The ruling on acting upon mass-transmitted rumors regarding a person

The questioner : The questioner says: Honorable Shaykh, I have a friend I have known for more than ten years. I know him to be a memorizer of the Qur'an, one who is consistent in performing the obligatory and recommended acts, and who stays away from vices, having dedicated himself to teaching the Book of Allah. But a while ago, I met with one of the students of knowledge. But a while ago. I have a friend I have known for more than ten years, I know him to be a memorizer of the Qur'an, consistent in the obligatory acts, and so on, having dedicated himself to teaching the Book of Allah, but a while ago, but a while ago, I met with one of the students of knowledge. Yes. He spoke harshly against my friend and warned those present about him. When I tried to defend him, he said to me: These criticisms are mass-transmitted, mass-transmitted about him, and they have been passed down by trustworthy people. And when the news becomes widespread and spreads, it is obligatory to act upon it, and this is a principle among the people of the Sunnah and the community. And when I said to him, but this will cause division based on mere rumors, he said: This is ignorance. And it is a contradiction of the action of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) separated a man from his wife based on a statement made by an old woman, and he said to the man: How can you do this when it has been said? So how much more so when trustworthy people pass down the news? Their passing down of the news does not require evidence, but is itself evidence. So what is your opinion in such a case?

The Shaykh : First, I see that the argument of the one who responded to this man, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) acted upon the statement of an old woman and said, "How can you do this when it has been said?" I see that his argument with this is wrong. And this is one of the matters with which people are afflicted today. And the young people of the community have started speaking about what they do not understand in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
This woman whose statement the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted, she only said, "I have breastfed you both," meaning the husband and the wife. So it is a religious report and a testimony from her that she breastfed them, and it is a tangible matter known to her. So the man separated from her by the order of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: How can you do this when it has been said? This is one point. Second, is the female Companion from the just ones whose testimony is accepted? Or from the unknown ones? Or from those whose testimony is rejected? The first, the second, or the third? The first. And the mere spread of news does not indicate its truth in reality. Rather, one must look at the person's condition with knowledge and justice, and is it true that he has fallen back into sin? Or not? Especially if he has a prior record of good and virtue, like this companion the questioner spoke about.
In any case, news may spread and become widespread until it is almost mass-transmitted, and then it turns out to be not true. So it is obligatory to verify and not to rush. Until a person speaks with insight.