Backbiting - Islamic School System - Dawat-e-Islami

ُِِBackbiting – A Cancer in our Society 157If he does not remember who were involved in the betting or how much he won, then heshould try to take the highest estimate he thinks he might have won during the entireperiod and give it as charity on the losers’ behalf. This is the only recourse to preserve theHereafter. ٰMََ ۡ اَ!َُ‏‏َا‎J ُAnd Allah Almighty knows best.’ (Fatāwā Razawiyyaĥ, vol. 19, pp. 651)وSpeaking of faults of dead is also backbitingSayyidunā Abū Ĥurayraĥ ر‎5َ‎ االلهُ‏ تَعَالىٰ‏ عَنْهُ‏ َ relayed: When Mā’iz Aslamī االلهُ‏ تَعَالىٰ‏ عَ‏ نْ‏ ‏ُه َ was stonedto death (as a punishment for adultery); two persons started talking to each other. Onesaid to the other, ‘Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ‏ veiled his sins, but his Nafs took the best of him and nowۡ َِ2 §صَ‏ َّ! َِVُ he is stoned like a dog.’ The Prophet ۡ رVَ‎‏َ‏ اۡ‏walking a certain distance, they passed by a dead donkey whose legs were spread out.The Prophet of mankind, the Peace of our heart and mind, the Most Generous and Kindasked, said to both, ‘Go and eat the meat of that dead donkey.’ They تَعَالىٰ‏ َ لَيْهِ‏ وَاٰلِهٖ‏ وَسَلَّمتَعَالىٰ‏ ‏َلَيْهِ‏ وَاٰلِهٖ‏ وَسَلَّم ‘Yā Nabiyyallāĥ! Who would do that?’ Prophetُreplied, ‘The way you صَ‏ َّ! االلهbackbit your brother is worse than eating this dead donkey. I swear by the One underWhose dominion is my soul! He (Mā’iz) is swimming in the streams of Paradise rightnow.’ (Sunan Abī Dāwūd, vol. 4, pp. 197, Ḥadīš 4428) ر‎5َ‎remained quiet. After االلهُ‏ تَعَالىٰ‏ ‏َلَيْهِ‏ وَاٰلِهٖ‏ وَسَلَّمرصَ‏ !َّ االلهSaying ‘he committed suicide’ is also considered as backbitingWe have learned that expressing faults of the deceased is also backbiting. Sometimes asituation may occur that might test our patience. For example if a robber, terrorist, orsomeone who murdered our relatives is killed or sentenced to death then people oftenindulge in backbiting against him. Likewise, saying about a Muslim that ‘he committedsuicide’ without a cause permissible under Islamic law, is also backbiting. Similarly, newsabout the suicide committed by a Muslim should not be published with his name andidentification as this is backbiting and it also brings disgrace to the family members ofdeceased. If the news was published in such a manner that the people hearing or readingthe newspapers could not pinpoint the exact individual who committed suicide, then itwould be permissible to do so. However, bear in mind that if his name is not published,but the city, town, neighbourhood, family name, or how the suicide was committed waspublished, it could very well lead to the identification of deceased, and then, it would stillbe considered as backbiting.