Sharh Durus al-Balagha by Ibn Uthaymeen (شرح دروس البلاغة) — Page 328

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

وَالصَّحِيحُ أَنَّهُ قَذْفٌ؛ لِأَنَّهُ - لَا شَكَّ - يُدَنِّسُ عِرْضَ الْمُخَاطَبِ.

The correct view is that this constitutes slander, as it undoubtedly defiles the honor of the person being addressed.

وَالْحَاصِلُ أَنَّ هَذِهِ كِنَايَةٌ تُسَمَّى كِنَايَةَ التَّعْرِيضِ، وَهِيَ أَنْ يُكْنَى عَنْ خُلُقٍ لِشَخْصٍ بِتَعْرِيضِ نَفْيِهِ.

In short, this is a form of metonymy known as insinuation, where one alludes to a person's character by implying its absence.

وَإِلَى هُنَا انْتَهَى عِلْمُ الْبَيَانِ.

This concludes the study of rhetoric.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (6 verbs · 21 nouns)

• دَنَّسَ — to defile
• سَمَّى — to name
• كَنَى — to use metonymy
• صَحِيح — correct thing
• قَذْف — slander
• شَكّ — doubt