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What Is Permitted From GHEEBAH (Backbiting) 19/06/2012

Posted by mawaddah as-salafiyyah in article.
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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ
“He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book (this Quran, Islamic laws and Islamic jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship, etc. of Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). And verily, they had been before in manifest error.” 62:2

                     “What Is Permitted From GHEEBAH (Backbiting)”

All praise is for Allaah, Lord of all the Worlds, who ordered us to follow His Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and to call to His Way, and may Allaah send praises and blessings of peace upon our Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and upon his family, his Companions, and those who truly follow them until the Day of Judgment.

Verily the best speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam), and the worst of affairs are the newly -invented matters, every newly invented matter (in deen) is an innovation, every innovation is misguidance and all misguidance is in the Fire.
Indeed, Allaah the Glorified and Exalted sent His Messenger Muhammad (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) to all of mankind to explain to them the affairs of their religion and to educate them what is halaal (lawful) and what is haraam (unlawful). As Allaah the Exalted said,
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ

 “He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book (this Quran, Islamic laws and Islamic jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship, etc. of Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). And verily, they had been before in mainfest error.” 62:2

In general al-gheebah (backbiting) is haraam (unlawful) as the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam)explained said, ‘Do you know what is backbiting?’ They said, ‘Allaah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘It is that you mention about your brother (in his absence) what he dislikes.’ It was said, ‘What is your view if my brother is as I am saying?’ ‘He said, ‘Even if he possesses that which you accuse him of, then you have backbitten him. And if he does not possess that which you accuse him of, then you have slandered him.” refer : Sahih Muslim (2589).

However it is permissible, recommended and even sometimes becomes obligatory on those who possessIlm (knowledge) to expose corrupt individuals and groups possessing disbelief and innovations.
It is reported from Aaishah (radiyallahu ‘anha) who said, ‘A man was mentioned to the Messenger of Allaah(sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam), so he said, ‘How evil a brother he is to the tribe, or a son of the tribe.’ So when the man entered, the Prophet spoke kindly with him. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, you said what you said, then you spoke kindly with him?’ He said, ‘O Aaishah, the most evil of the people is he who abandons the people or the one who gives up on the people fearing their indecency.” refer : Sahih al-Bukhari (6054)
Imaam Ibn Hibbaan (d.354 H– rahimahullaah) in al-Majrooheen (1/15) said, “In this report is a proof that informing about a man in order to clarify his condition is not from backbiting. And if it was (unlawful)backbiting, then the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) would not have done it.”
Imaam al-Khateeb Baghdadi (d.468 H– rahimahullaah) in al-Kifaayah (p. 54), “So in the statement of the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam), “How evil a brother he is to the tribe, or a son of the tribe,” is a proof that the one who informs about a person’s fault has fulfilled an obligation of knowledge and religion in advising the questioner and he has not backbitten.”
Imaam al-Qurtubee (d.671 H– rahimahullaah) said : “In this hadith is the permission to backbite the one who openly shows disobedience, or sin or the likes of that from oppression concerning the judgment, and calling for innovation and permitting evasion of them and fearing their evil, as long as that does not lead to deceit in the religion of Allaah.” refer : Fathul-Baaree (1/454)
Imaam Nawawee (d.676 H– rahimahullaah) in Sharh Sahih Muslim (16/144), “So the Prophet(sallallaahu’alayhi wa sallam) wanted to clarify his condition to the people and to not allow those who did not know him to be deceived…And the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) describing him as ‘how evil a brother he is to the tribe, or a son of the tribe,’ is a sign of Prophethood, because what he described came true – concerning those who attack the religion. The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) only spoke gently with him so as to make Islam easier for him and his types. And in this hadith is a pivotal argument for the one who fears someone’s sins. And in it is the permission for backbiting the disobedient sinner who openly broadcasts his disobedience. And in it is the permission warning against the one who the people are in need of being warned against.”
In another hadith from Aaishah (radiyallahu ‘anha) who said, ‘Hind the wife of Abu Sufyaan said to the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam), ‘Abu Sufyaan is a tight-fisted man and he does not give me that which is sufficient for me and my son. So I take it from him whilst he does not know.’ So he said, ‘Take what will suffice you and your son with fairness.” refer : Sahih al-Bukhari (5359)
Imaam Ibn Hajr (d. 852 H– rahimahullaah) in Fathul-Baaree (9/509), “This hadith is to be used as an evidence for the permissibility of mentioning a person with that which he will not find admirable in order to get a fatwaa (legal verdict) or to complain and the likes of that. And this is one of the instances when backbiting is permissible.”
Imaam Nawawee (d.676 H– rahimahullaah) mentioned this hadith in Riyaad us-Saaliheen (p. 399) under the chapter “what is permitted from backbiting”
Imaam Ibn Rajab (d. 795 H– rahimahullaah) said in an-Naseehah wat-Taghyeer (p. 34), “So as for the people of innovation and misguidance and whomsoever tries to pretend to be a Scholar whilst he is not from them, then it is permissible to clarify his ignorance and to make apparent his faults and to warn against following him.”
Imaam Ibn Katheer (d. 774 H– rahimahullaah)  in his Tafseer (6/381) said , “And backbiting is prohibited byijmaa’ (consensus), and there is no exception from that except for that which brings about a benefit such as what occurs in al-jarh wat-ta’deel (criticizing and appraising) and in naseehah (advising).”
It is clearly stated in Sharhul-’Ilal (p.59), “… the faults of a man must be mentioned if there is a benefit in that, even if it names a specific individual. For example, it is permissible for the one who has witnessed some evil to rebuke it without any disagreement. So what occurs therein has a general benefit for the Muslims.”
Imaam Sufyaan Ibn ’Uyaynah (d.197 H– rahimahullaah)  said, ‘Shu’bah used to say, ‘Let us come together so that we can backbite for the sake of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic.” Imaam al-Hasan al-Basree (d.110 H– rahimahullaah) concerning backbiting, “There is no backbiting in the case of a person of innovation or a person who openly commits sin.” refer : Sharh Usoolul-I’tiqaad (1/140)
Note : al-jarh wat-ta’deel (criticizing and appraising) / rad (refutation) / naqd (criticism)  is done by the Scholars and those senior students of knowledge who are deep rooted in this science, as for others (i.e. minor student of knowledge or general people)  then they should restrict themselves and only convey the rulings of Ahlul-Ilm (people of knowledge).
“O Allaah! Show us the truth as truth so that we may follow it, and show us falsehood as falsehood, so that we may abstain from it.” Ameen.
Baarak-Allaahu Feekum, wa sal-Allaahu wa sallam ‘alaa Nabiyyinaa Muhammad
was-Salaam ‘Alaykum wa-Rahmatullaahe wa Barakaatuhu.