This was because he had prayed without Wuzu and once he was...

This was because he had prayed without Wuzu and once he was passing by an oppressed person who called for help but he did not respond.” ^4 The Holy Prophet (S) says: “It is necessary to help a believer whether he is an oppressor or an oppressed one. If he is an oppressor he should be restrained from oppression and if he is oppressed he should be helped in obtaining his rights.

He should not be deserted and left on his own.”[^5] Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says: “He is not a believer who inspite of being capable avoids helping his brother in need; Allah also leaves him on his own and does not help him in this world nor the Hereafter.”[^6] Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) says: “A person before whom the defects of his Muslim brother are mentioned; and he does not try to remove those defects inspite of being able to do also; then Allah will expose (his defects) in this world as well as the Hereafter.” From the above tradition and other similar narrations it seems that oppression is not confined to physical harm or monetary difficulty.

It is also with regard to the injury to one’s honour and respect. For, the honour of a believer is as precious as his life and wealth. Defiling the honour of a believer is also Harām, like usurping his wealth or taking his life. The traditions are emphatic that just as it is necessary to defend the life and property of a believer, it is also incumbent to protect his honour and respect. It is Wajib to assist him in defending his honour.

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says: “If a person tells something (misleading) to a believer by which he intends to make him an evil man and due to this his respect and honour will be destroyed and he will be degraded in the eyes of common people and people will not trust him anymore nor respect him.

Then such a person is deprived from the Guardianship of Allah and left for the Shaitan who also does not accept him.” ^7 The Messenger of Allah (S) says: “If a person hears of the defects of his believing brother in an assembly and tries to defend him, Allah closes a thousand doors of evil from him in the world and the Hereafter.

But if inspite of being capable he does not refrain the one who is speaking about the defects of a believer; his sin will be equal to that of seventy backbiters.” ^8 Shaykh Ansari says that this sin is equated to that of seventy backbiters probably for the reason that if the one who is mentioning the defects is not restrained he may repeat this act on several other occassions.