Backbiting
Backbiting
Backbiting
Introduction.
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Nawawi says, "This hadith is quite explicit that it is imperative to not talk unless
the speech is good, which is that wherein there is some benefit. If a person is in
doubt as to whether there will be any benefit, then he should remain silent."
On the authority of Sahl Ibn Saad: "Whoever guarantees for me what is between
his two jaws and what is between his two legs, I guarantee Heaven for him."
[Bukhari, Muslim].
On the authority of `Uqbah ibn `Amir: I said, 'O Messenger of Allah! What is
salvation?" He said, "Hold your tongue, let your house contain you, and weep over
your sins." [Bukhari, Muslim]
Mu`adh ibn Jabal said, "Are we even going to be held accountable for what we
say?!"The Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) said,
"May your mother be bereaved of you! Is there anything which drags people into
the Fire on their faces other than the harvest of their tongues?!" [Tirmidhi
(hasansahih)]
On the authority of Abu Bakrah, from the Farewell Pilgrimage:
"Indeed, your blood, property and honour are sacred to [one another], like the
sanctity of this day of yours in this city of yours." [Bukhari, Muslim]
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah: "All of a Muslim is prohibited to another
Muslim: his blood, his honour and his property." [Muslim]
"O assembly of those who have believed with their tongues, but into whose hearts
faith has not yet reached! Do not backbite the Muslims, nor seek out their secrets!
For, whoever seeks out the faults of his brother, Allah will seek out his secrets.
And, whoever has his secrets sought out by Allah, Allah will disgrace him, even [if
he hides] in the depths of his house. [Abu Dawud in al-Adab,
"Beware of backbiting, for backbiting is more serious than adultery. A man may
commit adultery, and drink [wine], and then repent, and Allah will forgive him.
But, the backbiter will not be forgiven by Allah until his [backbited] companion
forgives him." [Suyuti, Al-Jami` as-Saghir, from Ibn Abid-
Dunya,andAbushShaykh, Al-Tawbikh.]
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any other imaginable positive reason to discuss such faults, should not be
considered as Gheebah.
It is important to note that to find other's faults or to talk sarcastically or to defame
a person is called 'Lumz'. In the Qur'an, Allah states: "Do not defame one another."
(Surah Al-Hujurat, 49:11)
It means that when you find faults in others, they will turn around and find faults in
you.
The beauty of this wording of the Qur'an is that it says that finding faults in others
is like finding faults in you.
Just like Allah states: "Do not kill yourself." Hence, if you kill others, they will try
to kill you. Allah also says in the Qur'an: "Woe to every slanderer and backbiter!"
(Surah Al-Humazah, 104: 1)
Allah (SWT) made it clear that defaming another Muslim in his/her absence is like
eating the flesh of one's dead brother (49:12), which obviously, everybody hates.
Hence, it is the most dreadful sin. Note that if the person is present, he/she may
have a chance to defend himself/herself, although everybody does not have the
courage to defend themselves in these circumstances. If, however, he/she is
defamed in his/her absence, the damage is deep and somewhat permanent.
The tongue alone does not do backbiting; it can also be done with the eyes, hands
and other movements.For example, imitating somebody who is limping, in order to
insult him/her.
Muhammad Rasool Allah (SAS) said: “Backbiting is a worse sin than adultery." It
is further explained in a saying of the Prophet (SAS), narrated by Abu Sa'eed and
Jubair in Bayhaqi: "Allah may forgive a person if he/she repents after committing
adultery. However, Allah will not forgive the one who backbites, till his/her victim
forgives him/her."
One time, the Messenger of Allah pointed towards two graves and said to his
companions that both of these people are being punished in their graves. One of
them used to backbite people and the other was not careful about spilling drops of
urine of his clothes and body whilst urinating.
The Prophet (SAS) during his Me’raj journey saw some people who had nails
made of red copper. They were tearing apart their faces and chests with these nails.
The Noble Prophet asked the Angel Jibrail (AS) about them, He said, “They are
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being punished because they used to eat people’s flesh in their lives, i.e. used to
backbite and defame others.
Abu Hurayra (RA) narrates that the Noble Prophet (SAS) said, “The killing of a
Muslim by another unjustly, usurping others’ wealth or defaming other Muslims is
totally forbidden (or Haram).” (Sahih Muslim)
Note that listening to backbiting is the same as backbiting somebody. It is better to
walk away from such individuals.
Backbiting violates the rights of Allah and the rights of people simultaneously.
Hence, it is necessary to ask for forgiveness from the victim first, since Allah will
not forgive until the victim forgives. If the victim has died or is untraceable, then
ransom has to be paid. Anas (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (SAS) said,
“The ransom for backbiting is to pray to Allah for forgiveness by saying, “O Allah!
Forgive my sins and his too.”
Making Fun
Backbiting (Gheebah) can even be making fun of a person. The Prophet (SAS)
vigorously opposed all aspects of backbiting even when it occurred in his own
family. For example, once a woman visited Aishah (RAa) and when the woman
got up to leave, AishahSiddiqua (RAa) made a sign with her hand indicating to the
Prophet (SAS) that the woman was short of stature. The Prophet (SAS)
immediately chastised her, saying, "You have backbitten!" (Tirmidhi)
Imam Al- Nawawi, a great scholar, commented regarding the above Hadith saying,
"This Hadith is paramount with regard to backbiting and I don't know anything
more severe than this."
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range of functions. It has a large measure of good that can be performed and a
large measure of evil that can be inflicted. If one let go one's tongue, Shaytaan will
take him everywhere and lead him to an edge, then allow him to fall for his own
downfall. The only way to be saved from the evils of the tongue is to restrain it
with the bridle of the Shari'ah (Islamic law). It should be used, but only for what is
beneficial in this life and the Hereafter.
Indeed the tongue controls the rest of your body. A well-controlled tongue will
keep us within Islam but a loose tongue will destroy us. Instead of swearing, lying
and engaging in useless talk we can use our tongues in better ways and what better
than telling people about Islam. Allah says "Who is better in speech than one who
calls (men) to Allah and works righteousness and says I am one of those who bow
down in Islam" (41:33)
Prohibition of Gheebah
Allah has said:
"And spy not, neither backbite against one another. Would any of you like to eat
the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so
hate backbiting). And fear Allah. Verily Allah is the One Who accepts repentance,
Most Merciful." (49:12)
"And follow not that of which you have no knowledge. Verily! The hearing, and
the sight, and the heart of each of those ones will be questioned." (17:36) "Not a
word does he (or she) utter, but there is watcher by him ready (to record it)."
(50:18)
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It was narrated by Abu Musa: "Some people asked Allah's Messenger (pbuh)
whose Islam is the best?" (i.e., who is a very good Muslim?) The Prophet (SAS)
replied, "One who avoids harming the Muslims with his tongues and hands." He is
also reported to have said, "Whosoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, should
talk what is good or keep quiet. Sometimes a person may utter a word to which he
attaches no importance and by it he falls into Hell farther than the distance between
the East and West."
"And the person may utter a word which displeases Allah without thinking how
serious it is, as a result of which Allah will record His wrath for him, because of
His displeasure until the Day when he meets Him." (Related by Mu'atta Imam
Malik and Tirmidhi). 'Uqbah Bin 'Aamer asked, "O Allah's Messenger (pbuh),
what is salvation?" He said: "Control your tongue, keep inside your house, and
weep for your sins." (Related by Tirmidhi) In one Hadith, Allah's Messenger
(pbuh) took hold of his tongue and then said, "Keep this under control." When the
Sahaba asked, "will we be called to account for what we say?" He replied, "Won't
the people be thrown face down into Hell on account of the produce of their
tongues." (Related by Tirmidhi). Now let us see the punishment of the person that
backbites in this life and the Hereafter. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "O you people
who believe with their tongues (meaning those who pay lip-service to faith), when
faith has not entered their hearts, do not backbite the Muslims and do not expose
their faults. Whoever exposes the faults of his Muslim brother, Allah will expose
his faults. And if Allah exposes his faults, his faults will be open for everyone even
if he would hide inside his house." (Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawood and
Tirmidhi). Backbiting is prohibited by Ijmaa' (consensus). Imam Qurtubi said,
"The Ijmaa' is that Gheebah is a major sin and it necessitates repentance, it is
Wajib (obligatory) to turn to Allah in repentance from it."
Backbiting By Writing
Gheebah can also be through writing, for the pen is one of two tongues. This is the
case when the person tells the truth about others. It is Gheebah and he is Mughtaab,
a backbiter. By doing this he disobeys his Lord and he eats the flesh of his brother.
But if he is lying then he combines Gheebah and Kidhib (lying). "When people
mention others they may commit one of these three: Gheebah, Buhtan and Ifk, and
all are in the Book of Allah. Gheebah is to say what is true about a person. Buhtan
is to say what is not true about a person. And Ifk is to say what was conveyed to
you." Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: "All things belonging to a Muslim are
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unlawful for another Muslim: his blood, his property and his honor." (Muslim,
Ahmad and Bayhaqi) Gheebah deals with honor and Allah has combined honor
with property and blood.
