Backbiting
Module 5 – Circle 3
What is backbiting?
The Prophet pbuh defined backbiting when he
said: "Do you know what is meant by backbiting?"
They said, "Allah and His Messenger know best."
He said, "To say something about your brother
which he dislikes." One asked, "Even if what I say
is true about my brother?" He replied, "If such
defects you say are true about him, then you have
backbitten him, and if he doesn't have what you
say, then you have committed slander against
him." (Muslim, Abu Dawood, and Tirmidhi)
Module 5 – Circle 3
What kind of things are considered
as backbiting?
•With reference to a person's body
•In regards to his/her family
•In regards to manners and conduct
•In regards to his deeds associated with
religion
•In regards to his deeds associated with
daily living
•Regarding someone's clothing
Module 5 – Circle 3
Is backbiting a major sin?
Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) said: The Prophet pbuh passed by one of
the gardens of Madina or Makkah, and he heard the sound
of two persons being punished in their graves. The Prophet
pbuh said: “They are being punished, but they are not being
punished for anything that was difficult to avoid.” Then he
said, “No. One of them did not used to protect himself from
his urine, and the other used to walk around spreading
malicious gossip.” Then he called for a palm leaf, which he
split in two and put one piece on each grave. It was said to
him, “O Messenger of Allah, why did you do that?’ He said,
“May their punishment be reduced so long as this does not
dry out (or until this dries out).” (Bukhari & Muslim)
Module 5 – Circle 3
Would you like to eat the flesh of
your own brother?
“Neither backbite one another. Would one of
you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother?
You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear
Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and
accepts repentance, Most Merciful” [al-Hujuraat
49:12]
Module 5 – Circle 3
Which organ of the body should we
be most worried about?
"When man wakes up in the morning each day,
all parts of the body warn the tongue saying,
‘Fear God as regards us for we are at your
mercy; if you are upright, we will be upright
and if you are crooked, we become crooked.’"
(At-Tirmidhi)
Module 5 – Circle 3
How can your words plunge you into the
depths of the hellfire?
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “A
man might speak a word without thinking
about its implications, but because of it, he
will plunge into the Hellfire further than the
distance between the east and west.”
[Bukhari & Muslim]
Module 5 – Circle 3
How can the tongue help us enter
heaven?
Once Mu`âdh b. Jabal (ra), asked the Prophet pbuh to inform him
of some good work that would admit him into Paradise and
distance him from the Hellfire. The Prophet pbuh mentioned to
him the virtues of many good deeds, then said: “Shall I inform
you of the foundation of all of that?”
Mu`âdh said: “Certainly.”
The Prophet pbuh took hold of his own tongue and said:
“Restrain yourself from this.”
Mu`âdh then asked: “O Prophet of Allah! Are we held to task for
the things that we say?”
The Prophet pbuh replied: “May your mother be bereaved of you,
O Mu`âdh! Does anything topple people headlong into the
Hellfire save the harvests of their tongues?” [Tirmidhî and Ibn
Mâjah]
Module 5 – Circle 3
How does Allah punish the ones who
backbite?
Anas narrated that the Messenger pbuh said, “When I
was ascended to heaven (journey of me’raj), I passed
by a people who had copper nails with which they
scratched their faces and chests, and I said, ‘O
Jibreel, who are these?’ He said, ‘These are those
who used to eat other people’s flesh and attack their
honour.’” (Abu Dawud)
Module 5 – Circle 3
Is speaking the only way to commit
backbiting?
The Prophet pbuh vigorously opposed all aspects of
backbiting even when it occurred in his own family.
For example, once a woman visited Hadrat Aishah
(ra) and when the woman got up to leave, Hadrat
Aishah (ra) made a gesture with her hand indicating
to the Prophet (SAS) that the woman was short of
stature. The Prophet pbuh immediately chastised her,
saying, "You have backbitten!" (Tirmidhi)
Module 5 – Circle 3
How much did the prophet (pbuh)
dislike backbiting?
Two Companions once criticized a man who had been
punished for committing adultery. The Prophet pbuh was
travelling and he passed by the carcass of a donkey. He
said: “Where are those two people? Get down and eat from
the flesh of this donkey!”
They said: “O Prophet of Allah! Who would eat this?”
He said: “What the two of you have recently done by
defaming the honour of your brother is far worse than eating
from this.” [Abu Dâwûd]
Module 5 – Circle 3
Can backbiting be allowed in Islam in
some circumstances?
•Complaint because of an injustice
•Seeking a Fatwa
•Identifying a person
Module 5 – Circle 3
Why do people backbite?
•Lack of fear of Allah
•Joining a group of friends
•Seeking to raise one’s own status by putting
down others
•Envy and jealousy
•In anger
Module 5 – Circle 3
How can you rectify the situation if
you have committed backbiting?
•Firstly, we must make Tawbah
•If the Gheebah has reached the person,
then forgiveness must be sought from him
•But if the Gheebah didn't reach the person,
then he should pray for the person's
forgiveness
Module 5 – Circle 3
What are the virtues of opposing
backbiting?
Asmaa' Bint Yazeed said that Allah's Messenger
pbuh said: "Whoever defends the honour of his
brother in his absence, will be entitled to Allah's
protection from the Fire." (Ahmad)
Module 5 – Circle 3
Who was the best of examples and
how did he speak to people?
Narrated by Abu hurairah (ra): The Messenger of
Allah pbuh said: "Whoever believes in Allah and
the Last day, let him either speak good or stay
silent” (Muslim and Bukhari)
Module 5 – Circle 3
What is the best thing to do if you
see a fault in a fellow brother and
need to say something about it to
somebody?
“On the authority of Abu Ruqayyah Tameem ibn
Aus (ra) the Prophet pbuh said, ‘The religion is
naseehah (advice).’ The people said, ‘To whom?’
The Prophet pbuh replied, ‘To Allah and His Book
and to His Messenger and to the Leaders of the
Muslims and to the common folk of the
Muslims.’” (Muslim)
Module 5 – Circle 3