ON THE PROHIBITION OF BACK-BITING AND SLANDER

Allâh explicitly states the disapproval of back-biting in the Qur’ân and likens the back-biter to a person who eats the flesh of a dead person. Allâh says:

“nor backbite one another. Would any one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother who is dead? You abhor it.” (Sûrah al-Hujurât, 49: 12)

The Messenger of Allâh said: “The following is prohibited to every Muslim as regards his fellow Muslim: his blood, his wealth, his honour.”

Back-biting is included under “his honour”. As for the prohibition of his blood and wealth, this is mentioned by Allâh in the Qur’ân.

Abû Hurayrah narrates that the Messenger of Allâh said: “Do not be envious of each other, do not detest each other, do not increase the price of commodities with each other in order to deceive each other, do not turn your backs from each other, and do not back-bite each other. O servants of Allâh! Remain as brothers to each other.”

Jâbir and Abû Sa‘îd narrate that the Messenger of Allâh said: “Beware of back-biting for it is worse than adultery. A person may commit adultery and repent thereafter. Allâh may accept his repentance. As for the person who back-bites, he is not forgiven till the person forgives him.”

Anas narrates that the Messenger of Allâh said: “On the night of Mi‘râj, I passed by some people who were scratching their faces with their finger nails. I asked: ‘O Jibra’îl! Who are these people?’ He replied: ‘They are the ones who back-bite and dishonour people.’”

Sulaymân ibn Jâbir said: “I came to the Messenger of Allâh and said: ‘Teach me some good with which I would benefit.’ He said: ‘Do not ever consider any good to be insignificant even if you pour water from your bucket into the utensil of a person asking for water, even if you have to meet your brother with a smiling face. And when he turns back, do not back-bite him.”

Al-Barâ’ said: “The Messenger of Allâh addressed us till I could hear the chicks in their nests. He said: ‘O assembly of he who believed with his tongue but not with his heart! Do not back-bite the Muslims and do not be inquisitive of their private matters. Surely he who follows the private matters of his brother, Allâh will expose his private matters. When Allâh exposes a person’s private matters, He disgraces him even in the depths of his house.”

It is said that Allâh addressed Mûsâ saying: “The person who passes away having repented from back-biting will be the last to enter Paradise. The person who passes away having persisted in back-biting [without having repented] will be the first to enter the Hell-fire.”

Anas said: “The Messenger of Allâh ordered the people to fast on a particular day and said: ‘None should open his fast till I permit him.’ So the people kept fast till when it was evening, a man would come and say: ‘O Messenger of Allâh! I remained fasting. Permit me to open my fast.’ He would permit him to open his fast. The Messenger of Allâh continued permitting people one after the other. Eventually a man came and said: ‘O Messenger of Allâh! Two young women from my family spent the day fasting. They are feeling shy to come to you. Permit them to open their fast.’ The Messenger of Allâh turned away from him. The man repeated the request and the Messenger of Allâh turned away from him. The man repeated the request. The Messenger of Allâh said: ‘They did not fast. How could a person who spent his day eating the flesh of people have kept fasting?! Go to them and tell them that if they were fasting, they must force themselves to vomit.’ He went to them and informed them. They forced themselves to vomit. Each one of them vomited a clot of blood. The man went back to the Prophet and informed him. He said: ‘I take an oath by that Being in whose control is my life, if those clots of blood remained in their stomachs, the Hell-fire would have consumed them.’”

Another narration states that when he turned away from the man, he came back to the Messenger of Allâh and said: “O Messenger of Allâh! They have passed away or they are on the verge of dying.” He said: “Bring them to me.” When they came to him, he asked for a large bowl. He asked one of them to vomit. She vomited pus, blood and matter till she filled the bowl. He then asked the other woman to vomit. She also vomited just like the previous woman. He then said: “These two abstained from that which Allâh permitted them [lawful food] but ate that which Allâh prohibited to them [the flesh of people]. One sat with the other and they began eating the flesh of people [by their back-biting].”

Anas said: “The Messenger of Allâh addressed us. He mentioned usury and how serious it is. He said: ‘A single dirham which a person obtains as usury is a far greater sin in the sight of Allâh than 33 acts of adultery which a man commits. And a worse form of usury is dishonouring a Muslim.’”

