Thinking Well of the Believers, and Carrying No Rumour

The third: Muslims should care for the reputation of other Muslims and think good of them. This is one of the ādāb that is lost today. Muslims slander each other, they talk bad about each other, and sometimes one finds good brothers, and good sisters, but they become happy when they hear bad news about so-and-so. Just because they don't like them or they don't agree with them, they are happy when they hear evil things about them. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said, "Why — when you heard of it — did the believing men and the believing women not think well about their own selves?" (24:12). ʿĀ'ishah is a Muslim like you, so you need to think good of her. And this applies to every Muslim. And Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says that they should have said, "This is a manifest lie." One should assume the best about one's Muslim brother or sister, and Allah is saying that one should accuse this rumour, accuse this lie that is going on, of being a lie.

The fourth: we shouldn't carry rumours around. Allah said, "And why, when you heard of it, did you not say, 'It is not for us to speak about this. Pure are You, O Allah. This is a terrible calumny'?" (24:16). Muslims should have no time for this nonsense. We shouldn't go around listening to this hearsay and spread it around, or even join and participate with the ones who are spreading such lies. So it is not proper for the believers to be involved in this stuff. A Muslim is serious about his religion and about spending his time wisely in dunyā. We don't have time for this.

The fifth: it should never happen again. Allah says, "Allah admonishes you never to repeat something like this, if you are believers" (24:17). If you believe in Allah, then you shouldn't return to such conduct again.