Difference between Tuhmat and Buhtan
Any behavior can be interpreted in two ways: a positive approach and a negative approach.
In Tuhmat, one has a negative interpretation of another person’s conduct or words.
Tuhmat is among the moral vices mentioned in the Quran. The Holy Quran in various verses talks about how the infidels used Tuhmat against the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Here are some of these verses:
“Who are more unjust than those who ascribe falsehood to God or reject His revelations?” (Verse 21 of Surah Al-Anaam)
“Those of you who have brought forward a false report (against Aisha) do not think that it will harm you. Rather it will be a benefit to you. Each one of you will face the result of his sin. The one among the group who was the chief instigator will face a great torment. Would that on your hearing this report, the believing men and woman among you had a favorable attitude towards it, and had said, ‘This report is clearly false’.”
In tuhmat, the negative approach is sometimes to someone else's behavior or words, that is, a statement or behavior is considered inappropriate, and sometimes to a characteristic that is thought to be related to that word or behavior.
Tuhmat is very close to suspicion and Buhtan (slander). When a person has a negative understanding of someone else’s behavior or words and keeps it to himself, he is suffering from suspicion. But if he expresses his negative understanding, it is called Tuhmat.
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The different between Tuhmat and Buhtan is that in the latter one knows that he is accusing someone of something that does not exist in him but makes the accusation out of hate, envy or enmity. But in the former, one makes a judgment based on his understanding of someone else’s behavior or words, without necessarily knowing this is not the case.
