply forwarding every piece of information without checking is itself a form of falsehood. Sadly, this has become a habit. When news reaches us, we quickly send it to many people without thinking. We do not ask whether it is true, what harm it may cause, or whether it will spread fear, hatred, or chaos. Even if the news is true, we must still consider whether sharing it will damage peace or create disorder.

So we should be careful. We should verify news, think about its effects, and act responsibly. Otherwise, the warning of the Prophet applies: it is enough for a person to be considered a liar that he repeats everything he hears. May Allah protect us from this habit.

https://zahidrashdi.org/5753