Backbiting - Islamic School System - Dawat-e-Islami

َِۡBackbiting – A Cancer in our Society 191Don’t call someone a drunk based on the smell of his breathSummarization of the saying by Ḥujjat-ul-Islam, Sayyidunā Imām Muhammad BinMuhammad Ghazālī: If someone’s breath smells like alcohol, he cannot bepunished for drinking because it is possible that he might have rinsed his mouth withalcohol or that someone might have forced him to consume alcohol. Therefore, thisMuslim should not be suspected of drinking alcohol (merely based on the smell of hisbreath and he should not be considered a drunkard). (Iḥyā-ul-‘Ulūm, vol. 3, pp. 186)عَ‏ لَيهِ‏ رَ‏ ‏ْح ‏َم ‏ُةالل ‏ِهالۡ‏ وَا ‏ِلىWhat is evidence under Islamic law?In our example above, what would qualify as evidence under Islamic law is that the personaccused of perpetrating black magic, admits in a state of complete consciousness that shehas done it, or gotten it done. If she denies, you would need two male witnesses, or onemale and two female witnesses to testify that they saw her with their own eyes, casting aspell. If such witnesses are not available and the accused swears that she did not get themagic done then it is essential to consider her as truthful.Y َ ُa ٰ َ< ٰ Mََُ ا‎J K َ Lۡ2ِbَ َ اZ‏ۡ‏]^ ۡ ا < َLYou stole!Remember, while you are cross-questioning or accusing the daughter-in-law, and shedoes not admit her wrongdoing then Satan may lure you to utter some statements like‘now that she is caught, she has no choice but to deny any wrongdoing’, ‘to safeguard one’sreputation one can swear on a lie; that is why she is lying and swearing’.For Allah’s sake, please try to understand the importance of a believer’s prestige. Topersuade you, here is presented a Ḥadīš that Sayyidunā Abū Ĥurayraĥ ر‎5َ‎ االلهُ‏ تَعَالىٰ‏ عَنْهُ‏ َ narrated:االله تَعَالىٰ‏ ‏َلَيْهِ‏ وَاٰلِهٖ‏ وَسَلَّم The Noble Prophetُsaw a عَ‏ وَالسَّلاَ‏ م has stated that Prophet ‘Īsā صَ‏ َّ!person committing theft; thereupon said to him: ‘You are stealing.’ He replied, ‘No,never! By Him except Whom there is none worthy of worship.’ Thereupon Prophet ‘Īsāand it is my own self that deceived عَزَّوَجَلَّ‏ said, ‘I affirm my faith in Allah وَالسَّلاَ‏ م!ٰ نَبNِ‎‏ِّنَا وَعَ لَيْهِ‏ الصَّ‏ لٰو ‏ُةعَ!ٰ‏ نَبNِ‎‏ِّنَا وَعَ لَيْهِ‏ الصَّ‏ لٰو ‏ُةme.’ (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, pp. 1288, Ḥaḍīš 2368)