WHAT IS THE MEANING OF FITNAH, AN UNTRUE ACCUSATION FROM ANOTHER PERSON ?

In the Qur’an, the word fitnah is frequently encountered, particularly in Surah al-Baqarah (2:217), which states:

يَسَۡٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلشَّهۡرِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ قِتَالٖ فِيهِۖ قُلۡ قِتَالٞ فِيهِ كَبِيرٞۚ وَصَدٌّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَكُفۡرُۢ بِهِۦ وَٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ وَإِخۡرَاجُ أَهۡلِهِۦ مِنۡهُ أَكۡبَرُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِۚ وَٱلۡفِتۡنَةُ أَكۡبَرُ مِنَ ٱلۡقَتۡلِۗ وَلَا يَزَالُونَ يُقَٰتِلُونَكُمۡ حَتَّىٰ يَرُدُّوكُمۡ عَن دِينِكُمۡ إِنِ ٱسۡتَطَٰعُواْۚ وَمَن يَرۡتَدِدۡ مِنكُمۡ عَن دِينِهِۦ فَيَمُتۡ وَهُوَ كَافِرٞ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ حَبِطَتۡ أَعۡمَٰلُهُمۡ فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۖ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِۖ هُمۡ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ

"They ask you about fighting during the Sacred Month. Say, “Fighting in it is a grave sin; but barring people from the way of Allah, disbelief in Him, preventing access to al-Masjid al-Haram, and expelling its inhabitants from it are far graver in the sight of Allah. And fitnah is more severe than killing. They will continue to fight you until they turn you back from your religion, if they are able. Whoever among you turns back from his religion and dies as a disbeliever—those are the ones whose deeds have come to nothing in this world and the Hereafter, and they are the inhabitants of the Fire, abiding therein forever.”

However, we often quote only a fragment of this verse, namely the statement “fitnah is more severe than killing.” As a result, when we are subjected to false accusations, we use this verse as a shield to defend ourselves. Yet, if the verse is read in its entirety, it becomes clear that the term fitnah in this passage is closely connected to the prohibition of fighting during the sacred months and to three grave sins committed during that time.

If we search for the word fitnah in other verses, we will also find it in Surah al-Anfal (8:28). Let us consider the verse:

وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّمَآ أَمۡوَٰلُكُمۡ وَأَوۡلَٰدُكُمۡ فِتۡنَةٞ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥٓ أَجۡرٌ عَظِيمٞ

"And know that your wealth and your children are but a test, and that with Allah is a reward."

In this verse, the word fitnah appears, yet unfortunately, in the official Indonesian translation by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, it is rendered as “a test.” This raises an important question: if we understand fitnah as “false accusation by others,” should wealth and children also be understood in that sense?

In fact, the word fitnah derives from the triliteral root fa–ta–na (ف ت ن), whose basic meaning is “to burn.” The term fitnah is used for matters that have the potential to cause chaos and suffering. For example, in Surah al-Anfal (8:73):

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بَعۡضُهُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٍۚ إِلَّا تَفۡعَلُوهُ تَكُن فِتۡنَةٞ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَفَسَادٞ كَبِيرٞ

"Those who disbelieve are allies of one another. If you do not do so, there will be chaos on the earth and great corruption."

Here, fitnah clearly refers to chaos and widespread disorder.

Thus, Surah al-Baqarah (2:217) may be understood as follows:

"They ask you about fighting during the Sacred Month. Say, “Fighting in it is a grave sin; but barring people from the way of Allah, disbelief in Him, preventing access to al-Masjid al-Haram, and expelling its inhabitants from it are far graver in the sight of Allah. And causing chaos and suffering (fitnah) is more severe than killing.”

This interpretation is appropriate because the context concerns fighting during the sacred months and the commission of three grave sins therein.

Likewise, Surah al-Anfal (8:28) may be understood as:

"And know that your wealth and your children are nothing but sources of chaos and suffering (fitnah), and that with Allah is a great reward."

This is because:

1. Allah warns us not to fall into fitnah because of wealth and children. Therefore, wealth must be properly managed, and children must be financially supported and properly educated (QS. At-Tahrim 66:6).
2. By what standards should they be managed? By the guidelines and principles that Allah has set forth in the Qur’an (QS. al-Baqarah 2:185).
3. When managed properly, wealth and children can even become a source of happiness. This is the ajr (reward) that is great and unending (QS. At-Tin 95:6).

There are parents who fail to educate their children properly and even neglect them. As a result, the children lose direction, become involved in criminal cases, and the parents suffer shame and financial loss, sometimes even having to pay to secure their child’s release from prison.

On the other hand, when parents educate their children well, they increase the likelihood that their children will grow in accordance with Allah’s values of truth. In this way, the parents’ status is elevated because of their righteous sons and daughters. Even when parents succeed in educating their children to excel academically, they may receive abundant provision, as their children later become successful individuals.

This is why Allah warns that wealth and children are fitnah—sources of chaos and suffering—for parents.

@AbuMusa2025