Search the Community

I believe one of the main exceptions of gheebah is when you have been wronged by someone else or oppressed. I used to be under the impression that if you are wronged or oppressed you are able to mention it to anyone you wish without restriction, but perhaps not to the extent of doing it to defame someone. However, I have recently learnt that our maraja limit this exception (ehtiyat e wajib) of gheebah to those who are able to help (I believe). Moreover, the kinds of people who are able to help are specified and limited. I believe these are limited to: 1. To a judge [or a lawyer]. 2. In an employment context to an employer 3. In the context of mental well-being or distress, to a formal counsellor. Not just anyone who may informally act as a counsellor to help the oppressed person come to terms with the gheebah or look at it, or understand it, from a different perspective, eg, a wife [or friend]. I believe this is according to Sayyid Sistani and perhaps Sayyid Khamenei is a little less restrictive with regards to the formal counsellor. Does this mean, for example if a woman is being abused by her husband, she is not allowed to mention it to her father or another member of her family who may be able to help. If someone is wronged and distressed by someone else's actions does this mean they are not allowed to 'vent' to someone they trust for their mental health like a friend, spouse or elder they trust and respect for advice? Please could someone elaborate on the exceptions of gheebah generally and specifically in the case of being wronged and whether it is only if when seeking help. This could be according to any well recognised marja you are aware of. I am aware that if there is serious oppression occurring then it is almost obligatory to publicise it to try and prevent it happening, whether it was to you or others, such as in certain countries in the world today. Jazakallah

So guys, for sometime now I've started being very careful about not generalizing or stereotyping groups of people for negative things...and you may have noticed I have policed others regarding this matter on a few occasions as well. For example, saying stuff like "Arabs are ____", "Iranis are ____", "Pakis are ____ ", and etc... The reason for this is because some time back I was going through a very known book called Greater Sins by Ayatollah Dastghaib Shirazi, and I read a particular paragraph in the backbiting section: ... Ghiība of Specified Persons and Ghiība of General People It is Ghiība only if it is with respect to a particular person. If there is no mention of name or special traits of a person it is not termed Ghiība. For example, one says, ‘I saw a person in such and such way.’ This would not be Ghiība. But if at the same time he indicates a distinguishing feature of this person, it is Ghiība. Like for example saying that the person has such and such type of son or daughter. It is Harām because in this way he has caused grief to all the concerned people. If one mentions the genre like he says. ‘A person from Isfahan or Shiraz has done that. This is allowed. It is also allowed to say some people of Isfahan are such and such.’ But saying that all the people of Isfahan or Shiraz are like that, is Harām without any doubt. This is because it would amount to be the Ghiība of all the people of these cites. If one says that majority of the people of that city are like that, it is against precaution. In fact there is a strong indication of its illegality. ... https://www.al-islam.org/greater-sins-volume-3-ayatullah-sayyid-abdul-husayn-dastghaib-shirazi/forty-first-greater-sin I personally feel and think that the intentions of your statements might make a difference...However still, I try my best not to negatively generalize groups of people (momineen) for negative things or be a bystander when this happens. If you feel that maybe I'm wrong in what I'm doing, have some additional info, have any concerns regarding this, have contradictory info, or just have anything else to say, I encourage you to please share. @Ibn al-Hussain