The Dangers of ‘He Said, She Said’
Al-ʿAllāmah Abū al-Ḥasan Mālik Ādam
The Messenger of Allāh (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) also said in a ḥadīth collected by Muslim on the authority of Ibn Masʿūd, “Should I not tell you what falsehood is? It is the ‘he said, she said’ [that is carried] between the people.”
“When one hears his brother sinning and transgressing by spreading tales and speaking of ‘he said, she said’ amongst the people than let him say to his brother, “The Messenger of Allāh said: “Whoever believes in Allāh and the Last Day then let him say good or remain quiet.” Or at the least one should remove himself from the sittings of ‘he said, she said’ and the tale carrying from the statement of Allāh, “And if they come upon vain speech, they pass by graciously [not involving themselves in it nor listening].”
[Sūrah al-Qasas, 28:55]”
