It is because they say: Zaid is unhappy with such and such master.

It is because they say: Zaid is unhappy with such and such master. You may hear someone saying: Where do you go for prayer? You reply: At such and such place. He says: Did you not hear that people are talking things about this Shaykh! Now, I do not say that he is not telling true, that I asked him for money but he did not oblige. Rather, he puts allegations on him and tells lies too. Being so simple minded, you also say: All right, very good.

Thus you are deprived from the congregation and from the benefit of a scholar’s presence. I wish this would end here. But no! This misfortune is such that if you feel any doubt about anybody, that doubt multiplies and you become his enemy. Why, at all, did you accept those words, which came out of that dirty mouth? “If an evil-doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it, lest you harm a people in ignorance…” O people! If somebody told you something about your wife! O ladies!

If someone backbites your husband! O friend! You heard something about a Muslim. You have no right to accept such things hastily without making inquiry. You must not believe that word and be impressed by it. Be patient. Make inquiries. Perhaps the fact was otherwise. Either the one who said so made a mistake because of any doubt or he said so due to enmity and jealousy like the story, which is said to be the background of the revelation of this Holy verse.

Walid the transgressor and Bani Mustaliq In the 9th year after Hijrat, Islam spread wide. Among the tribes, which became Muslim was the tribe of Bani Mustaliq too. Its chief was Harith bin Zurar Khuzai. He came to Medina and embraced Islam and gave a promise to the Holy Prophet that: I am going back to my community. There, I will teach them the laws and rules of Islam. I will also collect their Zakat amounts.

Please send someone at such and such time so that I will hand over the Zakat money to him. The Holy Prophet accepted his word. This gentleman, Harith, who was a new Muslim, was a very wise man. He taught all the rules of Islam to his tribesmen and taught them Prayer, Fast and Zakat. He also collected their Zakat and waited for someone to come from the Holy Prophet so that he might hand over the amount to him. Despite waiting, no one arrived.

Hopelessly he said: Perhaps the Holy Prophet did not send anyone so let me myself go to Medina with some Muslims and hand over the Zakat amounts to him personally. So he rode to Medina along with some of his tribesmen.