As for slander, it is a despicable trait. Allâh says:

“The defamer who goes about slandering.” (Sûrah al-Qalam, 68: 11)

He then says:

“Cruel, and after all that, of ill-repute.” (Sûrah al-Qalam, 68: 13)

‘Abdullâh ibn al-Mubârak rahimahullâh said: “The words ‘of ill-repute’ refer to an illegitimate child who does not conceal any speech.” He infers by this that every person who does not conceal speech and slanders is an illegitimate child. He makes this inference from the words: “Cruel, and after all that, of ill-repute.” So a person of ill-repute is an illegitimate child.

Allâh says:

“Destruction to every slanderer, fault-finder.” (Sûrah al-Humazah, 104: 1)

Allâh says:

“And his wife too, who carries wood.” (Sûrah al-Masad, 111: 4)

It is said that she was a slanderer and one who used to carry tales.

Allâh says:

“But then they deceived them. And so, their husbands were of no avail to them whatsoever from the wrath of Allâh.” (Sûrah at-Tahrîm, 66: 10)

It is said that the wife of Lût used to inform the people when any guests came into the town. And that the wife of Nûh used to go around telling people that he was a mad-man.

The Messenger of Allâh said: “A nammâm (slanderer) will not enter Paradise.”

Another Hadîth states: “A qattât will not enter Paradise.” A qattâtis a slanderer.

Abû Hurayrah narrates that the Messenger of Allâh said: “The most beloved of you in the sight of Allâh are those who have the best character, who are humble, who are amiable and liked by others. The most detested of you in the sight of Allâh are those who go about slandering, who cause division among brothers, who search for faults in righteous people.”

The Messenger of Allâh asked: “Should I not inform you of the worst of you?” The Companions y replied: “Indeed.” He said: “Those who go about slandering, who cause friction between beloveds, who look for faults in righteous people.”

Abû Dharr narrates that the Messenger of Allâh said: “He who spreads a rumour about a Muslim in order to unduly disgrace him, Allâh will disgrace him in the Hell-fire on the day of resurrection.”

Abû ad-Dardâ’ narrates that the Messenger of Allâh said: “Whoever spreads a rumour about a person while the latter is free of it, in order to disgrace him in this world, Allâh takes it upon Himself to disgrace him on the day of resurrection in the Hell-fire.”

Abû Hurayrah narrates that the Messenger of Allâh said: “He who testifies against a Muslim without having the right to do so has in fact prepared for himself his abode in the Hell-fire.”

It is said that one third of the punishment of the grave is on account of slander.

Ibn ‘Umar narrates that the Messenger of Allâh said: “When Allâh created Paradise, He said to it: ‘Speak.’ It said: ‘The person who enters me is most fortunate.’ Allâh said: ‘By My might and My greatness, eight types of people will not live in you: the habitual alcoholic, the person who is persistent in committing adultery, the slanderer, the cuckold, the police, the hermaphrodite, the one who severs ties of kinship, nor the person who says: ‘Upon me is the promise of Allâh if I do not do such and such thing’, and he then does not fulfil this vow.’”

Ka‘b al-Ahbâr narrates that the Banî Isrâ’îl were afflicted by a drought. They asked Mûsâ to supplicate for water several times. But they were not given water. Allâh addressed Mûsâ saying: “I am not responding to you and to those who are with you while there is a slanderer among you, who persists in slandering.” Mûsâ said: “O my Sustainer! Who is he? Give me his identity so that I could expel him from our midst.” Allâh said: “O Mûsâ! I am prohibiting you from slandering and yet I must be a slanderer [by providing his identity]?!” So they all repented together and rains were sent down to them.

It is said that a person went to meet a wise man after having travelled a distance of 700 parasangs (one parasang is about 5.5 kilometres) in order to learn seven words from him. When he came to him, he said: “I have come to you because of the knowledge which Allâh bestowed to you. Inform me about the skies and what is heavier than them, about the earth and what is wider than it, about the rock and what is harder than it, about the fire and what is hotter than it, about the frost and what is colder than it, about the ocean and what is more independent than it, and about the orphan and who is more disgraced than him?”

The wise man replied: “Accusing an innocent person is heavier than the skies. The truth is wider than the earth. A content heart is more independent than the ocean. Greed and envy are hotter than the fire. Presenting your need to a relative when you are not successful is colder than frost. The heart of an unbeliever is harder than that rock. And a slanderer, when he is exposed, is more disgraced than an orphan.”

A poet rightly said:

“The person who is a slanderer among people, then even his friend is not safe from his scorpions and his adders. He is like flood water that comes at night. No one knows where it came from and where it is going to take him. O sorrow to the promise – see how he breaks it! O sorrow to love – see how he deplores it!”

Another poet said:

“He will labour against you just as he labours for you. You should therefore never feel safe from the dangers of the two-faced, scheming person.”