ISLAMIC REMINDERS

#53

Assalam Wa'Alaikum Wa'Rahmatullahi Wa'Barkatahu.
How are y'all?
I hope you're fine in health and in a good state of emaan In Shaa Allah.
I hope you've learnt something from this book.

Bis Millah Hir Rahman Nir Raheem,
Peace and blessings of Allah be upon our beloved Prophet and Master Muhammad(Salallaho Alayhi Wa sallam),all his blessed descendents and noble companions.

(Ameēn)

May Allah cure all those people who's suffering,May Allah forgive them and give them the highest level of Shīfa.!!

"Today's topic is backbiting"

"Backbiting": A word which in simple understanding means eating from back. Simple English if we see the mean it means back and biting.

But wallahi, it's not as simple as it appears. Very grave sin's happens with this.

Let's understand this in little detail. Talking bad about someone or speaking about his/her secrets or deeds that's either made up or accusing ones or his actual ones, which he may hear and get hurt is called backbiting or gheebah in arabic/urdu.

"Quranic verse as follows" :“O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, for some suspicions are a sin. Do not spy on one another, nor backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would abhor it, [so similarly, avoid backbiting]. And fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.” Qur’an, [49:12]“

Hadees narration : O assembly of those who have believed with their tongues, but into whose hearts faith has not yet reached! Do not backbite the Muslims, nor seek out their secrets! For, whoever seeks out the faults of his brother, Allah will seek out his secrets. And, whoever has his secrets sought out by Allah, Allah will disgrace him, even [if he hides] in the depths of his house. [Abu Dawud in al-Adab, 4/271, #4880]

“Beware of backbiting, for backbiting is more serious than adultery. A man may commit adultery, and drink [wine], and then repent, and Allah will forgive him. But, the backbiter will not be forgiven by Allah until his [backbited] companion forgives him.” [Suyuti, Al-Jami' as-Saghir, 1/174, #2919, from Ibn Abid-Dunya, and Abush-Shaykh, Al-Tawbikh.]

Imam Nawawi says “It is obligatory for every sane adult to guard his tongue against talking, except when it contains a clear benefit. If talking and remaining silent are of equal benefit, it is sunnah to abstain, for permissible talking might lead to something undesirable or forbidden, as in fact is very often the case, and nothing matches safety.”

"Meaning of ghibah" :

_It has been defined precisely by the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) as, “Your mentioning your brother with something about him that he dislikes [being spoken about].”
Someone asked, “How about if my brother contains that [characteristic which I am mentioning]?”
He replied, “If he possesses that which you mention, then you have [indeed] backbited him. And, if he does not contain that which you say, then you have slandered him.” [Muslim in al-Birr, 4/2001, #70; Ahmad in Al-Musnad, 2/230,384]_

So above narration clearly states what is gheebah.

And the one who does gheebah is like he has eaten the flesh of his dead brother. Would anyone of us want to do so? Eat the flesh of dead brother. Kindly my dear people stop yourself from doing gheebah because it's the gravest sin and not only that on the day of Judgement all your good deeds would be given to the person and the person's bad deeds would be given to you and you would become a dweller of hell.

Case where gheebah is permissible.

1) If any Injustice is done to you and to speak about it to get justice gheebah is allowed.

2) Seeking help from evil, if the person is doing bad and you want to get help for it you can say about it.

3) To ask fatwah, as in if the person who is doing wrong but needed a shariah ruling pertaining to it. Gheebah is allowed.

4) Warning, can be used as a warning to warn people about a particular bad thing about a person or anything as such.

5) If the person is known by a nickname or something can use that and let other knows, but preferably alternate name should he used.

6) If the person commits sins openly and he have no shame for it. Such person's deeds or doings can be said or told.

"How can one expiate his or her gheebah":

“Whoever has wronged his brother, in the way of property or honor, let him go to him and repair it, before it is taken [from him on a day] when he has no dirhams or dinars, such thatif he has any good deeds, some of the good deeds will be taken and given to [the wronged one], otherwise [if he has no good deeds], some of the other’s evil deeds will be taken and cast upon him.” [Bukhari, Al-Mazalim, 5/121, #2449. Ahmad, Al-Musnad, 2/435]

“The expiation with regard to one who has been backbited is that forgiveness be asked for him.” [Suyuti, Al-Jami' As-Saghir, 2/390, #6259]

And gheebah of non believer is not permissible until the non believer does something that is matter of religion and one's belief and secondly if the person openly commits that sins.If the person doesn't commit and have some shame in doing so one is 'not allowed' to speak about it or backbite him/her.

"And Allah alone knows best."

Now beaware of backbiting.
When you wanted to mention others faults and back bite them remember all those hadith and let me tell you one more thing "Don't allow your tongue to utter the fault of another person,because you're covered in faults and everyone else has tongues,too.Don't allow your eyes to fall on the faults of others.Turn away your eyes and say to your eyes:'Oh eyes,other people have eyes too."
-Imam Shafi

Jazak Allahu khairan kaseera,
I hope it was beneficial and you learnt sonething,
Until next time In Shaa Allah,
___your sister in Deen.
Assalam Wa'Alaikum Wa'Rahmatullahi Wa'Barkatahu♡♡
Have a blessed day:)