_Imām Ibn Qudāmah Al-Maqdisi -rahimahullāh-_
Said:
*WAYS OF BACKBITING AND ITS CURES.*
Know verily that, the ways by which one can backbite one’s brother are numerous, but in shā Allāh we shall mention some of them here:
Amongst it, is anger. For whenever one is angry with one’s brother due to some reasons, this may lead one to backbite one’s brother knowingly or unknowingly if one doesn’t safeguard one’s tongue from it.
Of it, is for one not to make inkār on those indulging in such act or one chooses to keep silent without any tangible reasons, but just because one does not want to make those people upset by correcting them from their evil act.
This act of one is against the Sharia, because keeping silent in the front of evil without any tangible reason shows that one is pleased with it. Thus, one has indirectly partaken in the evil.
And of it, is for one to want to benefit oneself or uplift one’s status by tarnishing the image of others. Like saying: so so person is a jāhil and his understanding is narrow and backward.
By this statement, one is trying to show one’s reputation and that one is more learned than the person one is backbiting.
Likewise, whenever a person is described as an Ā’lim or of high status, such a person try all his possible ways to stain him in order to uplift his own status. However, the main reason of such despicable act is due to envy.
And also of it, is mocking others and speaking about them or mimicking them in order to make people laugh thereby backbiting him.
Thus, one should beware of such acts because some ignorant individuals take these as fun or just ordinary jokes.
But as for its cures, one should know that, by indulging in backbiting one is incurring the wrath of Allāh on oneself and one’s good act will be exchanged for such act, and if one doesn’t have any good deed, the sins of the person Will be transferred to one.
Therefore, having the awareness of that, one should endeavour to control one’s tongue from backbiting others.
Also, whenever one wants to backbite others, one should firstly remember one’s errors and shortcomings which may not be compared to the person one is backbiting.
Therefore, one should hasten to rectify his own errors instead of backbiting others.
And if one claims that one has no shortcomings, then one should preoccupy oneself with showing gratitude to Allāh and one should not destroy oneself with the worst of the sins which is backbiting.
When others speaks about one with what one dislikes, one feel upset and unhappy, then one should not do the same to others.
Lastly, one should check critically the ways that leads to backbiting and one should hasten to block those ways, if it due to anger, then one should suppress his anger, if it is because of pleasing others, then one should not disobey Allah in order to earn other people’s pleasure.
Rather, one should correct them whenever they engage in backbiting, for that is beloved to Allāh Ta’āla.
*19th Jumādā Al-ūlā, 1438H.*
Allāhu A’alam! Bārakallāhu fīkum!
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