notifications_active Weekly Meshkat-e Noor Session: Thursdays at 20:30 at Haj Reza Mosque
There is a hadith from Imam Ali (AS) to the effect that a person’s fault is sufficiently serious when, asked what evidence supports something they have said, they reply, “I heard it.” On what basis, then, should we trust what others say so that we do not become like such people? Most things we say are based on what we have heard, rather than on having seen everything ourselves.
Imam Ali’s (AS) hadith refers to speaking without verification or certainty, whether something has been heard or read. What matters is having confidence in the reliability of the source, whether that source is a person or a written text. Sharpening one’s discernment, paying close attention to reports, and reflecting deeply on them are valuable aids in judging their reliability.
What the Master means is speech accepted without investigation or certainty, whether one hears it or reads it. What matters is confidence in the reliability of the source—whether that source is a person or a written text. Sharpening one’s discernment, paying close attention to reports, and reflecting and reasoning deeply about them are valuable aids to assessing their reliability.