The short answer
Carrying tales between people to stir up bad feeling (namimah) is a major sin: the Prophet ﷺ said the tale-bearer will not enter Paradise. Spreading unverified rumours is also condemned in the Quran. When you hear something, verify it, think well of the people involved, and either stay silent or speak to make peace.
Tale-carrying. Namimah means passing on what one person said about another in order to cause trouble between them. The Prophet ﷺ said, "A Qattat will not enter Paradise" 1, a qattat being one who carries tales. Passing two graves, he said one of the people in them was being punished because he "used to go about with calumnies (to make enmity between friends)" 2. Allah also warns against obeying the "scorner, going about with malicious gossip" 3.
Rumours. When the slander against Aisha (RA) spread 8, Allah rebuked those who passed it on: "you received it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allah, tremendous." They should have said, "It is not for us to speak of this" 4. That is the exact reaction needed when a rumour lands in your group chat.
Check first. "If there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful" 5. Screenshots without context, "someone said", and anonymous accounts all call for this caution.
Don't assume the worst. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales", and told us not to spy on each other 6.
Use your words to fix things instead. "No good is there in much of their private conversation, except for those who enjoin charity or that which is right or conciliation between people" 7. If you know of a rift, carry good words between people, not bad ones.
A qattat (tale-carrier) will not enter Paradise.
Narrated Hudhaifa:I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "A Qattat will not enter Paradise
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ هَمَّامٍ، قَالَ كُنَّا مَعَ حُذَيْفَةَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ إِنَّ رَجُلاً يَرْفَعُ الْحَدِيثَ إِلَى عُثْمَانَ. فَقَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ قَتَّاتٌ ".
A man was punished in his grave for going about with calumnies to make enmity between people.
Narrated Ibn `Abbas:Once the Prophet, while passing through one of the graveyards of Medina or Mecca heard the voices of two persons who were being tortured in their graves. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "These two persons are being tortured not for a major sin (to avoid)." The Prophet (ﷺ) then added, "Yes! (they are being tortured for a major sin). Indeed, one of them never saved himself from being soiled with his urine while the other used to go about with calumnies (to make enmity between friends). The Prophet (ﷺ) then asked for a green leaf of a date-palm tree, broke it into two pieces and put one on each grave. On being asked why he had done so, he replied, "I hope that their torture might be lessened, till these get dried
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ مَرَّ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِحَائِطٍ مِنْ حِيطَانِ الْمَدِينَةِ أَوْ مَكَّةَ، فَسَمِعَ صَوْتَ إِنْسَانَيْنِ يُعَذَّبَانِ فِي قُبُورِهِمَا، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يُعَذَّبَانِ، وَمَا يُعَذَّبَانِ فِي كَبِيرٍ "، ثُمَّ قَالَ " بَلَى، كَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا لاَ يَسْتَتِرُ مِنْ بَوْلِهِ، وَكَانَ الآخَرُ يَمْشِي بِالنَّمِيمَةِ ". ثُمَّ دَعَا بِجَرِيدَةٍ فَكَسَرَهَا كِسْرَتَيْنِ، فَوَضَعَ عَلَى كُلِّ قَبْرٍ مِنْهُمَا كِسْرَةً. فَقِيلَ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لِمَ فَعَلْتَ هَذَا قَالَ " لَعَلَّهُ أَنْ يُخَفَّفَ عَنْهُمَا مَا لَمْ تَيْبَسَا أَوْ إِلَى أَنْ يَيْبَسَا ".
Do not obey the habitual swearer, the scorner who goes about with malicious gossip.
وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافࣲ مَّهِينٍ ١٠ هَمَّازࣲ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمࣲ ١١
10 And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer 11 [And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip
Passing on the slander about Aisha was treated as a small thing, but it was tremendous with Allah.
إِذۡ تَلَقَّوۡنَهُۥ بِأَلۡسِنَتِكُمۡ وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفۡوَاهِكُم مَّا لَيۡسَ لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلۡمࣱ وَتَحۡسَبُونَهُۥ هَيِّنࣰ ا وَهُوَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ عَظِيمࣱ ١٥ وَلَوۡلَآ إِذۡ سَمِعۡتُمُوهُ قُلۡتُم مَّا يَكُونُ لَنَآ أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَٰذَا سُبۡحَٰنَكَ هَٰذَا بُهۡتَٰنٌ عَظِيمࣱ ١٦
15 When you received it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allah, tremendous 16 And why, when you heard it, did you not say, "It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O Allah]; this is a great slander
Investigate news before acting on it, lest you harm people out of ignorance.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِن جَآءَكُمۡ فَاسِقُۢ بِنَبَإࣲ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓاْ أَن تُصِيبُواْ قَوۡمَۢا بِجَهَٰلَةࣲ فَتُصۡبِحُواْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلۡتُمۡ نَٰدِمِينَ ٦
O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful
Beware of suspicion, the worst of false tales; do not spy on or envy one another.
Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales; and do not look for the others' faults and do not spy, and do not be jealous of one another, and do not desert (cut your relation with) one another, and do not hate one another; and O Allah's worshipers! Be brothers (as Allah has ordered you)
حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ هَمَّامِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ، فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيثِ، وَلاَ تَحَسَّسُوا، وَلاَ تَجَسَّسُوا، وَلاَ تَحَاسَدُوا، وَلاَ تَدَابَرُوا، وَلاَ تَبَاغَضُوا، وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ إِخْوَانًا ".
There is no good in most private talk except enjoining charity, good, or reconciliation between people.
۞لَّا خَيۡرَ فِي كَثِيرࣲ مِّن نَّجۡوَىٰهُمۡ إِلَّا مَنۡ أَمَرَ بِصَدَقَةٍ أَوۡ مَعۡرُوفٍ أَوۡ إِصۡلَٰحِۭ بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِۚ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡ ذَٰلِكَ ٱبۡتِغَآءَ مَرۡضَاتِ ٱللَّهِ فَسَوۡفَ نُؤۡتِيهِ أَجۡرًا عَظِيمࣰ ا ١١٤
No good is there in much of their private conversation, except for those who enjoin charity or that which is right or conciliation between people. And whoever does that seeking means to the approval of Allah - then We are going to give him a great reward
The passage concerns the slander accusing Aisha, the Mother of the Believers.
Those that brought the slander (which was accusing the Mother of the Believers Aishah - may Allah be pleased with her - of adultery) are a group which affiliate themselves to you, O believers. Do not consider the slander they made as bad for you, but rather it is good, due to the reward and testing of the believers it contains, and due to the clearing the name of the Mother of the Believers it brings with it. For each person who shared in accusing her of adultery is the reward of the sin he earned, due to uttering the slander. And for the one who bore the majority of that by starting it is a great punishment. The one meant by that is the leader of the hypocrites, Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool.
This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24