Juz 26: Al-Aḥqāf to Adh-Dhāriyāt 30
Section 15 of 18 · Tafsir of the Qur’an · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
15. Social Ethics and Verification of Information
Surah Al-Hujurat establishes a comprehensive framework of social ethics that underpins the harmonious functioning of an Islamic society. The surah addresses the believers directly, guiding them toward righteous conduct in their interactions with one another.
A pivotal verse addressing information verification appears in verse 6:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَن تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ
“O you who believe, if a sinful person brings you a report, verify its correctness, lest you harm a people out of ignorance, then become remorseful on what you did.”
This verse establishes a fundamental principle of social responsibility in the age of information. Allah (swt) commands believers to verify news, especially when it comes from questionable sources. This divine instruction serves as a safeguard against acting upon false information that could lead to wrongful harm befalling innocent people. In our modern context, this principle extends to evaluating media reports, social media posts, and forwarded messages before accepting or sharing them.
The surah continues to emphasize that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) is present among the believers, reminding them that they cannot expect the Prophet to follow their opinions in all matters. Rather, true guidance comes when Allah makes faith beloved to the heart:
وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الرَّاشِدُونَ
“But Allah has endeared to you the faith, and has made it beautiful in your hearts, and has made detestable to you disbelief and sin and disobedience. Such people are the rightly guided.”
This verse elucidates that genuine faith manifests as a love for righteousness and an aversion to disbelief and transgression. When Allah beautifies faith in one's heart, righteous conduct naturally follows.
Allah (swt) then addresses a common social ill that often leads to conflict—when internal disagreements escalate to fighting between believers. Verse 9 provides guidance:
وَإِن طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ فَإِن بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الْأُخْرَىٰ فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّىٰ تَفِيءَ إِلَىٰ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن فَاءَتْ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْعَدْلِ وَأَقْسِطُوا ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ
“If two groups of the believers fight against each other, seek reconciliation between them. And if one of them commits aggression against the other, fight against the one that commits aggression until it comes back to Allah's command. So if it comes back, seek reconciliation between them with fairness, and maintain justice. Surely Allah loves those who maintain justice.”
This verse establishes a three-step approach to resolving internal conflicts: first, attempt reconciliation; second, if one party persists in aggression, the community must intervene to restore justice; third, once peace is possible, fairness must guide the reconciliation process. This system of conflict resolution protects the unity of the believers while ensuring justice prevails.
The surah emphasizes in verse 10 the fundamental relationship between believers:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
“The believers are but brothers, so seek reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, so that you may be blessed with mercy.”
This powerful verse establishes brotherhood as the defining relationship among believers. This brotherhood transcends blood ties, tribal affiliations, and cultural backgrounds, establishing a bond based on faith that demands mutual respect and reconciliation when differences arise. The command to "fear Allah" in this context reminds believers that their treatment of fellow Muslims is directly connected to their relationship with their Creator. Through establishing justice and maintaining brotherhood, the community becomes deserving of divine mercy.