Avoiding Social Evils - Backbiting & Gossip

Khatib : Sadullah Khan
Khutbah No: 156
Khutbah Date: 07/01/05

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌوَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًاأَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُوَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌO ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: And spy not on each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, ye would abhor it...But fear Allah. For Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.[Q 49:12] لا تغتابوا المسلمين و لا تتبعوا عوراتهم فان من اتبع عوراتهم يتبع الله عورتهDo not backbite Believers nor search for faults;if you do, Allah will scrutinize your faults. [Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]
A fundamental aspect of Islamic teaching is the preservation of human dignity and the respect for the integrity of others. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is reported to have said
المُسِلمَُ مَن سَلِمَ المُسلمُون مِن لِسانِه و يَِِدِهِوالمُؤمن مَن أمِنَهُ الناس بدِمَاءِهِم و اموالِهم و انفسِهمA Muslim is one from whose words and deeds other Muslims are safe; A Mu’min is one in whom humankind find safety and security regarding their lives, their property and their honor
.Quranic Advice [Q 49:10-2] on …

Deliberately Unveiling the ScreenedAmong the vile habits that people have is the desire to deride the integrity and good name of others through gheebah/backbiting.Gheebah has linguistically been defined in al-Mufradat as…

الغيبة ان يَذكُرَ الانسان غيرَهُ بما فيه مِن غيبٍ مِن غير ان اَحوَجَ الى ذِكرهdiscussing someone’s defects in his absence when it is not necessary to do so.
Gheebah has been described by the Prophet as …
ذكرك أخاك بما يَكرَهmentioning something about someone in their absence which they would dislike.قيل: أفرأيت ان كان في أخي ما أقول؟قال (ص) : ان كان فيه ما تقول فقدِ اغتَبتَهُ ، و ان لم يكن فيه ما تقول فقد بَهَتَّهSomeone asked: What if what I say about him is true?The Prophet replied: If what you say about someone in their absence is true than you have backbitten; if you have said something false then you have slandered.
The Caliph ‘Umar said;
لا يساعد المغتاب ، قد أظهر قبحا كان مستورا و هتك سترا كان مسدولا Do not assist the backbiter. He disclosed a bad feature that was screened and has unveiled what was covered.
.The Caliph Imam ‘Ali therefore said;
السامع للغيبة كالمغتابthe one who listens to backbiting is equally guilty.
Also remember the Talmudic advice; Thy friend has a friend, and thy friend's friend has a friend; so be cautious what you say to whom.The Danger of Social ‘Cannibalism’In order to bring our attention to the despicable and destructive habit of backbiting, the Qur’an paints a repulsive image of gheebah by equating it to cannibalism.
وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُAnd speak not evil of each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Surely, you would dislike it... [Q49:12]
Backbiting has become so common that people do not realize the evil they are so often indulging in. Imam ash-Shaf’ie captured it well in his poem…
لا يأكل الذئب لحم ذئب و لكن يأكل بعضنا بعضا عياناThe flesh-eating wolf would never eat the flesh of another wolf,Yet how often do we eat the flesh of each other.
GOSSIP ~ The Twin Evil of BackbitingThe Prophet said that Allah dislikes قيل و قال carrying of tales and gossip is much worse than that. Gossip implies conveying to others what you hear from someone else in a manner which may cause dissension, create hurt, humiliate, denigrate and probably lead to bad feelings. The Qur’an refers to those who indulge in this diabolical act as despicable and slanderous [Q4:112][Q68:12] .TroublemakersThe Prophet said; Shall I tell you what is the bite of the troublemaker? It is...
النميمة، القاله بين الناس The gossiper, carrying tales between people.
An ancient poet wrote; If the gossipers hear a good word about someone, they are silent; if they hear a bad word they shout it; and if they hear nothing they create stories and spread it. No wonder that gossip has been described by some as social sewage.Will do to you as he/she does to othersA Spanish proverb warns, whoever gossips to you will gossip about you. Imam ash-Shaf’ie further advised;
من نمَّ لك نمَّ بك، و من اذا أرضيتَهُ قال فيك ما ليس فيكو اذا أغضبتَهُ قال فيك ما ليس فيكBe aware that a person who carries tales to you will carry tales about you. When he is pleased with you will say good things about you that you do not deserve;and when he is displeased/angry with you will say things about you that you do not deserve.
The Prophet (pbuh) distinctly distanced himself from such crude behavior by saying;
ليس مني ذو حسد و لا نمينة ، و لا انا منه The envious one and the gossiper is not of me and I am not of them;
Complete CondemnationFrom the Divine text and Prophetic tradition, we find a complete condemnation of the vile habits of backbiting and gossiping.
وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍShame on every kind of scandal-monger and-backbiter. [Q 104:1]لا يدخل الجنة نمَّامThe gossiper will not enter Paradise. [Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ]
Allah instructs us …
وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاء بِنَمِيمٍ مَنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍHeed not the type of despicable person, always ready with oaths; a slanderer, going about defaming others; hindering good efforts, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin. [Q 68: 11 -13]
Sayyedna ‘Ali said that شر الناس من كان مُتتبِّعا لعيوب الناس عميا عن معايبه the worst of people are those finding faults in others, yet blind to their own faults. Note that there is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it is not proper for any of us to try and find fault with the rest of us.Rule that should be inscribed on every heart
  • do not believe anything bad about anybody unless you positively know it to be true;
  • never to tell anything about anybody unless it is absolutely necessary,
  • always remember that Allah is a witness to what you say and what you hear.

If you do not have something constructive or beneficial to say, don't say anything. “Whosoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let such a person speak good or remain silent.” [Prophet Muhammad] An old Sufi tradition advises us to speak only after our words have managed to pass through four gates. We ask ourselves, "Are these words true? Are they necessary? Are they beneficial? Are they kind?" If the answer to any of these is no, then what you are about to say should be left unsaid. It would be wise to heed these words of wisdom from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). “Do not indulge in any act unless it is beneficial, And do not say anything except what is good.”

 

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