Backbiting

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

When you start talking about people, be very careful, for you might be entering into the dangerous zone of backbiting. Backbiting is to mention the negative points of a specific person known to you, or to imitate them or communicate them with signals or through writing, in a way of insult and hatred.

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ ﴿١﴾ الَّذِي جَمَعَ مَالًا وَعَدَّدَهُ ﴿٢﴾ يَحْسَبُ أَنَّ مَالَهُ أَخْلَدَهُ ﴿٣﴾ كَلَّا ۖ لَيُنبَذَنَّ فِي الْحُطَمَةِ ﴿٤﴾ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحُطَمَةُ ﴿٥﴾ نَارُ اللَّـهِ الْمُوقَدَةُ ﴿٦﴾ الَّتِي تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى الْأَفْئِدَةِ ﴿٧﴾ إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِم مُّؤْصَدَةٌ ﴿٨﴾ فِي عَمَدٍ مُّمَدَّدَةٍ ﴿٩

Woe unto every backbiter, slanderer, (1) who has gathered riches and counted them over (2) thinking his riches have made him immortal! (3) No indeed; he shall be thrust into the Crusher; (4) and what shall teach thee what is the Crusher; (5) The Fire of God kindled (6) roaring over the hearts (7) covered down upon them, (8) in columns outstretched. (9)

(Qur'an Al-Humaza 104:1-9)

This Meccan Surah condemns all sorts of scandal, backbiting, and selfish hoarding of wealth, as destroying the hearts and affections of men. Backbiting is one of the three vices condemned in the strongest terms in this Surah.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, was asked, "What is
backbiting?" He said, "Mentioning your brother with what he detests." He asked,
"Have you considered if what I say is really in him?" He answered, "If what you
say is in him then you have backbitten him, and if what you say is not in him then
you have calumniated/slandered him." (Tirmidhi)

If you are in a gathering of backbiting, you are not free of backbiting even if you are only a listener, except by condemning it with your tongue; if you fear actual harm, then you condemn it in your heart. If you are able to stand up or change the topic then you must.

When people backbitten you, you shouldn't be spying on them for proof of backbiting. Why? Because, spying of them is busying yourself with what does not concern you.

Allah says,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿١٢

O believers, eschew much suspicion; some suspicion is a sin. And do not spy, neither backbite one another; would any of you like to eat the flesh of his brother dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.

(Qur'an Al-Hujurat 49:12)

Remember, when people backbite you that is giving you reward, i.e your next life is benefiting by people backbiting you. And if you are so concerned about it, it shows that you really care about what people think. You shouldn't be so concerned about what people think. Allah is All-Seeing and All-Hearing. And to Allah is our return. We should be more concerned about Allah.

May Allah give us sabr. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. JazakAllahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam