Consider the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. A woman—Fāṭimah bint Qays—came to him and said, “Messenger of Allah, three men have asked for my hand: Usāmah ibn Zayd, Muʿāwiyah ibn Abū Sufyān, and Abū Jahm.” The Prophet replied, “As for Muʿāwiyah, he is penniless; he has no wealth—how could he support you? And Abū Jahm is known for beating women.” Is that praise or blame? It is plainly blame. He then advised her, “Marry Usāmah ibn Zayd.” Did the Messenger of Allah engage in backbiting? He mentioned their faults only for the sake of sincere counsel and guidance.

Likewise, when you approach anyone who has people under his authority and truthfully say, “So-and-so behaves in such-and-such a manner,” while harboring no enmity or spite, you are acting rightly—you are rewarded and deemed a sincere adviser. Affairs will never be set right unless the responsible person is given an accurate picture; to conceal the facts is impermissible.

The same principle applies in a school: if the principal or the dean learns of a student whose morals, behavior, or speech toward those in authority are corrupt, he must first be advised. If he persists, his case must be reported so that he can be corrected, for such a student is a malignant germ that may corrupt all the others he can influence. He must not be left to continue spoiling religion, conduct, and creed; that is the heart of sincere counsel.

Similarly, when we meet the governor of a town and observe wrongdoing, fraud, or negligence among the other officials, it is not permissible to paint a picture of perfection. Rather, we must clarify and explain the reality.

Granted, if matters can be rectified before they reach the governor, that is excellent. But if we know the situation will not improve, and that the subordinate official will merely say, “If Allah wills, rest assured,” then