Al-Imaam Al-Khattaabee - rahimahullaah - reported from Ibn Ibraaheem - rahimahullaah - that he said:
لو لم يكن ÙÙŠ العزلة أكثر من أنك لا تجد أعوانا على الغيبة لكÙÙ‰
'If the only benefit you get from staying away from the people is that none of them pushes you into backbiting the people again, that will be sufficient.'
Al-Imaam al-Khattaabee - rahmatullaah alayhi - then commented:
'Abu Muhammad has said the truth because it is rare to see anyone that sits with the people these days (Khattaabi's days) and mixes with them except that he is less safe from backbiting the people. People's business today is to speak evil of one another and attack one another's dignity. So one either aids them in the act when one sits with them or one opposes them with hatred. Sitting with them is like a contagious disease; it hurts and doesn't heal up.'
Al-Uzlah, p.101
