_Imām Ibn Qudāmah Al-Maqdisi -rahimahullāh-_
Said:
*7.* Al-ghībah(backbiting).
Backbiting has been made haram in the Qur’an and in the Ahādith of the beloved messenger(ﷺ). Due its severity, it is like one is eating the flesh of one’s brother.
In this regard, Allāh says:
_”وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ….._”
_And do not spy nor let some of you backbite others. Does one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? But you abhor it….
*Suratu Al-Hujurāt, verse 12.*
In an authentic hadith, the Messenger(ﷺ) said:
_”ﻓَﺈِﻥَّ ﺩِﻣَﺎﺀَﻛُﻢْ ﻭَﺃَﻣْﻮَﺍﻟَﻜُﻢْ ﻭَﺃَﻋْﺮَﺍﺿَﻜُﻢْ ﺑَﻴْﻨَﻜُﻢْ ﺣَﺮَﺍﻡٌ.._”
_Verily! Your blood, property and honor sacred to one another (i.e. Muslims).._
Transmitted by Imām Al-Bukhārī#67.
In another Hadith, which was reported by Abū Barzah Al- Aslamī radiyallāhu anhu who said: The messenger (ﷺ) said:
_”يامعشر من آمن بلسانه ولم يدخل الإيمان قلبه: لا تغتابوا المسلمين، ولا تتبعوا عوراتهم، فإنه من تتبع عورة أخيه تتبع الله عورته، ومن تتبع الله عورته يفضحه ولو في جوف بيته._”
_”Oh you who have lip-believed and in whose hearts faith has never entered, never backbite Muslims, nor trace their weaknesses, for whosoever traced the weakness of his brother, Allāh will trace his own weakness also, and he whose weakness is traced by Allah shall be exposed by Him even inside his own house.”_
Transmitted by Imām Abū Dāwud#4480. Shaykh Al-Albāni declared it as Sahih in ‘Sahīhu Al-Jāmi”.
The meaning of backbiting is for one to say about one’s brother that which he dislikes, it may be a certain deficiency in the body of one’s brother like blindness, blear eyedness, cross eyedness, hairless, shortness, tallness or that which has to do with his progeny like saying his father is a Nabataean, or an Indian, or fāsiq or a despicable person.
And it may be even that which has to do with his character like saying is a miser or an arrogant person.
All these attitudes are completely forbidden in the sharia. Thus, one should not be found indulging in such an acts.
And in this context, Abu Hurairah radiyallāhu anhu said: The Messenger(ﷺ) said:
_ﺃَﺗَﺪْﺭُﻭﻥَ ﻣَﺎ ﺍﻟْﻐِﻴﺒَﺔُ ” . ﻗَﺎﻟُﻮﺍ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪُ ﻭَﺭَﺳُﻮﻟُﻪُ ﺃَﻋْﻠَﻢُ . ﻗَﺎﻝَ ” ﺫِﻛْﺮُﻙَ ﺃَﺧَﺎﻙَ ﺑِﻤَﺎ ﻳَﻜْﺮَﻩُ ” . ﻗِﻴﻞَ ﺃَﻓَﺮَﺃَﻳْﺖَ ﺇِﻥْ ﻛَﺎﻥَ ﻓِﻲ ﺃَﺧِﻲ ﻣَﺎ ﺃَﻗُﻮﻝُ ﻗَﺎﻝَ ” ﺇِﻥْ ﻛَﺎﻥَ ﻓِﻴﻪِ ﻣَﺎ ﺗَﻘُﻮﻝُ ﻓَﻘَﺪِ ﺍﻏْﺘَﺒْﺘَﻪُ ﻭَﺇِﻥْ ﻟَﻢْ ﻳَﻜُﻦْ ﻓِﻴﻪِ ﻓَﻘَﺪْ ﺑَﻬَﺘَّﻪُ._
_Do you know what is backbiting? They said: Allah and His Messenger knows best. The Messenger(ﷺ) then said: Backbiting means talking about your brother in a manner which he does not like. It was said to him: What about if what I said about him is actually true concerning him? He said: If what you said concerning him is true, you have actually backbited him, and if it is not true, you have slandered him._
Transmitted by Imām Muslim#2589.
*17th Jumādā Al-ūlā, 1438H.*
Allāhu A’alam! Bārakallāhu fīkum!
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