“In Medina there were people who themselves had no apparent faults, yet they spoke of the faults of others. Because of this vile act, Allah exposed certain flaws of theirs, and they remained known by those flaws until the time of their death.”[1]
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said this in forbidding fault-finding in others and in condemning its reprehensibility within society.
Safeguarding the honor and secrets of Muslims and forbidding intrusion into the affairs of others are among the important social matters and influential factors in the unity of the Islamic community—matters that have been strongly emphasized in the verses of the Qur’an and in the sayings of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and the infallible Imams (peace be upon them).
In the testament of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) to the Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī (peace be upon him), it is stated: “O ʿAlī! There are eight groups who, if they are insulted, should blame none but themselves… among them is the one who intrudes into a matter kept secret between two people without their permission (by interfering or spying).”[2]
In a sermon, that same Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said to his companions: “O group who have professed faith with your tongues but in whose hearts faith has not entered, do not backbite Muslims, nor seek to uncover their faults. For whoever seeks to expose the faults of his Muslim brother, Allah will expose his faults until He disgraces him within his own home.”[3]
Taken from the book Mafātīḥ al-Ḥayāh by Āyat Allāh Jawādī Āmulī (abridged and with slight modifications)
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Footnotes:
[1] al-Amālī of al-Ṭūsī, p. 101
[2] Man Lā Yaḥḍuruhu al-Faqīh, vol. 4, p. 355
[3] Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, vol. 3, p. 123