A message arrives in a group chat: "Pass it on, it's urgent!" In two seconds, it is forwarded to a hundred people. Was it true? Nobody checked. The phone has changed the speed of speech, not its rules: what we write, what we forward and what we "like" counts as what we say.
Verify before forwarding
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا
"O you who believe! If a wicked person brings you news, verify it." (meaning of the verse, Al-Hujurat 49:6)
The verse gives the reason: lest you harm people out of ignorance, and then come to regret it. The Prophet ﷺ said: "It is enough of a lie for a man to narrate everything he hears" (Sahih Muslim, introduction, no. 5). Forwarding without verifying means risking lying in someone else's place.
The Quran adds: "Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart — about all of those, one will be questioned" (17:36).
Speak good, or stay silent
"Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should say what is good or remain silent" (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 6018; Sahih Muslim, no. 47). The rule is simple, and it settles most online arguments: if your comment brings nothing good, don't write it.
The Prophet ﷺ also warned that a servant may utter a word without paying it any attention, and it causes him to fall very low (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 6477; Sahih Muslim, no. 2988). A mocking comment written in five seconds lasts for years.
Backbiting and mockery
The Quran forbids mocking, giving hurtful nicknames, suspecting without reason, spying, and backbiting (49:11-12). The Prophet ﷺ defined backbiting: "Saying about your brother what he would dislike." He was asked: "And if what I say is true?" He replied: "If it is true, you have backbitten him; if it is false, you have slandered him" (Sahih Muslim, no. 2589).
A screenshot sent "just for laughs", a humiliating video, a status that targets someone without naming them: it's the same thing, just on a broader scale.
Protect privacy
"Whoever covers a Muslim, Allah will cover him in this world and the Hereafter" (Sahih Muslim, no. 2699). Exposing someone's fault, photo, or secret is the opposite of what the Prophet ﷺ recommended. This also applies to yourself: you do not display your own sins.
Five questions before posting
| Question | If the answer is no |
|---|---|
| Is it true, and have I verified it? | I don't forward it. |
| Is it useful to anyone? | I stay silent. |
| Would the person concerned agree? | I don't publish it. |
| Would I say it to their face? | I don't write. |
| Would I be at peace finding it again in ten years? | I delete. |
Networks can also bring great good: a reminder, a piece of advice, a fundraiser for someone who is sick, knowledge shared with its source. Words online are words: they can be a charity or a sin.
For a specific situation (harassment, defamation, a conflict in a group), speak with your imam, and don't hesitate to contact the authorities when the law is involved.