Transliteration:( Yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo in jaaa'akum faasiqum binaba in fatabaiyanooo an tuseeboo qawmam bijahalatin fatusbihoo 'alaa maa fa'altum naadimeen )
"O believers [11]! If anyone disobedient [12] comes to you with any news, make a strict enquiry [13], lest you may punish any people in ignorance. And then later on remain regretful on what you may have done [14]."
This verse was revealed regarding Waleed bin Uqbah, who was sent by the Holy Prophet ﷺ to collect charity from the tribe of Bani Mustaliq. Due to an old enmity from the Days of Ignorance, when he saw the tribe approaching, he mistakenly assumed they had come to attack him. Fearing for his life, he returned and reported this false impression to the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ sent Hazrat Khalid bin Walid to verify, who found them peacefully offering Salah and ready to give their charity. This verse was then revealed to teach an important principle of verifying news before acting on it.
It is important to note that Waleed was not declared a transgressor by Allah here. Since no Companion is a transgressor, and because fear or suspicion are not sins, the term here serves a legal purpose—to lay down an Islamic principle rather than to condemn Waleed. The word fāsiq (disobedient) refers to any unreliable source, especially one whose report could lead to harm or injustice.
This verse establishes a clear rule in Islamic law: if a report comes from someone unreliable, it must be thoroughly investigated before acting upon it. However, if the reporter is pious, upright, and trustworthy, their report can be accepted without further inquiry. This verse also supports the acceptance of a single trustworthy narrator in matters of law and hadith.
Had the Muslims acted on Waleed’s report without verification, they could have unjustly attacked innocent believers and suffered deep regret. Hence, this verse also teaches that:
A judge must not issue verdicts on the basis of one-sided reports.
One should never act upon the words of a talebearer or slanderer.
Haste in decision-making may lead to irreversible consequences and remorse.
This verse provides a foundational principle of justice in Islam: always verify before acting, especially when the report may lead to harm or judgment against others.
The tafsir of Surah Hujurat verse 6 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Hujurat ayat 4 which provides the complete commentary from verse 4 through 6.
(49:6) Believers, when an ungodly person brings to you a piece of news, carefully ascertain its truth, lest you should hurt a people unwittingly and thereafter repent at what you did.[8]
8. Most of the commentators have expressed the view that this verse was sent down concerning Walid bin Uqbah bin Abi Muait. Its background is this: When the tribe of the Bani al-Mustaliq embraced Islam, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Walid bin Uqbah to collect the Zakat from them. When he arrived in their territory, he became fearful due to some reason and without visiting the people of the tribe returned to Al-Madinah and complained to the Prophet (peace be upon him) that they had refused to pay the Zakat and had even wanted to kill him. On hearing this, the Prophet (peace be upon him) became very angry and he made up his mind to dispatch a contingent to punish those people. According to some traditions he had dispatched the contingent, and according to others, he was about to dispatch it. In any case, all agree that in the meantime the chief of the Bani al-Mustaliq, Harith bin Dirar, father of Juwairiyah, wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), arrived at the head of a deputation, and submitted: By God, we did not at all see Walid; therefore, there could be no question of refusing to pay the Zakat and wanting to kill him. We are steadfast to the faith and have no intention to withhold the Zakat. At this, this verse was sent down. With a little variation in wording this incident has been related by Imam Ahmad, Abi Hatim, Tabarani, and Ibn Jarir, on the authority of Abdullah bin Abbas, Harith bin Dirar, Mujahid, Qatadah, Abdur Rehman bin Abi Laila, Yazid bin Ruman, Dahhak and Muqatil bin Hayyan. In the tradition reported by Umm Salamah this whole story has been related likewise but there is no reference to the name of Walid.
On this critical occasion when on account of believing in a baseless report a grave blunder was about to be committed, Allah gave the Muslims this guiding principle to be followed on receipt of news: Whenever you receive important news bearing upon a vital matter, you should not accept it immediately but should first examine the man who has brought it. If he is an evil man whose report is not authentic normally, you should inquire into it carefully to ascertain the truth instead of accepting it and acting on it immediately. From this divine command an important legal principle is deduced, the sphere of application of which is very vast. According to it, it is not permissible for a Muslim government to take any action against a person or a group or a nation on the basis of the reports provided by the secret agents whose character might be doubtful. On the basis of this very principle the traditionalists introduced the art of critical appraisal in the science of Hadith in order to determine the value and worth of the people through whom traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) reached the later generations. And the jurists established this principle in the law of evidence that in a matter from which a Shariah value can be deduced, or a duty imposed on a person; the evidence of an evil man would be unacceptable. However, all scholars agree that as far as the common worldly matters are concerned it is not necessary to ascertain the truth of every news and the reliability of every informer. For the word used in the verse is naba, which does not apply to every news but only to the news of consequence. That is why the jurists say that this principle does not apply in the case of ordinary matters. For example, if a person goes to visit somebody and seeks permission to enter the house, and a person comes out and conveys the permission, he can enter the house accordingly no matter whether the one conveying the permission from the master of the house was good or bad. Likewise, the scholars also agree that the evidence, as well as the report, of the people whose evil does not relate to lying and immorality, but they are regarded as unrighteous only on account of false beliefs, will also be acceptable. Only the falsehood of heir creed cannot be a hindrance to accepting their evidence or reports.
For a faster and smoother experience,
install our mobile app now.
Related Ayat(Verses)/Topics