_Imām Ibn Qudāmah Al-Maqdisi -rahimahullāh-_
Said:
*THE EXPIATES OF BACKBITING.*
Know verily that, whosoever slandered others has committed two offences.
The first of it is that which has to do with the boundaries of Allāh Ta’āla, for he has transgressed the limit of Allāh by backbiting. Thus, the expiation of this is for him to make sincere repentance to Allāh Ta’āla on his act and he should be regretful on his act.
The second, is what has to do with the honor of the person he slandered. If the backbiting has reached the person he slandered, then, he should hasten to meet him in person and beg him for forgiveness and he should show his regretfulness of such act to him.
In this regard, it is reported from Abū Hurairah radiyallāhu anhu who said: The Messenger(ﷺ) said:
_”ﻣَﻦْ ﻛَﺎﻧَﺖْ ﻟَﻪُ ﻣَﻈْﻠَﻤَﺔٌ ﻷَﺣَﺪٍ ﻣِﻦْ ﻋِﺮْﺿِﻪِ ﺃَﻭْ ﺷَﻰْﺀٍ ﻓَﻠْﻴَﺘَﺤَﻠَّﻠْﻪُ ﻣِﻨْﻪُ ﺍﻟْﻴَﻮْﻡَ، ﻗَﺒْﻞَ ﺃَﻥْ ﻻَ ﻳَﻜُﻮﻥَ ﺩِﻳﻨَﺎﺭٌ ﻭَﻻَ ﺩِﺭْﻫَﻢٌ، ﺇِﻥْ ﻛَﺎﻥَ ﻟَﻪُ ﻋَﻤَﻞٌ ﺻَﺎﻟِﺢٌ ﺃُﺧِﺬَ ﻣِﻨْﻪُ ﺑِﻘَﺪْﺭِ ﻣَﻈْﻠَﻤَﺘِﻪِ، ﻭَﺇِﻥْ ﻟَﻢْ ﺗَﻜُﻦْ ﻟَﻪُ ﺣَﺴَﻨَﺎﺕٌ ﺃُﺧِﺬَ ﻣِﻦْ ﺳَﻴِّﺌَﺎﺕِ ﺻَﺎﺣِﺒِﻪِ ﻓَﺤُﻤِﻞَ ﻋَﻠَﻴْﻪِ”._
_Whoever has oppressed another person concerning his reputation or anything else, he should beg him to forgive him before the Day of Resurrection when there will be no money (to compensate for wrong deeds), but if he has good deeds, those good deeds will be taken from him according to his oppression which he has done, and if he has no good deeds, the sins of the oppressed person will be loaded on him._
Transmitted by Imām Al-Bukhārī#2449.
However, if the person he slandered is unaware of the backbiting or slandering, then in this case, he should just seek for forgiveness for him in his prayers, for if he should informed about the backbiting, he might feel bad about it and it may affect his heart.
In this context, Mujāhid said:
_كفارة أكلك لحم أخيك أن تثني عليه وتدعو له بخير، وكذلك إن كان قد مات._
_The expiates of consuming the flesh of your brother(i.e backbiting him) is for you to praise him and pray for him, and likewise if he has already passed away._
*23th Jumādā Al-ūlā, 1438H.*
Allāhu A’alam! Bārakallāhu fīkum!
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