The information of the lecherous people
By: Ayatullah al-Uzma Nasir Makarim Shirazi from ‘Tafsir i-Namunah’
Translated from Farsi into English by Fatima Zabeth Beenesh
The first Shan e Nuzul most of the explainers defined that:
íóÇ ÃóíøõåóÇ ÇáøóÐöíäó ÂãóäõæÇ Åöä ÌóÇÁßõãú ÝóÇÓöÞñ ÈöäóÈóÃò ÝóÊóÈóíøóäõæÇ Ãóä ÊõöíÈõæÇ ÞóæúãðÇ ÈöÌóåóÇáóÉò ÝóÊõúÈöÍõæÇ Úóáóì ãóÇ ÝóÚóáúÊõãú äóÇÏöãöíäó 
The above ayat is descended about the Valeed bin Aqbeh the prophet sent him for the collection of zakat from the tribe of Bani Almustalaq. When the people of the tribe came to know that the representative of the prophet of Allah Taala arrived, they happily came to welcome him. As between Valeed and the Bani Aqabah tribe there was a severe enmity at the period of ignorance before Islam, he taught that they came to kill him.
He returned back to the prophet peace be upon him without enquiring anything about that tribe. And reported: they did not want to pay the taxes. It is believed that avoid to pay the zakat (alms tax) is a kind of revolt against the Islamic rule. Therefore it was supposed that they turned out to be the rebels.
The prophet peace be upon him got extremely angry and decided to fight a war with them. The above ayat descended (and ordered the Muslims that whenever an incorrect person brings for you a message enquire about it thoroughly.
Some added that after the news of Valeed about the apostasy (irtedad) of the Bani Almustalaq tribe, the prophet peace be upon him ordered the Khalid bin Valeed bin Mugaireh to approach the Bani Almustalaq tribe but he cautioned not to act in haste.
Khalid reached overnight close to the tribe and sent his intelligence to enquire about it. They reported that the Bani Almustalaq tribe are totally loyal to Islam and he heard the voice of azan and namaz with his own ears. Early morning Khalid personally met them and noted the fact regarding the information given by the agents. Returned back to the prophet peace be upon him and informed him all about the matter. At that moments the above ayat descended, following that the prophet peace be upon him said: to halt and investigate is from Allah taala and to haste is from the devil.
The another Shan e Nuzul(all about its descent) that only some of the interpreters defined it is about the Marya wife of prophet peace be upon him ( the mother of Ibrahim). Because they told the prophet peace be upon him that his wife had a maternal cousin who met him her often (they have an illegal relationship). The prophet peace be upon him called Ali alaihis salam and told him: my brother take this sword and kill that man if you find him near Marya.
The head of the believers told: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) I will obey your commands like a coin which is used to imprint the other coins. Or the man who is present is able to see which the man who is absent is unable to see that.
The prophet replied: No! You obey the duty (on the basis of additional enquiry).
His Excellency peace be upon him said: not at the basis of the one who is present is able to see which the man who is absent is unable to see that.
Ali alaihis salam said: I tied the sword to the waist and went in search of him and saw him near the Marya, I dragged the sword upon him, he ran away and climbed a tree and then dropped himself down the tree. At this moment his shirt went up and it was found that he does not have the genitals at all. I came back to the prophet peace be upon him and defined him about the incident. The prophet peace be upon him said: Thanks to the mighty God that he cast away the evils, pollution and accusation from our sphere.
Do not believe in the information of lecherous people
In the past aayaat it was discussed about the duties of the Muslims towards their leaders and heads appointed by the prophet peace be upon him. There are two key guidelines defined in it: First not to precede upon the merciful God and his prophet peace be upon him and another to follow the etiquettes at the time of conversation and calling each other in the presence of prophet peace be upon him.
The aayaat under discussion are about the duties of the nation before this great leader and said: when any information is brought before you it must be done after the total research. And if any lecherous person had informed you about anything, never accept it without the enquiries. And do not pressurise the prophet peace be upon him to accept it.
First it said: O you who believed! If a lecherous and libertine person had brought any information for you ensure it after the enquiry about it.
íóÇ ÃóíøõåóÇ ÇáøóÐöíäó ÂãóäõæÇ Åöä ÌóÇÁßõãú ÝóÇÓöÞñ ÈöäóÈóÃò ÝóÊóÈóíøóäõæÇ
Then it indicates about its reason and adds: practically do not ensure it without any enquiry, it may harm any group of people out of ignorance and later you will regret it.
Same as, unknowingly when the prophet peace be upon him was intended to perform as told by Valid bin Aqabeh and fought with the tribe of Bani Almustalaq as the runaways of Islam and it would have subsequently turning out to be a great disaster.
From the tone of the next ayat it is predicted that a group of people were adamant to do the war and the noble Quran said: this act has not any worth for you. It is an absolute ignorance and stupidity.
