♥Pearls Of Wisdom❤

- What to do if someone conveys gossip to you!

What to do if someone conveys gossip to you about you - Imaam an-Nawawee

Gossiping is spreading what is supposed to be private and destroying the concealment of what (s)he hates to have exposed.

A person must keep quiet with regard of anything he sees or hears from the conditions of people except for that which if he relates it will be benefit for a Muslim or will prevent a sin from occurring.

And he said: "Anyone that has gossip ( nameemah ) conveyed to him and it is said to him: "Such and such person said this about you." Then there are six things required from him:

1. He must not believe him because the one conveying the news is a gossiper ( namaam ) and the gossiper is a wicked person ( faasiq ) so his reports are rejected.

2. He must forbid him from doing that, advise him and declare the detest ability of his action.

3. He must hate him for the sake of Allaah for indeed he is hated in the sight of Allaah and hating in the sight of Allaah is an obligation.

4. He must not think about evil thoughts about the person he is relating from based on what Allaah's saying:

" اجتنبوا كثيرا من الظن

Avoid much [negative] suspicion " (Soorah al Hujuraat : 12 )

5. What has been related to you about someone should not cause you to spy or investigate further into the matter because Allaah says,

"ولا تجسسوا

And do not spy on one another." (Soorah al Hujuraat:12 )

6. He should not be pleased with himself with what he has forbidden for the gossiper. Thus he should not report the gossiper that has conveyed to him by saying: "Such and such person told me this," for then he would become a gossiper himself and he would be committing that which he forbade.

It has been reported that a man went to 'Umar bin Abd- il -Azeez (رحمه الله تعالى ) and said something to him about another person. So Umar said to him: "If you wish we shall investigate your case. If you are lying then you are from those who fall under the ayah:

" إن جاءكم فاسق بنبإ فتبينوا

If a wicked person comes to you with news then verify it." (Soorah al Hujuraat: 6)

and if you are telling the truth then you fall under the ayah:

" هماز مشاء بنميم

Backbiter going about spreading gossip." (Soorah al Qalam: 11)

and if you wish we can overlook the matter.

So the man said: "Please overlook it, O Commander of the Believers, I will never mention it again!"

Source: Imaam Aboo Zakariyya Yahya bin Sharaf an-Nawawee's "Al-Adhkaar" - Guarding the Tongue, Chapter "Concerning Gossip