98 some types of advice are difficult to distinguish from backbiting because if someone hears someone criticizing someone who has wronged him or plotting against someone who has wronged him and he conceals that from him he may have caused the one who criticizes and plots to do harm that he has not yet deserved and thus he is a wrongdoer. it is not right to exact more from the wrongdoer than the extent of his wrongdoing. getting rid of this matter is difficult except for those with reason. the opinion of the wise person in such a case is to memorize what was said about him from the speaker only without telling him what he said lest he fall into following him and thus perish. as for plotting it is obligatory to memorize it from the way in which it is plotted as gently as possible in concealing it from the plotter and as eloquent as possible in memorizing the plotter and he should not add anything to this. as for backbiting it is reporting what was heard that does not cause harm to the one to whom it is reported and success is from allah the most high.
٩٨ بعض أنواع النصيحة يشكل تمييزه من النميمة لأن من سمع إنسانا يذم آخر ظالما له أو يكيده ظالما له فكتم ذلك على وجهه كان ربما قد ولد على الذام والكائد ما لم يبلغ استحقاقه بعد من الأذى فيكون ظالما له، وليس من الحق أن يقتص من الظالم بأكثر من قدر ظلمه. والتخلص من هذا الباب صعب إلا على ذوي العقول. والرأي للعاقل في مثل هذا أن يحفظ المقول فيه من القائل فقط دون أن يبلغه ما قال لئلا يقع في الاسترسال إليه فيهلك. وأما في الكيد، فالواجب أن يحفظه من الوجه الذي يكاد منه بألطف ما يقدر في الكتمان على الكائد، وأبلغ ما يقدر في تحفيظ المكيد، ولا يزد على هذا شيئا. وأما النميمة فهي التبليغ لما سمع مما لا ضرر فيه على المبلغ إليه، وبالله تعالى التوفيق.