FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

media. Social media platforms had been key factors in spreading misinformation and creating panic among citizens related to the coronavirus pandemic, according to media reports. But now these platforms have announced a crackdown on misinformation in the light of the pandemic. Islam takes a harsh stand against the spread of lies, calumny and rumours. Fully aware of the scale of injury and damage a lie can inflict, the Prophet of Islam said, “The Impact of the tongue is harsher than the impact of the sword.” (Abu Dawood) According to Islam, every news that reaches you should be verified before it is passed on. The Quran says: Believers, if an evil-doer brings you news, ascertain the correctness of the report fully, lest you unwittingly harm others, and then regret what you have done. (49: 6) To be labelled as a liar, one need not tell lies intentionally. Islam labels one as liar if one passes on unverified news. The Prophet said: “It is enough lying for a man to speak of everything that he hears.” (Muslim) Thus, spreading misinformation is not just a crime in the worldly sense but also a grave sin. God takes a very serious account of it. According to the Quran: When you were spreading it with your tongues and saying with your mouths things of which you had no knowledge, you considered it to be a trivial matter, but, in God’s sight, it was very serious. (24: 15) Islamic injunctions in this regard ask us to verify news before we take action. If we are not in a position to verify news items, we can put the matter before experts. These experts can bring to the fore the facts of the matter and remove any misperception or misrepresentation. Mental agony and physical injury caused by fake news or lies are of a very serious nature. Fake news and rumours can corrupt and damage our societies critically. To inculcate To be labelled as a liar, one need not tell lies intentionally. Islam labels one as liar if one passes on unverified news.