Thus, a servant’s good manners are a sign of his intelligence and of Allah’s intending good for him. For this reason, He said:

“Had they been patient until you came out to them, it would have been better for them. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

That is, He forgives the sins committed by His servants and their failures in proper conduct, and He is merciful to them, for He does not hasten to punish them for their sins with penalties and exemplary chastisements.

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﴿6﴾ “O you who believe, if a transgressor brings you some news, verify it, lest you harm a people unknowingly and then become remorseful for what you have done.”

This, too, is among the proper manners that people of understanding must adopt and practise: if a transgressor brings them a report, they must ascertain its truth and not accept it at face value. Doing so entails grave danger and may lead to sin. If his report is treated like that of an honest, upright person, judgments will be made on its basis and according to its implications. As a result, lives and property may be wrongfully lost because of that report, which would then become a cause for remorse.

Rather, when a transgressor brings a report, one must ascertain and verify it. If the evidence and surrounding circumstances indicate that he is truthful, his report is accepted and acted upon. If they indicate that he is lying, he is deemed a liar and his report is not acted upon. This demonstrates that the report of a truthful person is accepted, the report of a liar is rejected, and judgment concerning the report of a transgressor is suspended, as we have stated. For this reason, the early Muslims accepted reports transmitted by many [of] the Kharijites who were known for their truthfulness, even though they were transgressors.