Hawzah News Agency- Failing to do so is called tale-bearing, which ethics scholars warn against. Tale-bearing is an inappropriate behavior that causes enmity and hate and destroys bonds of fraternity and friendship.

One type of tale-bearing, called Namimah is telling someone that another person has talked about you and said this and that about you.

Another type of it is Sa’ayah, which is tale-bearing before kings and despots from whom one feels threatened to be imprisoned, exiled, or killed.

The Holy Quran strongly warns against tale-bearing. In Verse 1 of Surah Humazah, God says, “Woe to every slanderer and (tale-bearer).”

In Surah Al-Qalam, Verses 10-12, Gold tells the Holy Prophet: “Do not yield to one persistent in swearing, back-biting, gossiping, obstructing virtues, (such a person is) a sinful transgressor.”

According to a Hadith from the Holy Prophet (PBUH), tale-bearers are among the worst people.

One has several responsibilities in the face of tale-bearers. First, he should not confirm what they say because they are sinners and their testimony is not valid.

God says in Verse 6 of Surah Al-Hujurat: “Believers, if an evildoer brings you a piece of news, inquire first, in case you should unwittingly wrong others and then repent of what you have done.”

Second, he should try to warn them against tale-bearing, which is among sins and evil deeds. God says in Verse 17 of Surah Luqman: “My son, be steadfast in prayer. Make others do good. Prevent them from doing evil.”

Third, one should stay away disavow tale-bearers, whom God does not like. Fourth, One should not have bad thoughts and suspicions about the person about whom the tale-bearers speak badly.

According to Verse 12 of Surah Al-Hujurat, “Believers, abstain from most suspicion, some suspicion is a sin.”

And fifth, one should not be provoked to spy on the person about whom the tale-bearers speak badly. God says in the same verse (12 of Surah Al-Hujurat), “Neither spy nor backbite one another…”