The excitement on the faces of islamophobes was [like Barney says: legen…~wait for it~…dary] legendary, when a news about a fatwa came out allowing fighters in Syria to rape women. The news was of course not true and the story has been retracted from most websites I looked. Confirming any news is extremely important, not only in our public and private lives but also it is our responsibility as a member of this great nation. There are people out there who intentionally or unintentionally spread rumors about a person/family/community and love to hype up tiny things and are professional in spicing up almost anything. If they go to a funeral and see a skinny body of the deceased, they say, “He died of hunger, his family never took care of him”. In weddings, bride’s sister almost always gets the medal of being a whore, and so on… I have personally seen the situations in which a rumour or a false statement almost destroyed a marriage, a happy family or friendship. That girl is sleeping with this guy, that girl is a whore, this guy is alcoholic, that person is having an affair with that person, her b***s are fake, she wears a bra with extra padding, she is so hairy, they are so poor, he wears a wig, he has a goori girlfriend, she is pregnant and that is why they are getting married, are some of my favourites.
People didn’t even leave prophet Muhammad S.A.W and his family alone and nothing stopped them from spreading rumours about his wife Ayesha R.A by falsely accusing her of adultery. They also accused Maryam (Mary) A.S of fornication and claimed that Jesus A.S. is her illegitimate son. Allah called these accusations ” بُهْتَـناً عَظِيماً” or great lie in the holy Quran.
Following verses of Quran were revealed to prove Ayesha’s R.A innocence and should also guide us inshAllah.
Allah says in Quran:
Verily, numerous among you are those who would falsely accuse others of unchastity [but, O you who are thus wronged,] deem it not a bad thing for you: nay, it is good for you!
[As for the slanderers,] unto every one of them [will be accounted] all that he has earned by [thus] sinning; and awesome suffering awaits any of them who takes it upon himself to enhance this [sin]!
Why do not the believing men and women, whenever such [a rumour] is heard, think the best of one another and say, “This is an obvious falsehood”?
Why do they not [demand of the accusers to produce proof or witnesses for] their allegation? for, if they do not produce such witnesses, it is those [accusers] who, in the sight of God, are liars indeed!
And were it not for God’s favour upon you, [O men,] and His grace in this world and in the life to come, awesome suffering would indeed have afflicted you in result of all [the calumny] in which you indulge; when you take it up with your tongues, uttering with your mouths something of which you have no knowledge, and deeming it a light matter whereas in the sight of God it is an awful thing! (Quran 24:11-15)
Lesson to learn: Allah says in Quran: O Believers, if an unrighteous person comes to you with information, you should verify it or else you might inflict harm on a people in ignorance and then end up regretting what you have done. (Quran 49:6)
Light Upon Light 