The Quran

Preface

وَإِذا جاءَهُم أَمرٌ مِنَ الأَمنِ أَوِ الخَوفِ أَذاعوا بِهِ ۖ وَلَو رَدّوهُ إِلَى الرَّسولِ وَإِلىٰ أُولِي الأَمرِ مِنهُم لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذينَ يَستَنبِطونَهُ مِنهُم ۗ وَلَولا فَضلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيكُم وَرَحمَتُهُ لَاتَّبَعتُمُ الشَّيطانَ إِلّا قَليلًا

Yusuf Ali

When there comes to them some matter touching (Public) safety or fear, they divulge it. If they had only referred it to the Messenger, or to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators would have Tested it from them (direct). Were it not for the Grace and Mercy of God unto you, all but a few of you would have fallen into the clutches of Satan.¹

In times of war or public panic, thoughtless repetition of gossip is rightly restrained by all effective States. If false, such news may cause needless alarm: if true, it may frighten the timid and cause some misgiving even to the bravest, because the counterpart of it-the preparations made to meet the danger-is not known. Thoughtless news, true or false, may also encourage the enemy. The proper course is quietly to hand all news direct to those who are in a position to investigate it. They can then sift it and take suitable measures to checkmate the enemy. Not to do so, but to deal with news either thoughtlessly or maliciously, is to fall directly into the snares of Evil.