Types of Gheebah
Gheebah has different forms and may take all kinds of means. The worst type of
Gheebah is the one that combines gossip and riyaa'. An example would be when
some person is mentioned and a man would say: "Al-hamdulillah that He didn't try
us, we would have been tempted to enter the doors of the sultan, or that we don't
demean ourselves in seeking the ruins of this world." Or one may say, "I seek
refuge with Allah from shamelessness. I ask Allah to protect me from such." The
intention here is to criticize the other person and it is done in the form of a Du'a
(supplication). One may also praise another person but the intent is to criticize,
such as saying: "How good such-and-such person is, he never had a shortcoming in
his worship but now he is being lazy. He was tried with something everyone of us
is tried with, which is lack of patience." One would criticize oneself but his/her
intention is to criticize others by doing this. At the same time he praises himself by
showing that he is righteous since he criticizes himself. In this case, he is
Mughtaab, Muraa'ee and praising himself. He combines three shameful deeds and
because of his ignorance he thinks that he is a righteous person who would not
make Gheebah. Another form of Gheebah is that one criticizes another person, but
the people don't pay attention to what has been said. So he says, "Subhaan Allah.
How amazing!..." so the people may listen to him and know what he is saying. Or
he may say, "I was hurt to hear about our friend and how he was humiliated. I ask
Allah to relieve him." He is actually lying about his concern regarding the friend,
in his pretense of making Du'a. If he meant to pray for him, he would have prayed
for him while alone.
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2. Getting things off one's chest. A person may do something to upset another.
Every time the aggrieved person feels angry about it, he alleviates the anxiety by
making Gheebah about the other person.
3. Joining a group of friends. When a group is engaged in a loose talk aimed at
slandering others, a person may think that if he speaks out and tries to stop them
they may dislike him and exclude him. So, he joins them in talking ill about others,
assuring that this is the only way to be acceptable to them.
4. Seeking to raise one's own status by putting down others. A person may say:
"So-and-so person is ignorant, he is not smart." The intention is to praise oneself
and show that he has more knowledge than the other person.
5. Envy and jealousy. Some person may be praised by people who like him. A
jealous person may hear them and make Gheebah of the other person, criticizing
and insulting him, so that the people may think differently about the person they
have just praised.
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mandatory and the benefit is very clear. Such as consulting in the matters of
marriage or a business partnership. In this case, the person consulted should not
hide anything about the concerned person. He should mention the faulty qualities
only with the intention of benefiting the consultant.
5. Mentioning the person who indulges in Haraam or Bid'ah openly. This would
include mentioning those who openly drink Khamr or those in positions of
authority doing wrong. It is permissible to mention the sin of such a person.
However, it is prohibited to mention the person with a different sin unless there is a
reason that makes it permissible to do so for that sin.
6. Identifying a person. If a person is known by a descriptive nickname, such as
Al-A'mash (squint-eyed), Al-A'raj (one who walks with a limp), or Al-Asamm
(deaf), then it is permissible to use these names for identification purposes. But it is
not permitted to use these names if the intention is to insult the person. If it is
possible to identify such person by using another descriptive name, then it is better
and preferable.
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The Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said: "Do you know who is bankrupt?" The
Companions replied, 'The bankrupt amongst us is the person who has no money or
property." The Prophet (pbuh) said, "The bankrupt from amongst my Ummah is
the one who will come on the Day of Resurrection with a good record of Salah,
Sawm and Zakah. But he also had cursed someone, slandered against someone,
unlawfully took the property of another, killed someone or beat someone. Then all
of these abused persons will receive parts of his (abuser's) Hasanaat. When all of
his (abuser's) Hasanaat have been removed from his record after he (abuser) pays
back for what he owes, then the aggrieved persons' sins will be transferred to and
thrown on him (abuser) and he (abuser) will be thrown into the Fire." (Related by
Muslim and Tirmidhi).
JOKING
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"I was only joking". We treat lies as being trivial. However we are told, "Allah's
messenger did not hate anything more than lying"(Ahmed). The Prophet (SAS)
was once asked "Can a Muslim be a coward?" He (SAS) replied "Yes." and then
was asked "Can a Muslim be a miser?" and the reply was "Yes." The Prophet
(SAS) was then asked, "Can a Muslim be a liar?" The Prophet (SAS) replied "NO!
A Muslim can never be a liar". Furthermore, he said, "Truth leads to virtue and
virtue leads to paradise...Lying leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to the
hellfire." (Bukhari). As we know that one lie leads to another ten lies, which lead
to bad actions. Remember you can lie and think that you have got away with it but
on the day of Judgement your hands, tongue and feet will bear testimony against
you and tell the truth.