A group of scholars in the science of principles’ methodology’ for the validity of the single information brings the reason for it. For example the ayat says: the enquiry and explanation is necessary in the information given by the lecherous person, The meaning of it is that if the righteous and just person gives the information it can be accepted without any enquiry.
But for this logic they brought forth many complications, the most important of them are two objections and the others have not such prominence. Firstly the above reasoning depends upon the acceptance of the authority of meaning‘s description where as it is famous that the meaning of word is not an authority.
Another one is that the reason which defined in the following ayat is wide in such a manner that the statement about the just person as well as lecherous includes in it. As to act upon the information given by the guess of a person, whatever it is, it has the probability of regrets and shames.
But both these disadvantages can be solved as the meaning of definition or the other restrictions, in some cases that so called purpose of defining the limitations is a matter of avoiding the reasoning. And defining the limitation of lecherous in the above ayat is according to the usual norms, it has not any significant benefit except defining the reasoning of the information about the righteous and just people.
And about the explanation of the causes mentioned below it is evident that every type of act by means of suspicion is not included. But it observes the cases where the act is performed ignorantly and unwisely. As the ayat relied upon the matter of ignorance and we know that most of the confirmations where all the wise people of the world in the daily matters rely upon it are on the motives of suspicions (Such as the words outwardly express the sayings of the witness and as told by the informers etc.).
It is evident that none of them is calculated as ill-informed and unwise and probably if it is according to the truth then the matter of regret is unknown as it had a common and general source.
However in our belief this ayat is among the firm aayaat which agrees upon the authority of single information. Even the topics in this ground has large number of discussions; here we are unable to discuss it.
And above all we cannot reject that the history and the human life is based on the matter of trust upon the authentic information. In such a manner that if the matter of authentic and reliable information of a just man is eliminated from the human society, most of the past scientific inheritance and the information regarding the human society and even most of the issues today we are facing in the society will be eliminated. The human being not only turns back but the rotation of the present life’s wheels will be stopped. Hence the entire wise men agreed and determined upon its honesty and the divine legislators too signed upon it practically and verbally.
But the authority of information and the element of assurance give an order to the life. To rely upon the unreliable information is very hazardous and causes the dispersion in the system of society and it will create most of the disasters and brings to risk the prestige and rights of the people and it will be going to drag the man in the deviation and wrong direction. And in the very interesting terms written in the noble Quran, the ayat under discussion mentioned that at last it will cause the regrets and guilt.
This point too is noteworthy that to create false information and rely upon the dishonest news is one of the tactics of the tyrannical and imposing systems and by the help of that they create the false atmosphere of deception and cause the confusion in the people. By the deceiving the uninformed people they misled them and looted their wealth.
If the Muslims exactly follow the divine rules mentioned in this ayat and practice upon it and never accept the information of the lecherous people without the studying and explanations, they will be get protected from the great calamities.
This point too is noticeable that the important matter of trust and reliability upon oneself is information. But sometimes this trustworthiness is produced from the zone of informer’s self-assurance and at times from the other outside evidence, hence in some instances though the utterer of information is lecherous but we get satisfied from his information.
Therefore from where ever we acquire this trustworthiness and from whichever way whether it is from the channel of justice, piety and honesty of the informer or from the external proof, it is reliable for us and the conduct of wise people which are signed in the history of Islam is based upon this same thing.
For this reason we see in the jurisprudence of Islam most of the informations whose document is feeble, it is for the reason that they are exposed under the famous actions. And they came to know the correctness of the news by means of evidences and the standard of act is decided and they give the judgment according to it.
Unlike, often the news which is quoted, its informer is a reliable person but the evidences from outside made us doubtful about that, here there is no other way reasonably to leave it.
Therefore everywhere the standard of the news depends upon the belief of the news. Though the justice and honesty of narrator often is a means for this belief but it is not a total law (point to be noted).
In the next ayat to emphasise more upon the matter which is mentioned in the past ayat, it adds: be aware! the messenger of God peace be upon him is with you every time in most of the affairs, if he began to follows you then you are going to fall into hardships.
æóÇÚúáóãõæÇ Ãóäøó Ýöíßõãú ÑóÓõæáó Çááøóåö áóæú íõØöíÚõßõãú Ýöí ßóËöíÑò ãøöäó ÇáúÃóãúÑö áóÚóäöÊøõãú
These words as expressed by some of the interpreters also, indicates that after the information given by Valeed regarding the heretical tribe of Bani Almustalaq, a group of simple and innocent Muslims were emphasising the prophet peace be upon him to wage a war against this tribe.
The noble Quran says: your prosperity is that the prophet peace be upon him is living among you and he is connected to the world of revelation “vahi” whenever the lines of the deviation come into existence among you and he will help you by the assistance of this channel.
But he is your spiritual leader do not expect him to obey you and take your orders. He is the most kind compared to others. Do not pressurise him for imposing your thoughts upon him that will going to harm you.
In continuation of ayat it indicates towards the other great divine gifts and said: but the benevolent God made the faith beloved for you and adorned it in your hearts.
æóáóßöäøó Çááøóåó ÍóÈøóÈó Åöáóíúßõãõ ÇáúÅöíãóÇäó æóÒóíøóäóåõ Ýöí ÞõáõæÈößõãú
On other hand made the blasphemy ‘kufr’ the most hated thing.
æóßóÑøóåó Åöáóíúßõãõ ÇáúßõÝúÑó æóÇáúÝõÓõæÞó æóÇáúÚöúíóÇäó
In fact these terms is an elegant indication towards the sympathetic law that too the kindness which is blessed by birth.
To be noted that when a wise man wants to achieve his purpose he prepares its base in every manner and these principles are true about the guidance of the human beings.
The holy God wants all the human beings, without going under the trauma of cruelty, by their own intention and join the path of truth. Hence from one direction he gives the message and sends through the messengers, the divine books and from the other side he made the faith their favourite object and much beloved thing. And ignited the fire of love towards the prospects of truth and creates the hatred towards blasphemy, tyranny, sins and hypocrisy.
Like this manner every man by nature wants the right belief, purity and piety and he is always dejected with the blasphemy and sins.
But it is totally possible that in later stages this pure water which is poured from the heavens of creation into the existence of man, gradually loses its purity by the effects of touching the polluted atmosphere and adopts the hated stinks of the sins, blasphemy and rebellion. This divine’s gift of talent in the nature of man invites him to follow the messenger of Mighty God and does not allow him to precede the prophet of Allah peace be upon him.
The point needed to remember is that the contents of this ayat or the matter of taking opinion does not go against the rule. As the aim of counselling is that everyone declares his belief. As the final opinion is the person of prophet peace be upon him. For instance by the ayat of sura e shura too it is used in the same manner.
In other words shura means to impose our thoughts and belief but the ayat under discussion negates the imposition of thoughts and not taking the opinions.
What is the purpose of the term “fusuq” ÝõÓõæÞó in the above ayat?
Some defined it as deceit and false but by keeping in mind the wideness of its literal meaning it is not limited, it includes every type of sin and withdrawal from the obedience. Therefore the term “isyan”
ÚöúíóÇäó after that, it is used to emphasise the matter such as in the terms Òóíøóäóåõ Ýöí ÞõáõæÈößõãú It is adorned in your hearts. The above words are used to emphasise the sentence
ÍóÈøóÈó Åöáóíúßõãõ ÇáúÅöíãóÇäó
Made the belief much beloved one for you, some indicates the term “fusuq” ÝõÓõæÞó as the great sins. And believed the term “isyan” ÚöúíóÇäó as wide-ranging. But this difference has no reason.
Any way in the end of the ayat in the form of a general and universal rule it said: the person who possess these qualities (in their view faith is much-loved and adorned and blasphemy and immorality is a hated thing among them. They are those who achieved the guidance.
ÃõæúáóÆößó åõãõ ÇáÑøóÇÔöÏõæäó
That means that if this divine gift (the love towards the right believe and disliking the blasphemy and sins) is protected and the qualities of nature is not allowed to get adulterated, certainly the guidance is waiting for you.
It is Notable that the previous ayat are in the form of addressing the believers but this ayat speaks in the absent mode. This difference expresses that the command is not particular for the companions of the prophet peace be upon him only but it is a universal rule that everyone in every period who protects his or her natural purity then he or she achieves the guidance.
The last ayat under discussion made clear the fact that this dearness of faith and the resentment of blasphemy and sin is the great gift from the Mighty God to the human being.
It said: this is a grace from the Almighty and a blessing showered upon you and the God is Wise and Judicious.
ÝóÖúáðÇ ãøöäó Çááøóåö æóäöÚúãóÉð æóÇááøóåõ Úóáöíãñ Íóßöíãñ
His wisdom creates the factors of development and prosperity in you and harmonises and completes it with the invitation of the prophets. And finally make you reach the goal.
It is obvious that the favours ÝóÖúáðÇ and blessings äöÚúãóÉð both of them are indicating a fact. They are the gifts presented to the man by the benevolent God. However the term “ÝóÖúáðÇ“ ‘favours’ are applied upon it as the almighty God is not in need of it and the term “äöÚúãóÉð“ is indicated for the analysing that the creatures are totally needful of that. Therefore they are like the two faces of a coin.
Certainly the knowledge of supreme God is the need of his creature and the wisdom of great God is required for the accomplishment and the brought up of his creatures. The man required these great blessings and that is to love the right faith and to hate the blasphemy and sins.