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Backbiting:CausesandRemedy
ByIbnQudamahAlMaqdisi
ANotedMuslimScholarPalestine

Ghaybah,orbackbiting,isforbiddenintheGloriousQuranwhereapersonwhocommitsitisgiventhe
similitudeofapersonwhoeatsthefleshofhisdeadbrother.ItisalsocondemnedintheSunnah.Wereadin
aProphetichadith
Verily,yourblood(i.e.,life),yourproperty,andyourhonorareinviolable(andsacred)amongyou.
(Muslim)

And,ontheauthorityofAbuBarzahAlAslami,theProphet(peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)
alsosaid,
Oyouwhohavebelieved(only)withtheirtongueswhile(true)beliefhasnotvisitedtheirhearts!Donot
backbiteMuslimsnorpursuetheirdefects(andfaults),becausewhomeverAllahpursueshisdefects(and
faults)Hedisgraceshimeventhoughinsidehishouse.(IbnAbiAdDunya)

GhaybahisthataMuslimmentionshisMuslimbrotherinamannerthatthelatterdislikes,whetherby
referringtoadefectinhisbody,suchasshortnessorsquintorinhislineage,astosay,forexample,thathis
fatherisimmoralorindecentorinhismorality,astosay,forinstance,thatheisdirty.
AllthisisinvolvedinthePropheticHadithwhereitwasreportedthatwhentheProphet(peaceandblessings
beuponhim)wasaskedaboutghaybah,heanswered,
Tomentionyourbrotherinamannerwhichhedislikes.Thenhewasasked,Whatifmybrotheractually
has(thisfailing)thatImadeamentionof?TheProphetsaid,If(thatfailing)isactuallyfoundinyour
brother,youinfactbackbithim,andifthatisnotinhimitisaslander.(Muslim)

Itisalsoworthmentioningthatwhateverinvolvesthemeaningofinsultingisincludedinghaybah,whether
itisintheformofwords,gestures,orwriting.Additionally,whoeverlistenstoghaybah,isregardedasa

participantthereinunlesshedeniesiteitherwithhistongue,orwithhisheartifhefearstodosoinpublic
hemayalsoleavetheplacewhereitisbeingcommittedorturnthespeechbeingcirculatedintoanother
subject.Inallsituations,hemustdenybackbiting.Thisis,ofcourse,partoftheMuslimsdutiestowardshis
fellowMuslimbrothers.

Causes
Therearemanythingsthatleadtoghaybah,includingthefollowing:
Alleviationoforresponsetoonesanger.Apersonmaybeledbyhisangerwithanotherpersontobackbite
him.
Compliancewithonesguestsorfellows.Bymeansofcompliment,apersonmaysharewithhisfellowsor
guestsinbackbitingothers,thinkingthatthisisarequisiteofgoodsocialrelationsorthattheymaydenyhis
actifhedoesnotdoso.
Upgradingonespositionbydegradingthatofanotherperson.Forexample,apersonmaysaythatsoandso
isignorantornarrowminded,aimingtoshowthathehimselfisknowledgeableandbroadmindedand,
consequently,betterthantheother.
Jokingandjesting.Apersonmaybackbitesomepeoplejustforthesakeofmakingsomeotherslaughthis
evenrepresentsameansoflivelihoodforsomepersons.

:TMZIslamicForumhttp://www.themuslimzone.com/fatwasquestionsanswers/3407
hanbaliviewbackbitingitscausesremedy.html#post27036

Remedy
Thebackbitershouldknowthat,bybackbitingpeople,hesubjectshimselftothewrathandpunishmentof
AllahtheAlmightyandthathisgooddeedswillbepaidtothosewhomhebackbitesandifhehasnogood
deeds,theirevildeedswillbeloadedonhim.Itisaveryeffectiveremedyforanybackbitertoremember
andcomprehendthesefacts.Furthermore,wheneverheisabouttobackbitesomeone,hemaythinkabout
hisownshortcomingsandhowtorectifyhimself.Inthisway,hemayfeelashamedofhimselfwhen
realizingthathehimselfhasdefectsthatotherscansee.Evenifabackbiterthinksthathehasnodefects,he
mayshowgratitudetoAllahforHisuncountablefavorsandbountiesbynotdefilinghimselfwithoneofthe
ugliestflaws,ghaybah.Moreoverandmoreimportantstill,heshouldremedyghaybahbyoverpoweringthe
causeorcausesleadingtoit.So,ifheknowsthathebackbitessomeonebecauseheis,forexample,angry
withhim,heshouldsuppresshisanger,andsoon.

