Sunnah

GHEEBAH (Backbiting)

<p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="\"><span>ALLAH (SWT) says,</span><span><br /> <br /> <span>"O you who have believed, avoid much suspicion, for some suspicions are sins. Do not spy, nor should anyone backbite the other. Is there any among you who would like to eat the flesh of his dead brother?</span><br /> <br /> <span>"Nay, you yourselves abhor it, Fear ALLAH, for ALLAH is the Acceptor of repentance and All-Merciful. (49:12).</span><br /> <br /> <span>Gheebat (back-biting) has been defined thus:<span>&nbsp;</span></span><br /> <br /> <span>"it is saying on the back of a person something which would hurt him if he came to know of it."<span>&nbsp;</span></span><br /> <br /> <span>This definition has been reported from the Holy Prophet (SAW) himself.<span>&nbsp;</span></span><br /> <br /> <span>According to Muslim, Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi; on the authority of Hadrat Abu Hurairah, the Holy Prophet defined Gheebat:</span><br /> <br /> <span>"It is talking of your brother in a way irksome to him." it was asked: what, if the defect being talked of is present in my brother?" The Holy Prophet replied:<span>&nbsp;</span></span><br /> <br /> <span>"if it present in him, it would be Gheebat; if it is not there, it would be slandering him."</span><br /> <br /> <span>In another tradition which Imam Malik has related in Mu'watta, on the authority of Hadrat Muttalib bin' Abdullah,<span>&nbsp;</span></span><br /> <br /> <span>" A person asked the Holy Prophet:</span><br /> <br /> <span>What is Gheebat?</span><br /> <br /> <span>The Holy Prophet replied:</span><br /> <br /> <span>"it is talking of your brother in a way irksome to him. He asked:</span><br /> <br /> <span>Even if it is true, O Messenger of ALLAH?<span>&nbsp;</span></span><br /> <br /> <span>He replied:</span><br /> <br /> <span>"if what you said was false, it would then be a calumny."</span><br /> <br /> <span>These traditions make it plain that uttering a false accusation against a person in his absence is calumny and describing a real defect in him is Gheebat; whether this is done in express words or by reference and allusion, in every case it is forbidden.<span>&nbsp;</span></span><br /> <br /> <span>Likewise, whether this is done in the lifetime of a person, or after his death, it is forbidden in both cases.<span>&nbsp;</span></span><br /> <br /> <span>Exceptions are oppression and where injustice is likely to take place!</span></span></p> <p class="\"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="\"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="\"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="\"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>