Deterring people from backbiting (Gheebah)

Definition of Gheebah:
When the Prophet wasasked about backbiting, he answered: "To mention
your brother in a manner which he dislikes". Then he was asked, "What
if my brother actually has (this failing) that I made mention of?" The
Prophet said: "If (that failing) is actually found in your brother,
you in fact backbit him, and if that is not in him it is a slander."
[Muslim]
Backbiting refers to a Muslim mentioning his Muslim brother in a
manner that the latter dislikes, whether by referring to a defect in
his body, or in his lineage, or in his morality. The meaning of
insulting is included in backbiting, whether it is in the form of
words, gestures, or writing.
Ruling of Gheebah:
Backbiting is forbidden in the Noble Quran and the Sunnah. The person
who commits it is given the similitude of a personwho eats the flesh
of his dead brother. Allaah Says(what means): "… And do notspy or
backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his
brother when dead? You would detest it…" [Quran 49: 12]
To highlight the sanctity of the Muslim, the Messenger of Allaah said
in his sermon duringthe Farewell Pilgrimage: "…Your blood, your wealth
and your honor are sacred, as this dayof yours, in this month of
yours, in this land of yours, are sacred…?" [Ahmad and Muslim] This
firmly proves haw far beyond limits one transgresses when he backbites
his fellow Muslim
Let us think deeply aboutthis, and regard the orders of Allaah and His
Prophet with the awe that they deserve. In the sight of Allaah,
violating the rights of your brotherby backbiting is equivalent to
violating the sanctity of the Day of Sacrifice, in the month of
Thul-Hijjah, in Minaa. Do we really realize the enormity of this
violationof a Muslim's honor?
Islamic perception of Gheebah:
Al-Baraa' Ibn 'Aazib narrated that the Messenger of Allaah said: "
There are seventy-two degrees of Ribaa (usury), the least of which is
equivalent to committing adultery with one's own mother. The worst of
them (the seventy two degrees) is a man's insulting his brother's
honor (i.e. by backbiting)." [Ibn Jaaroot]
`Aa'ishah said: "I said to the Prophet : 'It's bad enough that
Safiyyah is such and such.(Some of narrators said: she is short).' He
said: "You have said a word which, if itcould be mixed with the water
ofthe sea, it would have been… (i.e., the enormity of it is such that,
if it were mixed with the vast water of the sea, it wouldspoil it.)"
[Abu Daawood]
A word which, if it could be mixed with the water of the sea, it would
have been…! One word alone could do this, and have such a far-reaching
impact! So what do you think of the backbiting people of today, whose
tongues never cease to wag? What vast oceans could be tainted and
corrupted by their words? How many quiet lives are disrupted by them?
'Amr Ibn Shu`ayb narrated from his father from his grandfather : (the
people) mentioned aman to the Messenger of Allaah saying: "He doesn't
eat until he is fedand he doesn't visit anybody until they have
visited him first." The Prophet said: "You have backbit him." They
said: "O Messenger of Allaah! We have mentioned about him something
which is true." He said: " It is bad enough that you have
mentionedsomething about your brother which is true." [Al-Asbahaani]
We should all ask ourselves: who among usis infallible? Who among us
is free from errors, faults and sins? Who among us would be content to
have everything about him, good and bad, spoken of by others? Any one
of us becomes furious if he hears someone hinting something about him;
so what would you do if it was said clearly and in detail, let alone
behind your back?
'Abdullaah Ibn Mas'ood said: "We were with the Prophet when a man got
up and left, whereupon another manimmediately started backbiting him.
The Prophet said: "Clean the bits of meat from between your teeth!"
The man asked:"What should I clean from between my teeth? I haven't
eaten any meat!" He said: "You haveeaten the flesh of your brother!"
[At-Tabaraani]
This is the state of our community nowadays: any one of us may commit
the sin of backbiting, but then will say: I didn't backbite, I didn't
eat flesh, I haven't done anything! Why?
Because we have allowedour tongues to become accustomed to speaking
this way, without knowing what backbiting is. Let us learnabout our
religion. Let uslearn about what is lawful and unlawful - as much as
we can - and distinguish between the speech which is lawful and the
speech which is not.
The evil consequence of Gheebah:
Due to its negative impact on individuals and communities alike, the
Prophet frequentlymade mention of backbiting, and greatly warned
against it.
The Prophet said: "O youwho have believed (only) with their tongues
while (true) belief has not visited their hearts! Do not backbite
Muslims nor pursue their defects (and faults), otherwise Allaah will
pursue yourfaults, and whomever Allaah pursues his defects (and
faults) He disgraces him even though inside his house." [Ibn Abu
Ad-Dunyaa]
The Prophet showed us the safe way of freeing ourselves from the evil
consequence of backbiting others when he said: "Whoever has wronged
his brother with regard to wealth or honor, should ask for his pardon
(before his death), before he will pay for it (in the Hereafter) when
he will have neither a Dinaar nor a Dirham (gold and silver
currencies). (He should secure pardon in this life) before some of his
good deeds are taken and paid to this (his brother), or (if he has no
good deeds) some of the bad deeds of this (his brother) will be taken
(from the person he wronged) and will be loaded on him." ] Al-Bukhaari
and Muslim] - - ▓███▓ Translator:->
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