Verify before you judge others
“Instead of assuming things, we go and verify.”
Believers should resist negative assumptions by verifying information directly, hearing both sides before judging, and turning conflict and stress toward honest communication, worship, and mutual support.
The khutbah in 5 steps
- Warns that negative assumptions can lead to spying, backbiting, and injustice.
- Urges listeners to verify rumors by approaching the relevant person or institution directly.
- Teaches that fair judgment requires hearing both sides, even in close family disputes.
- Distinguishes problem-solving counsel from stress-venting that becomes ghibah, recommending salah, dua, and dhikr for stress.
- Applies the lesson to social media and AI-generated propaganda, then calls believers to mutual support and brotherhood.
In the khateeb's words
“Instead of. Assuming things. We go and verify. We go and clarify. We go to the source. We speak to the person directly.”
“Hear the other side of the story. Maybe there is something wrong that your family member did. That is what is called justice.”
“If you want to release the stress. And you know the sort of tension. You use salah for that. You use dua for that. You use dhikr for that.”
“But if we do it. Wallahi. We're going to solve 95% of our problems. It's exactly what it is.”
For the dinner table
Today the khateeb talked about how harmful it is to think badly of other people without knowing the facts. He reminded us that Allah compares backbiting to eating the flesh of your own brother. That is how ugly it is to talk about someone behind their back. Instead of guessing or spreading stories, we should go to the person directly and ask kindly, because most problems come from miscommunication and bad assumptions. He also taught that even when someone we love tells us their side, we should hear the other side before deciding who is right. That is what real justice is. When we feel stressed or upset, we can turn to salah, dua and dhikr instead of complaining about others.
- Have you ever thought something bad about someone and later found out you were wrong? What happened?
- If a friend tells you a story about someone else, what could you say so you hear the other side first?
- How can you tell if something you see online is true before you believe it or share it?
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