Is the mute person sinful for backbiting or other things, and what is the ruling on suspicion without speaking it?

The questioner : Honorable Shaykh, this is a woman calling in on the line to inquire, and she says: Is the mute person held accountable like the one who speaks, whether in backbiting, talebearing, or otherwise?

The Shaykh : The mute person is the one who does not speak. Yes. And he is held accountable for the sins he commits, and his backbiting may not be with the tongue; it may be with understandable gestures, meaning he points to a person. Then he makes movements with his hands, or gestures with his eyes or his lips. He points to the fault of this man whom he has identified. Because backbiting may be with the tongue, and it may be with the limbs, meaning the body parts. But it is mostly with the tongue, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Backbiting is .

The questioner : We return to the questioner. She says: As for when she backbites a person and does not speak of this backbiting, but keeps it to herself, Shaykh, does she sin by that?

The Shaykh : This backbiting in the mind means suspicion. The suspicion that a person entertains in his own heart, Allah Blessed and Exalted is He commanded us to avoid it, saying: So it is not permissible for a person to believe his suspicion in everything, but only in what there are indications pointing to what he suspected. Otherwise, let him avoid having a bad opinion of his brothers. For this reason, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) said that it is forbidden to have a bad opinion of a Muslim whose outward appearance is one of righteousness. May Allah reward you with good.