Riyad as-Salihin · Chapter 262

Ascertainment of what one Hears and Narrates

باب الحث على التثبت فيما يقوله ويحكيه

This chapter trains the tongue to slow down before it repeats. The Arabic title speaks of at-tathabbut, verifying and pausing over what you hear before you pass it on. A believer is asked to be a checkpoint for information, not a loudspeaker for every rumour that reaches the ear.

Watch how lightly a person can slide into lying without ever meaning to deceive. Carelessly relaying everything, narrating what you suspect is untrue, or letting people assume you have more than you do are all treated here as failures of truthfulness, not innocent habits.

Hadith 1547

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏:‏ ‏ "‏كفى بالمرء كذبًا أن يحدث بكل ما سمع‏" ‏‏.‏ (‏‏(‏رواه مسلم‏)‏‏)‏‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It is enough for a man to prove himself a liar when he goes on narrating whatever he hears." [Muslim].

In plain words

It is enough to make a person a liar that he repeats everything he hears. Passing on every rumour, without checking, is itself a kind of lying.

Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1547 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 37

Hadith 1548

Samurah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

وعن سمرة رضي الله عنه قال‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏:‏ ‏ "‏من حدث عني بحديث يرى أنه كذب، فهو أحد الكاذبين‏" ‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه مسلم‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who relates from me something which he deems false is one of the liars." [Muslim]

In plain words

Whoever relays from the Prophet something he himself thinks is false is counted among the liars. We are responsible for checking what we pass on, not just inventing it.

Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1548 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 38

Hadith 1549

Asma' (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:

وعن أسماء رضي الله عنها أن امرأة قالت‏:‏ يا رسول الله إن لي ضَّرة فهل علي جناح إن تشبعت من زوجي غير الذي يعطيني‏؟‏ فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏:‏ ‏ "‏المتشبع بما لم يعطَ كلابس ثوبي زور‏" ‏ ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏ المتشبع: هو الذي يظهر الشبع وليس بشبعان، ومعناها هنا أنه يظهر أنه حصل له فضيلة وليست حاصلة ولابس ثوبي زور أي: ذي زور وهو الذي يزور على الناس بأن يتزي بزي أهل الزهد أو العلم أو الثروة ليغتر به الناس وليس هو بتلك الصفة وقيل غير ذلك والله أعلم

A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: "I have a co-wife. "Is there any harm for me if I give her the false impression of getting something from my husband which he has not in fact given me?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The one who creates a false impression of receiving what one has not been given is like one who wears two garments of falsehood." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

In plain words

A woman asked about giving her co-wife a false impression of gifts her husband never gave, and he likened it to wearing two garments of falsehood. Pretending to have what you do not is a form of lying.

Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1549 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 39