By Muhammad Tariq Ghazi

Here we have a warning: “Whoever intentionally attributes to me something that I did not say or do has made his abode in the Hellfire.”

Here we have the world’s first definite law on copyright and against plagiarism. 

This statement will likely have many eyebrows raised and many a face betraying a wry smile. Nonetheless this is what it is.

People generally believe that copyright is a modern law. In very book published in the western world and some in other parts of the world as well carry a brief statement printed on the credits page of books warning that “all rights are reserved and no portion of the book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo-copying, recording . . . without permission in writing from the author/publisher.

Compare this warning with first warning given by The Rasool-Allah and issued through Hazrat Zubayr Ibn Awwam as is recorded in Sunan Abi Daoud, volume 3, Book of Knowledge, chapter 95, Hadith 252.

Warning in modern books is economic in nature, aimed at ensuring that royalty of the author or income of the publisher is not affected. It is not about social ethics. However, the Hadith referred here is not about money. There is a cultural lesson in this Hadith: one should never attribute anything to anyone that he or she has not said or has not done.

In spite of this dire warning, evil people who have ever dared to ascribe false traditions to the Rasool-Allah have opted for eternal Fire, but the fact of life is that a similar attitude adopted about common people often turns a person’s world into a hell for the community. In simple language this is also called rumor-mongering.

Rumors are actually violation of copyright. It is attributing something to someone who has not said what is being blamed on him or her. This violation of copyright is nothing but spreading evil in society.

Look around and see who are the people making life difficult and who are disturbing Nature by spreading lies, backbiting, and why are they doing it. Human intelligence is powerful enough and will not fail you: your sharp eyes will penetrate the false screen of evil weaved by those who revel in deceiving humanity without remorse, not knowing however that they are engaged in a losing game.

Look around again to find that even among the Muslims there are very few people who are spreading good in the world. Then let us assess ourselves: are we among those few who are spreading good in response to evil?

Finally, think about the moral decline, social maltreatment, exploitation, manipulation of the Ummah and decide if our grumble about this pathetic state of the community is justified, if this is not because we are neglectful of our assigned job?

What is out job? It is always being Original academically and Truthful in reporting.

Then let us turn to the academic order set by none other than the Rasool-Allah. His direct disciples and those who followed them and also those who followed the second generation have set the bars of knowledge very high. These levels are world’s intellectual standards to reach in order for men to be classed among scholars. People like us trying to touch those standards with fingertips are merely “literate” – and also arrogant despite our lack of knowledge. Islamic law defines this state of mind as Jahl Murakkab – Compound Ignorance, that’s a notch below illiteracy.