المعنى الاصطلاحي

To have unfounded bad, rather than good, thoughts about someone or something.

الشرح المختصر

"Soo azh-zhann" (thinking bad of someone) is a serious problem that corrupts people's worldly and religious affairs. It is to always negatively interpret things that can be interpreted as good or bad. Scholars have divided "soo azh-zhann" into three categories: 1. Thinking bad of Allah. This is more evil and more punishable than despairing of or losing hope in the mercy of Allah because it involves ascribing things to Allah that do not befit His Majesty. 2. Thinking bad of Muslims. This type has two sub-categories: a. Verbal/physical: when bad thoughts manifest themselves in a person's words and/or actions. This type of bad thoughts is strongly believed by the person who had these thought and is often firmly placed in his heart. b. Abstract: temporary thoughts that are not interpreted into verbal or physical actions. This type of thought is usually uncontrollable. 3. Thinking bad of oneself: This is desirable, as it helps a person fix their own faults. From the evils of bad thoughts: 1. It leads to backbiting, spying, jealousy, hatred, and breaking relationships. 2. It is backbiting by means of the heart in the same way that evil words are backbiting by means of the tongue. 3. It is a sign of a person's corrupt intentions and bad interior. 4. It is a sign of weakness of faith and a lack of self-confidence.