Surah 49:8
Show Full Scripture Context (49:6-8) — 3 Verses
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِن جَآءَكُمۡ فَاسِقُۢ بِنَبَإٖ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓاْ أَن تُصِيبُواْ قَوۡمَۢا بِجَهَٰلَةٖ فَتُصۡبِحُواْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلۡتُمۡ نَٰدِمِينَ
You who believe! If a wicked person brings you some (piece of) news, be discerning, or you will smite a people in ignorance, and then become regretful over what you have done.
وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ فِيكُمۡ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِۚ لَوۡ يُطِيعُكُمۡ فِي كَثِيرٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِ لَعَنِتُّمۡ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡإِيمَٰنَ وَزَيَّنَهُۥ فِي قُلُوبِكُمۡ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡكُفۡرَ وَٱلۡفُسُوقَ وَٱلۡعِصۡيَانَۚ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلرَّـٰشِدُونَ
Know that the messenger of God is among you. If he obeyed you in much of the affair, you would indeed be in distress. But God has made belief dear to you, and made it appear enticing in your hearts, and made disbelief and wickedness and disobedience hateful to you. Those – they are the right-minded.
فَضۡلٗا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَنِعۡمَةٗۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٞ
Favor from God and a blessing! God is knowing, wise.
Allah the Exalted ordered investigating the news that sinners and the wicked bring, to make sure of its authenticity. Otherwise, if the sinner's word is taken for granted and a decision is based on it, regardless of whether the information is true or not, the authorities will be taking the lead of the sinners. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored forbade taking the path of the corrupted and sinners. This is why groups of the scholars of Hadith refuse to accept narrations from narrators whose reliability is unknown, for they might be from among the wicked people, in reality.
The Prophet's Decision is Better
Allah said, (And know that among you there is the Messenger of Allah.) know that among you is the Messenger of Allah. Therefore, honor and respect him, be polite with him and obey his orders. For he is more knowledgeable about what benefits you and is more concerned with you than you yourselves are. His opinions in such matters are more complete than your own.' Allah the Exalted and Most Blessed said in another Ayah, The Prophet is closer to the believers than themselves. Then He clarifies that they fall short in overseeing their own benefit; (If he were to obey you in much of the matter, you would surely be in trouble.) 'if he obeys all of your opinions and desires, you will earn trouble and hardship.' Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said, And if the truth had been in accordance with their desires, verily, the heavens and the earth, and whosoever is therein would have been corrupted! Nay, We have brought them their reminder, but they turn away from their reminder. Allah's statement, (But Allah has endeared the faith to you and has beautified it in your hearts,) 'made faith dear to your souls and beautified it in your hearts.' Allah said, (and has made disbelief, Fusuq and 'Isyan hateful to you.) 'He has made disbelief, sins, whether major or minor, and 'Isyan - all types of sins, hateful to you.' This statement transfers us from one level to a better level, to perfect Allah's bounty. Allah's statement next, (Such are they who are the rightly guided.) those who have these qualities are the rightly guided ones whom Allah has granted guidance and correctness. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Rifa'ah Az-Zuraqi said that his father said, "During the battle of Uhud, when the idolators retreated, the Messenger of Allah said, "Stay in straight lines so that I praise my Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored." They stood behind him in lines and he said, "O Allah! Your is the praise. O Allah! There is none who can withhold what You send, or send what You withhold, or guide whom You send astray, or misguide whomever You guide, or give what You deprive, or deprive whom You give, or draw closer whom You cast or cast whom You draw closer. O Allah! Bestow on us from Your blessings, mercy, grace and provisions. O Allah! I ask You for the eternal delight that never ends or fades away. O Allah! I ask You for provisions on the Day of deprivation and safety on the Day of fear. O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the evil repercussions of what You have given us and from the evil of what You have deprived us of. O Allah! Make faith dear to us and beatify it in our hearts and make disbelief, Fusuq and 'Isyan hateful to us, and make us among the rightly guided. O Allah! Allow us to die as Muslims, live as Muslims and join us with the ranks of the righteous ones, without tasting humiliation or turmoil. O Allah! Fight the disbelievers who deny Your Messengers and hinder others from Your path; send on them Your torment and punishment. O Allah! Fight the disbelievers who were given the Scriptures, the True God."" An-Nasal collected this Hadith in 'Amal Al-Yawm wal-Laylah. Allah said, ((This is) a grace from Allah and His favor.) meaning, this favor that He has bestowed on you is a favor and a bounty from Him to you, (And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.) All-Knower in those who deserve guidance and those who deserve misguidance, All-Wise in His statements, actions, legislation and the destiny He appoints.
— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 9, Page 189-193)