What is the legal criterion for having good or bad opinions of people?

The questioner : Shaykh, I heard a statement on the Al-Quran Al-Kareem radio regarding having bad and good opinions of people. They quoted a saying of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "Beware of the evil of people by having bad opinions of them." This implies that the default is for a person to have a bad opinion of people rather than a good one, until the opposite is proven?

The Shaykh : Yes, there is a phrase about being cautious regarding having bad opinions of people.

The questioner : So, what is the legal criterion regarding having good or bad opinions of people?

The Shaykh : Caution is being careful in your dealings with... that you have a bad opinion of them when you deal with them, so that they do not betray you or take advantage of you.

The questioner : The hadith?

The Shaykh : No, we said: it is not a hadith.

The questioner : And do you lean toward this thing?

The Shaykh : No, this is not among the principles of ethics, but I wanted to answer him that this varies according to the times. The default is as Allah the Exalted said in the Qur'an: .
And as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . But the truth is that the intended meaning of the blameworthy opinion is that which is accompanied by action in accordance with it; it is accompanied by action in accordance with it, that is the case. But if you have a bad opinion and do not act badly toward the one you have a bad opinion of, especially in a corrupt time, nothing results from it.

The questioner : You acknowledged that it differs in its meaning.

The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct.

The questioner : We are in a time when everyone deals with riba (usury or interest).

The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar.