Introduction

Sahih Muslim Introduction 9

The Prohibition of Narrating All That One Hears

This profound hadith from Sahih Muslim establishes a fundamental principle in Islamic scholarship and personal conduct. The statement, "It is enough of a lie for a man that he narrates everything he hears," serves as a severe warning against the indiscriminate transmission of information.

Scholarly Commentary

The scholars explain that this prohibition stems from the reality that what a person hears comprises both truth and falsehood. To narrate everything without verification constitutes a form of lying, even if unintentional, because it inevitably leads to spreading falsehood.

Imam An-Nawawi, in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, emphasizes that this hadith obligates Muslims to verify information before transmitting it. The conscientious Muslim must distinguish between reliable and unreliable reports, exercising due diligence in preserving the integrity of knowledge.

Practical Implications

This teaching establishes the Islamic methodology of critical thinking and verification (tabayyun). It forbids heedless transmission of news, rumors, or religious knowledge without proper authentication.

The principle applies equally to religious matters and worldly affairs, protecting the community from misinformation and preserving social harmony. It cultivates intellectual responsibility and guards against the corruption of religious texts and communal discourse.

Spiritual Dimensions

Beyond the legal prohibition, this hadith addresses the spiritual disease of careless speech. The Prophet (peace be upon him) identifies the mechanical narration of all heard content as sufficient to constitute lying, highlighting the gravity of this common negligence.

This teaching trains the believer in mindfulness of speech and develops the Islamic virtue of truthfulness in both intention and action, making one accountable for every word uttered or transmitted.