Chapter Four (cont.)

on his own) should be more beloved to you than him having to rid himself of it due to your admonishing." These are the words of AI-Ghazaalee JI 4,.3'-J· I say: If someone is presented with a notion of bad thoughts for another person, he should cut off those bad thoughts. But this is unless there is some (religiously) legislated benefit that leads to thinking (about that person) in this manner. So if such a reason exists, holding these thoughts about his deficiencies is permissible, as well as warning against them, as can be seen in the Jarh (criticism) of certain witnesses, reporters and others." Concerning Gossiping lmaam Abu Haamid AI-Ghazaalee .Ji\ 4,.3'-J said: "For the most part, gossip (Nameemah) is attributed to the one who takes the statement of a person (concerning another individual), and relates it back to that individual that is being spoken about. An example of this is when someone says: 'That person said suchand-such about you.' However, gossiping is not limited to just this example, but rather its extent is: Exposing that which one hates to have exposed, whether the one he is relating from or the one he is relating the story to or the third party hates it. And it is the same if this exposing is done by speech or by writing or by gesturing, etc, and regardless whether what is being narrated relates to someone's sayings or actions, and whether it is a defect or other than that. So the reality of gossiping is: Spreading what is supposed to Guarding the Tongue be private, and destroying the concealment of what he hates to have exposed.