These definitions and fiqh are taken from "Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasideen" (Ibn Qudamah's abridgement of Ibn al-Jawzi's summary of al-Ghazzali's "Ihya' `Ulum al-Deen") And from al-Umdat as-Salik or "The Reliance of the Traveller" by Ahmad Naqib al-Misri ash-Shafi’i.
Meaning of Ghibah
Narrated in Sahih Muslim and the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, the Prophet (saw) said to the Sahaba that backbiting is,
"You mentioning anything about your brother something about him that he dislikes being spoken about."
Someone then asked the Prophet (saw),
"How about if my brother has that characteristic which I am mentioning?"
The prophet replied, "If he truly is that which you mention behind his back, then you have indeed backbitten him. And, if he does not contain that which you say, then you have slandered him. (Both being Haram)"
Backbiting or Ghibah is indicating anything truthful about a person that s/he would dislike about his
• Body
• Voice
• Speech or accent
• Religion
• Everyday life
• Disposition
• Property
• Family
• Headgear or clothing; whether it is too loose too tight, too low, or how it fits
• Footwear
• any bodily movements, twitches, habits, the way they walk, smiling, frowning, cheerfulness, or subdued nature
• ….or any remote detail connected to them.
This indicating is defined as (i.e. backbiting is done) either by
• Words,
• Writing,
• Signalling,
• Winking,
• Nudging,
• Mimicking,
• Imitating in any way,
• By innuendo or allusion even if you don’t mention the name,
• Hinting,
• Subtly referring to them without name,
• By a frown behind their back,
• A change of mood when the name is mentioned,
• ……or by indicating in any way by any method.
"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 backbitten companion forgives him." [Imam Suyuti, Al-Jami` as-Saghir]
Namima or Telling Tales
Namima or tale telling is defined as quoting someone’s words in any way that will worsen relationships between people, even if the quote is true, this includes but is not limited to;
• Sensationalising,
• Dramatisation,
• Exaggeration,
• Spin,
• Quoting out of context,
• Quoting disproportionately,
• ….Or simply telling tales in any way that could possibly cause discord between people.
Narrated in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim the Prophet said,
“The Tale teller will not enter Jannah”
Remember: Backbiting is telling the truth about someone behind their back, Slander is when you lie about them.
Suspicion
"O you who believe! Avoid suspicion, for some suspicion is sin. Do not spy on one another, nor backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother." [Qur'an, Surah Hujaraat:12]
"And do not look for information into things of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, listening, seeeing and what is in the heart about others- [you] will be asked about all of them." [Qur'an, Surah Banii Israail:36]
Narrated in Abu Dawood, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) said,
"O you who have claimed to believe with your tongues, but whose hearts have no beleif! 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 or in the depths of his house."
Holding persistent suspicions in the heart is Haram, but passing suspicions that vacate your hearts after they arise are not.
Talking uselessly
"He (the human) does not utter a single word, except that there is, with him, an angel ready and waiting to record it." [Qur'an, Surah al-Qaaf:18]
Imam Nawawi commenting said "It is fard for every sane adult to guard his tongue against talking, except when it contains a clear (religiously defined) benefit."
Narrated in Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah, the prophet Muhammad (saw) said:
"Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should say [something] good, or he should keep silent."
Nawawi then commented that, "This hadith is quite explicit that it is imperative to not talk unless the speech is good, which is that wherein there is some benefit. If a person is in doubt as to whether there will be any benefit, then he should remain silent."
The prophet said:
"Whoever guarantees for me what is between his jaws and what is between his legs, I guarantee Jannah for him" [Bukhari, Muslim]
He also said, "Is there anything which drags people into the Fire on their faces other than the harvest of their tongues?!" [Tirmidhi]
Allah (swt) says:
"[Successful are] those who shun vain talk." [Qur'an, al-Mu'minun: 3]
The prophet (saw) said,
"Whoever is present while a Muslim is humiliated before him, and is able to assist him [and yet does not], Allah will humiliate him before [all of] creation." [Narrated by Ahmad in al-Musnad and Imam Suyuti in Al-Jami` As-Saghir]
And he said,
"Whoever protects a believer from a hypocrite, Allah will send to him an angel to protect him from the Fire of Hell on the Day of Arising. "[Abu Dawud]
and,
"Whoever averts [an attack] on the honor of his brother, Allah will avert the fire from his face on the Day of Arising." [Tirmidhi]
Cases in which ghibah is permissible
•Injustice. One who has suffered injustice is entitled to mention the one who has committed injustice to someone who is capable of restoring his rights to him, such as a ruler or judge.
•Seeking help to change an evil (forbid the munkar), or to reform the wrongdoer. E.g. unjust governments, policitians, Ulema, or public figures. If the intention in telling the ghibah is not to actually change the munkar, then it is forbidden to relate it.
•Asking for a fatwa. A person may say, 'My father/brother/wife has done such-and-such to me. What can I do about it?
Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, said to the Prophet (saw), "Abu Sufyan is a miserly man, and he is not giving me what would suffice me and my child, unless I take from him without his knowing." He said, "Take what suffices you and your child according to common usage." [Bukhari, Muslim]
However, it is more precautionary to avoid mention of names.
•Warning, such as warning a prospective buyer that the merchant is a swindler, or warning a student that his prospective teacher is an innovator or a deviant. Also, giving someone a candid appraisal of a person whom the former is thinking of marrying.
On the authority of Fatimah bint Qays : she said, "I came to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and told him, "Abu Jahm and Mu`awiyah have [both] proposed to me." He said, "As for Mu`awiyah, he is a poor man with no money, and as for Abu Jahm, his stick never leaves his shoulder." [Bukhari, Muslim, Malik]
•Someone who sins openly, and has no qualms about his sins being mentioned. However, it is not permissible to mention any of his secret sins. The prophet said,
"There can be no backbiting of one who casts off the mantle of modesty." [Imam Suyuti in Al-Jami` As-Saghir, from Bayhaqi.]
Expiation for ghibah
The backbiter has committed two infringements; one upon the limits of Allah, and this must be expiated by repentance and regret. The second is on the rights of the victim. If news of the backbiting has reached the person, the backbiter must apologize to him/her, and express regret at having said it.
"Whoever has wronged his brother, in the way of property or honor, let him go to him and repair it, before it is taken, when he has no dirhams or dinars, such that if 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, Ahmad Al-Musnad]
If the person has not learned that he has been backbited, then the backbiter need not tell him, but he should ask Allah to forgive him. The prophet (saw) said,
"The expiation with regard to one who has been backbited is that forgiveness be asked for him."
[Suyuti, Al-Jami` As-Saghir]
Mujahid said: "The expiation for eating the flesh of your brother is that you praise him and pray for good for him, and similar is the case if he has died."
FINAL HADITH:
Abu Dawud has reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
“When I was taken up to heaven (during the Mi`raj) I passed by people who had nails of copper, with which they were scratching their faces and their chests. I said, ‘Who are these [people], O Gabriel?’ He replied: ‘They are those who consumed the flesh of people [i.e. backbite them] and aspersed their honour and respect.’
And Allah, the Exalted knows best.
Hassan and Habibah
With thanks to;
The translators of “The reliance of the traveller” by Ahmad Naqib al-Misri
The translators of Ihyaa Uloom ad-deen, by Imam Ghazali
SunniPath.com,