The pureness of society helps his pureness and its...

The pureness of society helps his pureness and its defilement helps his defilement. Consequently, Islam is against anything that pollutes the atmosphere of the society and severely struggles with anything that defiles it. If we see that backbiting is severely struggled with in Islam, one of its philosophies is that backbiting divulges secret faults and dishonours society. If we see that it is commanded to hide faults, one of its reasons is to prevent sin from being common and widespread.

We see that open and seen sin is more important than hidden and covered sin. It is so important that Imam Rida (a.s.) says: "One who disseminates sin is rejected and one who hides sin is divinely forgiven." If we see that in the above verses spreading indecency is severely reprimanded and condemned, is also because of this. Essentially sin is like fire. When this fire is stirred in a part of society, it must be tried to put off the fire or at least to encircle it.

But if we spread fire and move it from one part to the other part, fire will increase and no one can control it. Moreover, the importance of sin in the opinion of people and saving the superficial aspect of society are great bars against corruption. Spreading slander and sin and pretending wickedness unbar it, belittle the sin and make being involved in it easy.

The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) in a tradition said: "One who disseminates a wickedness is like one who has first (committed and) established it."[^1] Also there is a tradition that says: "One day a man came to Imam masa Ibn Ja'far (a.s.) and said: 'May I lay down my life for you!One of brothers retold me something about a religious brother, the thing which I disliked.

I asked him (that religious brother), but he denied it, while some of trustworthy persons narrated this.' Imam said: 'When something bad is told about your brother, do not believe your eye and ear. Even if 50 persons take oath that he has done it and he says he has not done it, accept him. Do not disseminate anything that causes him disgrace and slander in society.

If you do it, you will be one of those about whom Allah says: 'Verily those who love that indecency should be spread concerning those who believe, theirs will be a painful punishment in the world and the Hereafter...[^2]'."[^3] It is also necessary to mention that 'spreading indecency' has got different forms: Sometimes there are centers that cause corruption and disseminate wickedness.