What is the ruling on concealing the virtues of a virtuous person, and is it considered withholding knowledge?
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The questioner : If a person refrains from mentioning the virtue of a virtuous person due to the enmity between them, is he considered to be withholding knowledge?
The Shaykh : No, this requires detailed explanation: If he is mentioned and he conceals his virtues, this is certainly aggression and a sin, because concealing virtues is like mentioning vices. However, if he is not asked, there is no harm in him remaining silent about what he knows about this man. Similarly, he may not be asked verbally, but the situation may require him to clarify; for example, if he sees someone speaking ill of him, while he knows good about him, he must clarify the good in this situation so that he is not accused of evil absolutely. But he must speak the truth, as Allah Mighty and Majestic said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:8] meaning their hatred [Al-Ma'idah 5:8].
The Shaykh : No, this requires detailed explanation: If he is mentioned and he conceals his virtues, this is certainly aggression and a sin, because concealing virtues is like mentioning vices. However, if he is not asked, there is no harm in him remaining silent about what he knows about this man. Similarly, he may not be asked verbally, but the situation may require him to clarify; for example, if he sees someone speaking ill of him, while he knows good about him, he must clarify the good in this situation so that he is not accused of evil absolutely. But he must speak the truth, as Allah Mighty and Majestic said: