Definition of
backbiting:
It is the remembrance of the
Muslim in his absence of what he hates to be mentioned about and
if he turns out to be not possessing what the backbiter claims,
the case will take the title of "slander" and some has defined
backbiting as remembering one's defect in his absence and
backbiting involves mentioning the details of the backbitten one
of things which he hates to be mentioned with regard to his
creation or mode of his behavior among friends or in public or
what regards his kinsmen, nationality, profession or garments and
the like which may be considered as belittling his status or
esteem, defaming his character and stabbing his
personality.
Instruments of
Backbiting
Backbiting covers the following
topics: speech, signal, writing, photocopy, gestures and the like
or rather anything that may be a cause conveying or communicating
the thought to the listener and anything which may lead to
remembering the misdeeds of the Muslim or belittling his
character or mentioning some qualities which he doesn't like to
be mentioned.
Allah, the Almighty, in His holy
Quran said: "O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion; in deed
some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one
another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother?
You would hate it (so hate backbiting) And fear Allah. Verily,
Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most
Merciful." (Al-Hjurat:12).
Backbiting is regarded one of the
biggest sins which Islam has forbidden from being committed and
threatened those who used to it by imposing utmost torture on
them and what is pitiable here is that it is more common in
practice and wider in spread amongst the people of society for
they practice it daily without feeling of the enormity of its
consequences. Even in reciting the holy Quran, back-biting can be
recognized when the backbiter uses the verse:
"And those are like beasts or more
misguided" as a means of ridiculing someone passing by,
unnoticing the friends who are standing nearby on the pavement
and the like. Backbiting refers to a number of causes. One of
them is the existence of large social relationships, daily
practical conflicts, public discords and differences in
view-points between people in addition to neglecting or ignoring
the punishments to be imposed on the occurrence of such a big sin
which may make someone speak ill of another before
people.
Backbiting is an irremediable
malady which can inflict any human society from which no
individual can flee away. Allah, the Almighty, in His holy Book
says: "Neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat
the flesh of his brother? You would hate it. (so hate
backbiting)" From Allah's Messenger, it was narrated that he said
to Abi-Dhar: " O Abi Dhar! Beware of backbiting because it
is more serious than adultery. How can that be Messenger of
Allah?" "Because the adulterer repents to Allah and Allah, will
accept his repentance while backbiting cannot not be forgiven
till it is forgiven by the back-bitten one.
It was narrated from Ali bin Abi
Talib (P.B.U.H.) that he said: " Allah's Messenger (P.B.U.H.): "
has forbidden backbiting and said: "He who backbites a Muslim,
his fast will not be accepted, his ablution nullified and will
come on Doomsday emitting from him a smell much worse than a
rotten flesh which may harm those who are around him; so if he
died before repenting, would die the death of someone who
legalizes what is regarded as forbidden in Allah's sight to Whom
be ascribed all glory and perfection. It is also narrated that
Allah (Glory be to Him) has said to Moses (P.B.U.H.): "He who
dies repentant of backbiting will be the last to enter Heaven and
he who dies insisting on it will be the first to enter
Hell."
Backbiting can be excluded in the
following fields:
1. The
notorious debaucher who publicizes his sin like the drunkard who
is scandalized amongst people. In this case it is legal to speak
ill of him in public but if he has wine secretly, nobody is
allowed to backbite him. The same thing is to be said of the one
who practices other debaucheries in
public.
2. Backbiting is permitted to those who raise
grievances against unjust people before judiciary with the aim of
stating reality.
3. Criticizing essays and false scientific
opinions are not included in the category of
backbiting.
Points helpful to get rid of
backbiting.
1. Remembrance of Allah's wrath at rebels and the
punishment to be imposed on them on Doomsday including the
backbiters.
2. Remember that the backbiter will pay to the
back-bitten one most of the good he has done in his life, so he
will go bankrupt on Doomsday losing his righteous deeds which
have been transferred to those who had been back-bitten by him
and that is, indeed, the clear loss.
3. It is
better for man to remember his defects and shortcomings and mend
them and not to pursue other people's faults and
slips.
4. Not
to be used to mixing with idle and the impious people for
backbiting is the main topic of their
conversation.
Slander
We defined back-biting as being:
remembrance of a Moslem in his absence and among friends and
companions of things he hates to be dealt with at all but slander
is: to fabricate or defame a person by mentioning in his absence
a deed or an act which has not been said or done by him and this
misdeed is indeed greater, in effect, in Allah's sight than
backbiting.
Allah, the Almighty said: " And
whoever earns a fault or a sin and then throws it on to someone
innocent, he has indeed burdened himself with falsehood and a
manifest sin." (An-Nisa-112) It has also been narrated from
Allah's Messenger (P.B.U.H.) that he said: "He who unjustly
speaks ill of a Muslim, male or female, in their absence, Allah,
will place him on a hill of fire on Doomsday until he speaks up
what he has said against the victimized one.
In brief, backbiting and slander
are regarded of highly serious and manifest sins which depress
the righteous deeds and destroy man unthinkingly. From Allah's
Messenger came that he said: " Verily, backbiting is the
foodstuff of the people of Hell-fire.
Sun -
22 Jamadilawal 1446H -
