Aisha, the youngest wife of the Prophet Mohammed, and known as the Mother of the Believers, related that if he was informed of anything about a certain man, he would not say, ‘what is the matter with so and so, that he behaves thus?’; but he would say, ‘what is the matter with the people that they would say such and such?’

And in a similar hadith, the Apostle of God said: ‘None of my Companions must tell me anything about anyone, for I like to come out to you with no ill-feelings.’