Backbiting - Islamic School System - Dawat-e-Islami

202 Backbiting – A Cancer in our Society12 Permissible instances of backbiting1. It is permissible to backbite against the people when talking about their corruptedtenants if they belong to a deviated sect.2. To save others, it is permissible to backbite against a person whose evil actions couldcause them harm. Nevertheless, we can only advise others about his wickedness,which is likely to cause harm to others to safeguard the Muslims from his fraud, forexample, we can point out the defective products of the trader who sells adulteratedgoods. It is Ḥadīš of the Blessed Prophet َّ! االلهُ‏ تَعَالىٰ‏ ‏َلَيْهِ‏ وَاٰلِهٖ‏ وَسَلَّم ‏:صَ‏ ‘You save yourselves fromthe conversation of evil-doer, but when will people recognize him? Talk about evildoer’s evil habits, which he possesses so people can save themselves.’ (Sunan Kubrā,vol. 10, pp. 354, Ḥadīš 20914)3. When asked for advice about choosing a person as a business partner or for marriage,then it is permissible to reveal only those shortcomings etc. that could be detrimentalto the other.4. When filing a complaint in court or to a police officer in order to seek justice, it ispermissible to backbite. For example, to say he stole from me or caused harm etc.5. With the intention to correct a wrongdoer it is permissible to complain to a personwho is in a position to set things right. For example, one can complain about thedisciples to his Spiritual Guide [Pīr], about the son to his father, about the wife to herhusband, about the subjects to their king and about the students to their teacher.6. It is permissible to tell about a person, by name, to obtain an official religious verdict[Fatwā]. It is still better to replace the actual names with other names like Zayd andBakr, when asking a Muftī for a legal opinion. (Baĥār-e-Sharī’at, vol. 16, pp. 177)Calling someone deaf or dumb to distinguish him when needed7. If a person has physical drawback (obese or blind) and if he is known by that feature,[it is permissible to] associate his physical drawback with his name in order distinguishhim. However, if the recognition can be made without attributing his physicalimpairments, with his name, then that would be better. For example, Zayd is fat andif he can be recognized by his full name or as son of so-and-so then one shouldrefrain from calling him fat.