Backbiting - Islamic School System - Dawat-e-Islami

‏ِه ‏َم ‏ُة404 Backbiting – A Cancer in our SocietyQuestion: What is tale-telling?Answer: To spread gossip and secrets between people to foster discord amongst them iscalled tale-telling. (Sharaḥ Muslim Lin-Nawavī, vol. 2, pp. 112)Sayyidunā Badruddīn ‘Aynī الۡ‏ has stated in Sharaḥ Bukhārī, ‘Majority of thescholars agree to this definition.’ (‘Umda-tul-Qārī, vol. 15, pp. 209)قَوِی الل عَ‏ لَيْهِ‏ رَ‏ ‏ْحQuestion: When will it be categorized as ‘exposings fault’?Answer: To disclose a shortcoming of someone to such a person who was previouslyunaware of it.Question: Is there any harm in talking to a person who is already aware of the shortcoming?Answer: Of course there is harm! If anything is discussed without Shar’ī permission,this will also fall under backbiting. It is not the case that you have a license to backbitingfor life, after backbiting once about that person regarding a certain matter.Question: Two people backbit about somebody, and now if they talk about the same faultagain; will that be considered as backbiting?Answer: Why not, if they talk about the fault a thousand times, they have backbitten athousand times.How to distinguish between permissible backbiting and sinful backbiting?Question: It seems to be easier to refrain from backbiting when listening because thereare indeed permissible ways to backbite, but how can a person tell if somebody is doingpermissible backbiting or sinful backbiting?Answer: Most of the people just talk for the sake of having a conversation. Most of theconversations are instances of backbiting because they take place specifically to disclosea fault. Even then, if you are not completely sure, one must never accuse a person forbackbiting. If sometimes during conversation, backbiting starts, you can ask the person[if he listens to you] in a courteous manner, ‘I apologize for the interruption, but the thingthat you are saying is leading towards backbiting. If you have a righteous purpose tobackbite then please continue!’ After this, عَزَّوَجَلَّ‏ , you will surely see the difference.اِنْ‏ شَآءَالله