Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief Chapter: Backbiting and Accusations 7ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْ٠َنِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْ٠َنِ بْنِ سَيَابَةَ قَالَ سَ٠ِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلا٠) يَقُولُ الْغِيبَةُ أَنْ تَقُولَ فِي أَخِيكَ ٠َا سَتَرَهُ الله عَلَيْهِ وَأَ٠ْرُ الظَّاهِرُ فِيهِ ٠ِثْلُ الْحِدَّةِ وَالْعَجَلَةِ فَلا وَالْبُهْتَانُ أَنْ تَقُولَ فِيهِ ٠7.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from ‘Abd al-Rahman from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Sayabah who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Backbiting is when you say something about your brother (in belief) that Allah has covered up for him. However, the matters that are manifest in him like hot-temperedness and haste is not backbiting.

Accusation is when you say about him what is not found in him.’” جهول - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (10/436))