هِجَاء

هِجَاء

Hija', in the lexical sense, is the opposite of praise: it is abuse and enumeration of faults; the word also means spelling out the letters of a word. ^{1 2} It differs from sabb (abuse, which is wider), from qadhf (accusing a free Muslim of unchastity or of a false lineage), and from ghiba (backbiting, said in the absence of the person). ^{2 3} Most jurists allow satirising an unbelieving non-protected person and an apostate, since the Prophet bade Hassan ibn Thabit satirise the unbelievers, and forbid satirising a Muslim; the Shafi'is except an innovator and an open sinner; the Hanafis allow satire of a hypocrite. ⁴ Satirising the dead is judged as satirising the living. ⁴ If two men abuse each other, the sin falls on the one who began, and retaliation is allowed to the extent of the wrong. ^{5 6} The imam may discipline one who satirises people without right. ⁶