Do you know what backbiting is?

Dec 15, '12 11:43 AM for everyone

A famous tradition cites the Prophet (ص) asking his companions, “Do you know what backbiting is?” They said, “Alla-h and His Messenger know best.” He said, “It is when you say something about your brother which he hates.” It was said to him, “Suppose what I say about my brother is true.” He said, “If what you say is true, it is backbiting, and if it is not, it is slandering.” This is recorded in Tanbi-h al-Khwatir, Vol. 1, p. 118. It is also recorded in Al-Targheeb wal Tarheeb, Vol. 3, p. 515.

It is a major sin due to both the Book of Alla-h and the Sunnah warning against it.

Alla-h Almighty clearly holds it in contempt in His Book, making a similitude between one who is guilty of it to one who eats the flesh of his dead brother. He says, “O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible), for suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy on each other, nor speak ill of others by way of backbiting. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay! You would abhor it... but fear Alla-h, for Alla-h is oft-Returning, Most Merciful” (Qur'an-n, 49:12).

Some people mentioned the name of a man in the presence of the Prophet (ص), saying, “How weak he is!” He (ص) said, “You have backbitten your fellow.” They said, “O Messenger of Alla-h! What we have said about him is true!” He (ص) said, “If you wrongfully attribute something to him, you will be slandering him.” This is stated in Ad-Durr Al-Manthoor, Vol. 6, p. 96.

The Prophet (ص) is reported as having said, "One who witnesses a believer being humiliated without supporting him, while being able to do so, will be humiliated by Alla-h on the Day of Judgment as the creation looks on" (Ihya- Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 138).

Abu- al-Darda-' is quoted as having said that the Messenger of Alla-h (ص) had said, "One who protects his brother's honor as it is charged with backbiting, Alla-h will protect his honor on the Judgment Day" (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 119).

The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) has said, “A Muslim, all of him, is prohibited from harming another Muslim, whether shedding his blood, or robbing him of his possessions, or harming his honor” (Vol. 1, p. 115 of Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir).

Ja-bir [ibn Abdulla-h al-Ansa-ri] and Abu- Sa`i-d al-Khudri have said, “He (ص) has said, ‘Beware of backbiting, for backbiting is worse than adultery. An adulterer repents, so Alla-h accepts his repentance, but one who backbites is not forgiven unless his fellow [whom he had backbitten] forgives him’”(Vol. 1, p. 115 of Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir; p. 116 of Irsha-d al-Qulu-b).

In a famous lengthy narrative, the Prophet (ص) is quoted as having said,

 “The recording angels report the deeds of a servant of Alla-h, and he has a light like the rays of the sun which stays on till it reaches the lower heavens as the recording angels think greatly of his deeds and testify for him. But when it reaches the gate, the angel in charge of the gate says, ‘Smite the face of the doer of this deed! I am in charge of monitoring backbiting; my Lord ordered me not to let any good deed of one who backbites people reach my Lord’” (see p. 74, Vol. 1 of Al-Targhib wal Tarhib).

Anas is said as having quoted the Prophet (ص) saying, “During the night of isra-', I passed by people who were scratching their noses with their nails. I asked Gabriel about them. Gabriel said, ‘These are the people who backbite others and speak ill of their honor’” (p. 115, Vol. 1 of Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir; p. 116 of Irsha-d al-Qulu-b).

Al-Bara-' [ibn `A-zib] has said, “The Messenger of Alla-h delivered a sermon to us once till the free ladies in their own homes heard him. He said, ‘O folks who have believed in tongue but not in heart! Do not backbite the Muslims, and do not trace their shortcomings, for if one keeps track of the shortcoming of his brother, Alla-h will track his shortcoming, and if Alla-h tracks his shortcoming, He will expose him even in the deepest depth of his home’” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 115).

Sulayma-n ibn Ja-bir has said, “I went to see the Messenger of Alla-h, peace and blessings of Alla-h be with him and his progeny, and said to him, ‘Teach me something good whereby Alla-h benefits me.’ He said, ‘Do not underestimate any good deed even if it is an act of pouring from your bucket into a cup of one seeking a drink, and when you meet your brother, meet him with a smile. When he goes away, do not backbite him’” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 115).
Anas [ibn Ma-lik] has said, “The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) delivered a sermon to us once and mentioned usury, touching upon its magnanimity. He said, ‘One dirham is won by a man through usury is looked upon by Alla-h as greater than thirty-six acts of adultery a man commits. The most serious type of usury is when one speaks ill of a Muslim’s honor’” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 116).
Ja-bir has said, “We were in the company of the Messenger of Alla-h (ص) when he approached two graves of persons being tormented. He said, ‘They are not being tormented because of having committed a major sin. One of them used to backbite people. The other was too careless to cleanse himself after urinating.’ He (ص) called for a fresh palm leaf or two which he broke, planting one on each grave. He (ص) said, ‘This will lighten their torment as long as they are not dry’” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 116).