What happens to an accusation that does not land
Abu Dharr heard him say it.
لاَ يَرْمِي رَجُلٌ رَجُلاً بِالْفُسُوقِ، وَلاَ يَرْمِيهِ بِالْكُفْرِ، إِلاَّ ارْتَدَّتْ عَلَيْهِ
Lā yarmī rajulun rajulan bi-l-fusūq, wa lā yarmīhi bi-l-kufr, illā-rtaddat ʿalayh
No man throws the charge of wickedness at another, or throws the charge of disbelief at him, without it coming back on him if his companion is not as he said.
Where this comes from
Nothing is neutral. The accusation either lands or it returns, and there is no third outcome where it simply evaporates.
The full narration
Narrated Abu Dhar:That he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "If somebody accuses another of Fusuq (by calling him 'Fasiq' i.e. a wicked person) or accuses him of Kufr, such an accusation will revert to him (i.e. the accuser) if his companion (the accused) is innocent
Source
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī · 6045
- Agreed upon as authentic (al-Bukhārī / Muslim)