Imam Khomeini's Viewpoint on the Permissibility of Jurisprudential Percepts of Backbiting the Opponents Revisited

Lately, some people have misused some parts of Imam Khomeini’s sayings expressed in some of his jurisprudential books on the permissibility of backbiting the opponents in general, and on sanctity of backbiting the believers in specific. They attempted to injure Imam Khomeini’s reputation and to deteriorate the pure Shiite teachings. Revisiting Imam Khomeini’s opinions, the present writing has concluded that although he expressed his early opinions before the Islamic revolution on the sanctity of backbiting, the criterion of “belief” is compulsory. However, this standpoint could not be known as Imamiyeh’s Sect ideology and could not be considered as Imam Khomeini’s resolute view as well. Studying Imam Khomeini’s perspectives after the Islamic Revolution and the period of his leadership to the Islamic Society reveals that his Excellency expressed very strong views occasionally maintaining backbiting a Muslim is prohibited. As a person’s latest saying would be known as his recent and absolute opinion, we should consider Imam Khomeini’s final attitude on backbiting applicable to the public and general.