ذَمُّ تَتَبُّعِ العُيوبِ Pursuit of People’ s Faults

18ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): لا تَتَّبِعوا عَوراتِ المُؤمِنينَ؛ فإنَّهُ مَن تَتَبَّعَ عَوراتِ المُؤمِنينَ تَتَبَّعَ اللّه‏ُ عَورَتَهُ، ومَن تَتَبَّعَ اللّه‏ُ عَورَتَهُ فَضَحَهُ ولَو في جَوفِ بَيتِهِ.

18– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Do not seek to pursue believers’ shameful acts, for verily whoever pursues believers’ shameful acts, Allah will pursue his shameful acts, and whoever’ s shameful acts Allah pursues, He will expose, even if it be in the confines of his own home.’[Thawab al-A`amal, v. 2, p. 288, no. 1]
 

19ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): تَأمُّلُ العَيبِ عَيبٌ .

19– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Anticipating attentively for a fault [in someone] is a fault in itself.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 4489]
 

20ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ مِن كِتابِهِ لِلأشتَرِ لَمّا وَلاّهُ مِصرَ ـ: وَلْيَكُنْ أبعَدَ رَعِيَّتِكَ مِنكَ، وأشنَأهُم عِندَكَ، أطلَبُهُم لِمَعايِبِ النّاسِ؛فإنَّ فِي النّاسِ عُيوباً، الوالي أحَقُّ مَن سَتَرَها، فلا تَكشِفَنَّ عَمّاغابَ عَنكَ مِنها.

20– Imam Ali (AS), in a letter he wrote to al-Ashtar when he appointed him governor of Egypt, said, ‘The furthest of your subjects from you, and the worst of them in your view should be the one who is the most eager to pursue people’ s shortcomings, because people do have faults and the ruler is the most appropriate person to conceal them, so do not ever seek to discover those faults which are hidden from you.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53]
 

21ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لا تَبتَهِجَنَّ بِخَطاءِ غَيرِكَ؛فإنَّكَ لَن تَملِكَ الإصابَةَ أبَداً.

21– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Do not ever rejoice at someone else’ s mistake, for verily you yourself will never be immune to committing mistakes.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 10294]
 

22ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن عابَ عِيبَ، ومَن شَتَمَ اُجيبَ.

22– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘He who finds faults will be accused of them himself, and he who insults will be retorted to [with worse].’[Kanz al-Fawa’ id li al-Karajiki, v. 1, p. 279]
 

23ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): أبعَدُ ما يَكونُ العَبدُ مِنَ اللّه‏ِ أن يَكونَ الرَّجُلُ يُواخي الرَّجُلَ وهُوَ يَحفَظُ (عَلَيهِ) زَلاّتِهِ لِيُعَيِّرَهُ بِها يَوماً ما .

23– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘The furthest a servant can be from Allah is when he associates in a brotherly manner with someone while at the same time making note of all his faults in order to one day shame him.’[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 355, no. 7]