:TMZIslamicForumhttp://www.themuslimzone.com/showthread.php?p=27036

Beforemovingtoanotherpoint,itisworthhighlightingthatghaybahmaybecommittedbytheheart,and
thisiswhatmaybecalledthinkingillofothers.AMuslimshouldnotthinkillofanotherMuslimunlesshe
explicitlyknowsabouthimsomeevilthingthatcannotbeinterpretedasmeaningotherwise,especially
whenheknowsitthroughatrustful,faithfulMuslim.Nevertheless,aMuslimisgenerallyrecommendednot
torespondtoillthoughtsasregardshisMuslimbrothers.HemayinsteadinvokeAllahontheirbehalf
wheneverSatanpusheshimtothinkevilofthem,forthisenragesSatananddriveshimaway,fearingthathe
maybeaccustomedtoinvocationthroughhisevilwhispers.

LegalExcusesforUsingGhaybah
IntheShari`ahofIslam,therearecertainmatterswhichdriveawaythesinofghaybah.Theymaybe
presentedasfollows:

First,complainingaboutoppressionorinjustice.Itislawfulforanoppressedorwrongedpersontomention
theevilthingscommittedagainsthimbyonewhohasoppressedorwrongedhim,inthepresenceof
someonewhoissupposedtobringhimhisrightback.

Second,seekingthehelpofotherstochangesomethingwrongandbringanoppressorbacktothewayof
righteousness.

Third,askingforafatwaregardingacertainmatter.However,itisrecommendableforthepersonwho
wantstodosotousehintsorindirectreferenceswhenaskingthemuftiforhislegalopinionconcerning
someonewhohaswrongedhim.

Fourth,warningaMuslimagainstsomeevil.One,forexample,ispermittedtowarnapiouspersonagainst
somewickedorimmoralpersonwhomhevisitsfrequentlywithoutknowingabouthiswickednessor
immorality.Thisisalsorecommendableinconsultationregardingmatterssuchasmarriageandentrusting
moneyandthelike.However,iftheconsultedpersonherehastowarnagainstsomeevil,hemustdosoout
ofgoodadvice,andnotcalumniationandslander.

Fifth,ifapersonisknownwithaspecialtitlesuchas"thelame"or"thebleareyed,"itisnotanactof
ghaybahtocallhimassuch.Butifhecanberecognizedwithanothermeans,itispreferabletousethis
meansinsteadofcallinghimwithsuchtitles.

Sixth,ifapersoncommitsimmoralandindecentactsinpublicanddoesnotfeelshyofdoingso,itisnotan
actofghaybahtotellothersabouttheseacts.

RepentanceandRegret
Itshouldbeknownthatabackbitercommitstwosins:oneisviolationofAllah'sright,ashehascommitted
somethingthatHehasforbiddenhimtodotheexpiationforthissinisrepentanceandregret.Theothersin
iscommittedagainstthehonorofthebackbittenpersonifthelatterhasknownaboutthebackbiter'sact
againsthim,heshouldaskhimforforgiveness.ItwasreportedontheauthorityofAbuHurayrah(may
Allahbepleasedwithhim)thattheMessengerofAllah(peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)said,
Whoeverhaswrongedhisbrotherwithregardtowealthorhonor,shouldaskforhispardon(beforehis
death),beforehepaysforit(intheHereafter)whenhewillhaveneitheraDinarnoraDirham.(Heshould
securepardoninthislife)beforesomeofhisgooddeedsaretakenandpaidtothis(hisbrother),or(ifhehas
nogooddeeds)someofthebaddeedsofthis(hisbrother)aretakentobeloadedonhim.(AlBukhariand
Muslim)

If,however,thebackbittenpersonhasnotlearnedaboutthebackbiter'sactagainsthim,thebackbitershould
keepaskingAllahtoforgivethebackbittensothathemaynotknowaboutitandthusbecomeangrywith
thebackbiter(andthatthebackbittenmayforgivethebackbiteriftheformerlearnsaboutit).

Sources:
IbnQudamahAlMaqdisi,MukhtasarMinhajAlQasidin,translatedbyWailShihab,(AlMansourah,
Egypt:DarAlManarah,2002)pp.186191.

IbnQudamahAlMaqdisiwasanotedIslamicscholarofthehanbalimadhhab.HewasborninPalestinein
Sha`ban1147AD\541AH,anddiedinDamascusonEidulFitrin620AH.
__________________
"...Allahwillsthatyoushallhaveease,anddoesnotwillyoutosufferhardship...""Tieupyourcamel
beforeputtingyourtrustinAllah"

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