Backbiting - Islamic School System - Dawat-e-Islami

َُۡ َََُِۡۡۡۡۡ110 Backbiting – A Cancer in our SocietyWhen scoffing a scholar is considered an act of Kufr and when it is not...There is a grave difference between the backbiting of an Islamic scholar and that of thepublic. The cause of concern is that backbiting of a scholar usually has an aspect ofcontempt of a scholar. Explaining the three states of contempt of a scholar and rulingspertaining to it under Islamic law, my master A’lā Ḥaḍrat, Imām-e-Aĥl-e-Sunnat MaulānāAsh-Shāĥ Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān حمْ‏ ‏ٰن has stated in Fatāwā Razawiyyaĥ(volume 21, page 129):رَّ‏ لَيْهِ‏ رَحمْ‏ ‏َةُ‏ ال عَ‏1. If a person speaks ill about a religious scholar because he is a scholar, then theperson is an absolute Kāfir.2. If the person considers it an obligation to respect the scholars because of their religiousknowledge, but speaks ill of them because of some worldly feud or curses him out ordisgraces him, then he is Fāsiq and Fājir.3. If he backbites the scholar without any reason, then he is ِRِ3َ ا‏ ُ— ِbَTَا‏ ِ2 َA ۡ وۡ ˜4َِ8(that is, he has a disease of the heart and is internally evil) and there is a fear that hemight fall into Kufr [because of his unwarranted malice against religious scholars].It is stated in the conclusion, f ۡ } ِ ۡ ََ! ِT ٍَِ@ œ ٍ2َb َO Sš Rِۡ ّ ًِ › َ ˜َاeŒَ‎ ۡ Rۡ meaning,ا‏whoever hates an Islamic scholar without any legitimate reason, then that personhas the fear of falling into realm of disbelief.•Some questions and answers regarding slandering against scholarsDishonouring a non-practicing scholarQuestion: Is it Kufr to dishonour a non-practicing scholar?Answer: Dishonouring a non-practicing Muslim scholar because of his knowledge ofIslam, also leads to Kufr. Such a non-practicing scholar is far better than the worshipperwho is ignorant of the religious sciences. My master A’lā Ḥaḍrat, Imām-e-Aĥl-e-SunnatMaulānā Ash-Shāĥ Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān عَلَيْهِ‏ رَحمْ‏ ‏َةُ‏ الرَّحمْ‏ ‏ٰن explains: The Quran categorizesthe scholars as ‘Heirs of the Prophet’ without any distinction, despite the fact that they