In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Seeking Faults or Covering Faults

Throughout our life, we may have seen people, who seek the faults ⁽¹⁾ of others and create the grounds for pessimisms, hurtfulness, separation and even violence among others. So many relationships of friends and families are destroyed simply because of such bad habit.

Fault seeking is a moral illness which intrudes the privacy of people and destructs respect. Those who seek the fault of others destroy people’s dignity by this immoral behavior and cause them to be to be pessimistic toward each other and eventually create corruption.

Fault seeking in Islam is among the great sins and the Holy Quran has promised a massive torture for those who spread immorality.⁽²⁾

But what should we do when facing those who seek the fault and reveal the privacy of others? What is truly the best and most fundamental thing to do when observing such an act? We can find the answer to this question by referring what Imam Kazem (PBUH) said on this matter:  

Muhammad ibn Fodayl, one of the companions of Imam Kazem (PBUH) narrates:

I asked Imam Kazem (PBUH): “My master, I have heard a bad thing, which I dislike very much, about one of my brothers. When I asked my brother about that act, he denied; but those who told me about the news are very much trusted.”

Imam (PBUH) said: “O Muhammad! Ignore your ears and eyes about your brother and if fifty people swear to have witnessed other than what your brother told you, approve only your brother; deny what others tell you; avoid spreading any fault from your brother and prevent any harm to his dignity. If you do otherwise, you will be amongst those whom Allah (SWT) says about them: ‘Verily, those who like immorality propagate among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter…’⁽³⁾”⁽⁴⁾

Indeed, covering one’s fault is the only correct way to deal with fault seekers. Covering faults is the exact opposite of seeking and revealing faults. Covering faults is a great virtue while seeking faults is an immorality. Covering faults strengthens friendships and relationship while seeking faults destroy any relationship and separates people from each other. Covering faults is a virtue of our Lord, Allah (SWT); as we recite in the Joshan Kabir prayer, Allah’s attributes: “O Lord Who reveals beauties and goodness; and covers faults and what is bad…”

Covering the faults of people keeps their dignity is the path to perfection and obedience to our Master, Allah (SWT); this has been the virtue of our Imams. Let’s try to improve this great virtue in ourselves to the extent that we can ⁽⁶⁾.

(The above is selected from “Moralities from the Perspective of Co-existence and Humane Values” by Hujjat al-Islam Muhammad Taqi Falsafi (with minor changes))

Roshd Website congratulates all Muslims, especially you dear friend on the 7th of Safar, the birth anniversary of the seventh divine chosen leader, the successor of the righteous, the leader of the selected servants, and the holder of the light of knowledge⁽⁶⁾, Imam Musa ibn Ja’far al-Kazem (PBUH).

As you may know, according to some narrations the 7^th of Safar is also martyrdom of Imam Hassan al-Mujtaba (PBUH). Thus, while offering respect to our beloved Imam, Roshd website will postpone the related subscribe letter on the other famous martyrdom date which is the 28^th of Safar.

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Footnotes:

1. Fault seeker is one who observes shortcomings in people’s behavior and considers them very important; but he fails to see the good in people or if he observe any good in them, he considers them unimportant; thus, he gives no credit to the good in people. Such person is very pessimistic and consistently seeks the negative in people and puts effort in conveying those faults to other people. Such person is said to have the Fault Seeking moral illness.

2. “Verily, those who like immorality propagate among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter…; and Allah knows, while you do not know.” (The Holy Quran, 24:19)

3. The Holy Quran, (24:19)

4. Usool al-Kaafi, vol. 8, p. 147

5. Even though Islam has recommended Muslims to be good to each other in moralities and kindly advice the shortcoming of each person to themselves; but an important notes remains here is that while one is forbidding his brother from committing evil, it should not turn into seeking that brother’s shortcoming and faults. No one is allowed to intrude other’s privacy in order to discover a new fault about a peer so that one could advise about, since this act is spreading the bad manners.

6. Mafaatih al-Jinan, a phrase from the Salawat to Imam Kazem (PBUH).