Backbiting

Aside from coping with pangs of hunger and thirst, one of the greatest challenges in the month of Ramadan is keeping the tongue in check. There are many sins that we commit each day with our tongue which threatens to reduce the reward that we can get from our fast. The most common of the sin of the tongue is "backbiting". It is light on the tongue yet great on the scale of sins.

 

Backbiting revolves around mentioning a Muslim in his absence, pinpointing things about him in a manner that he dislikes whether verbally or non-verbally, explicitly or implicitly. The Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said to his companions, "Do you know what backbiting is?" They (the companions) said, 'Allaah and His Prophet know best.' He said (Backbiting implies) your talking about your brother in a manner that he dislikes. It was said to him, What if I actually find (that failing) in him which I made mention of? He said, 'If (that failing) that you mention is actually found in him, you in fact will backbite him; and if that is not in him, it will be a slander.

 

Mentioning the defects present in another person in his physical attributes, his religiousness, in his lineage. It is also indicated by baseless suspicion for that is a form of backbiting that is committed by the heart and listening to backbiters without any attempt to rebuke them, to disapprove of what they say or at least excuse yourself from attending their sessions of backbiting.

 

Backbiting is a great sin in Islam, consequently, it is forbidden by various commands from Allaah and His Messenger. Allaah says:

 

 

Once the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) went through the graveyards of Medina and heard the voices of two humans who were being tortured in their graves. The Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said,

 

"They are being punished, but they are not being punished because of a major sin, yet their sins are great. One of them used not to save himself from (being soiled with) the urine and the other used to go about with calumnies (Namima)." (Bukhari)

 

Though backbiting is forbidden as mentioned, it is permissible in certain circumstances and for certain purposes. These include the following: Lodging Complain: An oppressed person may lodge his complains to the one in authority who can redress the injustice done to him and it would not be considered as backbiting. Allaah says:

 

 

Seeking assistance from a more capable person to correct an evil: When one sees an evil in an individual and were he too attempt to correct that individual. it is unlikely that he would yield; then it is permissible to enlist the help of one who the person is more likely to listen to.

 

Seeking Religious Verdict:

While seeking religious verdict from a suitably qualified scholar, it is important to let him have full information regarding the matter and the characters involved to make it easy for him to arrive at a correct judgment. Hind bint 'Utba (Abu Sufyan's wife) once came and said. "O Allaah's Messenger! Abu Sufyan is a miser. Is there any harm if I spend something from his property for our children?" He said:

 

 

Warning the Muslims Against an Evil: This can come in different forms and for different reasons. It is a religious duty to let the Muslims know the reality of a dishonest transmitter of

 

Seeking Information to determine the suitability of an individual for a contract: For instance, if someone were to consult you in matters of marriage or trusting someone with money or other dealings. you have to mention what you know about the said person through advice. If the purpose is achieved by simple advice such as saying: "Do not deal with him or don't marry him". then you need not mention the person's flaws. If the purpose is not met but through an explicit statement, then this is equally permissible.

 

If the backbitten person publicises his immorality or innovation in religion: This is true of one who publicly declares himself being a drunkard for instance or publicly call people to innovations in the religion. In this case, one may mention the evil actions that this person publicizes and not any further.

 

The Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

 

"All (the people of) my nation would get pardon for their sins except those who publicize them. A sign of this publicizing is that a man does a deed during the night and tells people in the morning that he has done so and so. whereas Allaah has concealed it. He spends the night covered by Allaah but he lays open Allaah's covering in the morning. (Bukhari)

 

Identification:

If the description of an individual is going to be clear only by some seemingly disparaging physical attributes such as shortness. blear-eyed, lame, deaf, blind, squinteyed, flat-nosed, and the like. this is acceptable to be mentioned if it is used for identification. It is forbidden if the intention is disparagement.

 

Rash & Uninformed Judgment:

Suspecting people without seeking proof or verification may be a cause of backbiting. Allaah says:

 

 

Anger: When a person gets angry or even furious because of someone, and lacks religious or moral restraint, his tongue would rush to backbite this person out of gloating and self relief. 

 

 

Envy: One may envy a person whom people commend, venerate and respect wishing that he would lose such blessings. He may not find a means to realize this wish but by defaming this person so that he can lose his precedence among people.

 

Self-admiration & arrogance: A man may admire himself to the degree of self-conceit and arrogance. He may thus try to describe himself with high rank and prestige at the expense of others. He would then disparage the others and say, So-and-so is ignorant; his understanding is narrow etc. This is the way of Phir'aun, he said:

 

 

Joking: A person may mention the flaws of others especially during absence out of banter and good humour, attempting to waste time amusing others, forgetting that this is backbiting and forgetting the Prophet's statement:

 

"A man may speak a word that he does not understand its repercussion but he sinks down because of it into the depth of Fire further than the distance between the East and the West. (Muslim)