Ramadan is not just about praying and abstaining from food. It goes beyond that. The Shariah (the Islamic law) clearly says that each individual is accountable for his or her deeds, good or bad. Islam lays out clear instructions with regard to concealing the faults of others.
These days, it has become quite a ‘norm’ to expose other people’s faults and backbite them in public. Talking ill of a person is not at all desirable as it is tantamount to character assassination.
The habit of fault-finding has been spreading like a virus in society. Islam lays out clear instructions with regard to concealing the faults of others. Allah Almighty has prohibited us from finding faults in others: “And do not search for (hidden) faults.” (Quran, part 26, verse 12)
Sayiduna Abū Hurairah Radhiallahu anhu reported Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: “The servant (who conceals) the faults of others in this world, Allah would conceal his faults on the Day of Resurrection.”
Another Hadith says, “O gathering who believe with their tongues but faith has yet to enter into their hearts, do not backbite the Muslims. And do not search into their private matters. Whoever searches for their private matters will have Allah follow up his private matters. And whose private matters Allah follows, He will expose him even [if his actions were done] in his house.” [Recorded in Ahmad and Abu Dawood]
There are some exceptional cases where one may talk about someone’s faults if that helps in reforming the person or for purposes of social importance. Like, if a man has to marry a woman and he asks another person about her character, it is the duty of the person whose counsel has been sought to give him correct information about the person in a proper way.
If you see or hear about a fault in someone, you could do one of two things: You could keep this fact in your heart and not speak about it to anyone. Or, you could meet this person yourself, and in a spirit of compassion and genuine concern for reform, speak to the person about it. This ensures positivity in individuals and in society at large. Khallej times
