And when a person sometimes calls his companion by a title that does not intend to insult him, or performs an action that falls under mockery without intending mockery, Allah, the Most High, forbade hastening to suspicion without verification. This is because that is placing things in their wrong places, which is the meaning of injustice. He said, concluding with the fifth oath, warning about what is in it of high virtues and precious matters: "O you who have believed," meaning acknowledge faith even if they are in the first ranks of it. "Avoid," meaning: make yourselves leave, distance, and place yourselves far away from it, "many of suspicion," meaning: regarding people and others. So be cautious in every suspicion and do not persist with it until you are certain of it, so that you advance based on it towards what it necessitates of evil except after verifying its truth from its falsehood by having a clear sign and evident reason. Searching for that which necessitated suspicion is not prohibited, as the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, investigated in the story of the slander and verified until the certain news came to him from Allah. This indicates that much of it is to be avoided, as in striving where there is no decisive proof, and as in having good suspicion of Allah, the Most High. Rather, it may be obligatory, as He, the Most High, said: "Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of themselves?" [An-Nur: 12]. The indefinite article indicates the general prohibition in every suspicion, so it was in the meaning of "some" with the assurance that much of it is prohibited from proceeding towards it except after clarifying its matter. If it were known, it would be understood that it is not to be avoided except if it is characterized by abundance. Al-Qushayri said: The self does not affirm, and the heart does not deny, and distinguishing between the self and the heart is difficult. Whoever has some remnants of his desires, even if few, he should not be called to clarify the heart. Rather, it is by itself as long as there is something of its remnants upon him, and he must suspect himself in everything that happens to him from the deficiency of others. Then he explained that the wise person is the one who restrains himself from the slightest possibility of confirmed harm. This is because the actions of people in the face of suspicions are the actions of one who is certain that he is innocent of sin: "Indeed, some suspicion is sin," meaning: a sin that leads its owner to deserving punishment, like suspicion in the fundamentals of religion, where it is contradicted by decisive proof. Al-Zamakhshari, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The hamzah in sin is from the waw, and it is as if it breaks actions by nullifying them.

And when He forbade following suspicion, He followed it with what branches from it, saying: "And do not spy," meaning: do not delve into searching for faults, and that should only be for those who are concealed.

And when backbiting is broader than spying, He said: "And do not backbite," meaning: do not intentionally mention "some of you about others" in their absence with what they dislike. Al-Qushayri said: Backbiting does not occur from creation except by backbiting against the truth. Abu Hayyan said: Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, said: Backbiting is the food of the dogs of people.

And when the tearing of people's honor is like the tearing of their skin, and that does not cover the greatness of the One by whom their existence is maintained, just as their honor covers them. And the fact that he does not defend himself due to his absence, like his death and the actions of the mouth and stomach in all of that, (p-380) this, if the wise were to reflect upon it, would be to him the utmost in repulsion. However, due to its concealment, it does not occur to his mind. Allah made it clear to him in His saying, confirming and expressing love for what is in the utmost of hatred for the one who backbites, due to the desire [in backbiting], so that the depiction by that would turn him away from it and make it detestable for him: "Does one of you love" and He mentioned by saying: "one of you" and expressed it with 'that' and the action as a depiction of the action, so He said: "to eat" and increased in the repulsion by making it in a person who is a brother, so He said: "the flesh of his brother" and concluded the matter with His saying: "dead."

And when the answer is certainly: no one loves that, He indicated to it by what He caused from His saying: "So you hated it," meaning: due to what was mentioned, naturally, it is more fitting that you hate the forbidden backbiting rationally; because the call of reason is insightful and knowledgeable, while the call of nature is blind and ignorant. And He, glorified is He, arranged these wisdoms in the most marvelous order, commanding, glorified is He, to verify. And perhaps it would create animosity, He prohibited acting upon its implications of mockery, slander, and disparagement, and continuing with what it spreads of suspicions. If the soul insists on continuing with suspicion, it should not reach to spying and searching for faults. If one gains knowledge of them, he should refrain from mentioning them, and strive to conceal them, and do all of that out of fear of Allah, nothing else. If he falls into something of that, he should hasten to repentance hoping for reward.

(p-381) And when the estimation is: leave it due to their hatred for what I depicted, He added to it what indicated the greatest reason which is the fear of Allah, the Exalted, saying: "And fear Allah," meaning: place a barrier between you and the greatest King by leaving that and reconciling between people.

And when the estimation is: for indeed Allah will accept your repentance if you leave it, He justified it by what indicated that this is a quality of His that is repeatedly related, saying: "Indeed Allah," meaning: the greatest King, "is Accepting of Repentance," meaning: repeatedly accepting repentance, which is the return from disobedience to [what] was before it from the dealings of the repenter. And if he repeats the sin, let no one despair even if his sins are many and great. "And Merciful" increases him in that by honoring him to the utmost of honor.