The Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) has defined backbiting
as, “To speak about such a quality of his brother which he would like to be
discussed.”
Backbiting is discouraged in the Glorious Qur’an in many Ayahs,
directly or indirectly. Some of the Ayahs are:
“O you who believe! Avoid most of suspicion, for surely
suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy nor let some of you backbite others.
Does one of you would like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? But you abhor
it: but be careful of (your duty to) Allah, surely Allah is oft returning (to
mercy), Merciful.” (49:12)
“Do not follow (say)what you do not know; the ears, eyes
and hearts will be held responsible for their deeds.” (17:36)
“When they hear impious words, they keep away from them,
saying, “We shall be responsible for our deeds and you will be responsible for
yours. Peace be with you. We do not want to become ignorant.” (28:55)
“Woe unto every slanderer, defamer!” (104:1)
The Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) said to Abu Dharr Ghifari,
“O Abu Dharr, a slanderer (backbiter) will not enter Paradise. He cannot be
safe from the chastisement of Almighty Allah.” He (s.a.w.a.s.) also said, “Gheebah
is worse than fornication because if a fornicator repents, Allah forgives him,
but He does not forgive the backbiter till the person about whom he has backbites
forgives.”
Imam Ali (a.s.) said, “Backbiting is the best effort of a
weak person.”
Reasons for backbiting are:
jealousy, annoyance, amusement, pleasure, egotism.
Later, if he realizes his disobedience to Allah, then he
should repent with the intention never to repeat and seek forgiveness from
Allah. If possible, he must apologize to the person he had done gheebah. If this
is not possible, he must ask Allah’s forgiveness for him.
There are some exceptions to the backbiting:
1.Gheebah
of a person whose defect is not hidden.
2. If
an oppressed person complains about the oppressor and mentions his acts of
injustice.
3. Advice
to those who ask for it.
4. Gheebah
is allowed with the intention of Nahy Anal Munkar.
5. Gheebah of a person is allowed if
in addition to committing the sin himself, he is instrumental in instigating
others to follow him.
6. Gheebah is allowed in connection
with a person who narrates false hadith or gives a false testimony.
7 It can mention the defect of a
person by which he is well-known.
8. It can expose the false claims
of a person’s lineage.
Listening to Gheebah is prohibited (Haraam). The Noble
Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) said, “The one who listens to Gheebah is one of those
who do Gheebah. If possible, he must defend the believing brother.”
Ayatollah Shaikh Ansari writes in “Makasib”: If a person
backbites about a person but heaps excessive praises on him in his presence,
the sin of backbiting is double.
They say, “Give more to your ears and less to your
tongue.” Hazrat Luqman told his son, “O son! If you take speech equal to the
weight of silver, then observing silence is worth the weight in gold.”
Sources:
Greater Sins-volume 3 by Ayatollah Sayyid Abdul Husayn Dasteghaib
Backbiting by Peer Mohammad Ebrahim Trust,
Understand Qur’an.com
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