One of the sins which corrupts the society and which creates a state of suspicion in society and which sometimes, is likely to creep into human beings in the heinous form of cynicism is backbiting. Quranic verses and traditions have censured it is a very harsh tone. Here are some examples:
Nor let some of you backbite others. Does one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? But you abhor it; and be careful of your duty to Allah, surely Allah is Oft-returning to mercy, Merciful.
In this phrase of the verse, one of the worst immoralities has been discussed. It is so bad that the Holy Quran, in order to make its heinousness explicit, compared it with an unprecedented ugly matter. Backbiting has been compared with eating ones dead brother's flesh!
In other words, we get four points from this Ayat:
1. A Muslim and a brother-in-Faith is like a real brother blood related
2. His honour is like his flesh.
3. Speaking bad of him in his absence and thereby destroying his honour and position is like eating flesh from his body.
4. Since he is not present to defend himself against at attack that is indeed cowardly, he is unaware. He is like a dead body that has been attacked.
Woe to every slanderer, defamer.
Commentators have, while explaining this verse, quote possibilities:
1. Humazah means big backbiter and Lumazah - big faultfinder.
2. Humazah - who speaks bad face to face and Lumazah - backbiter.
3. Humazah - Pointing to fault by hand and Lumazah - by tongue.
4. Humazah - open bad talk and Lumazah - secret bad talk.
Whatever be its exact meaning this verse applies to all these cases and asserts that backbiting is Haraam by God.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Everything of a Muslim is prohibited for another Muslim be it his blood, property or honour.
That it, it is imperative for a Muslim. Just as he safeguards the life and property of a Muslim, he must also protect the honour and respect of his brother and should not be after his honour through backbiting.
It is reported to have been said by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): Keep away from backbiting as, if fact, backbiting is worse than adultery. If the adulterer repents Allah may forgive him but if fact, the backbiter is not pardoned until his victim is pleased with him!
That is, adultery and other similar sins belong to the category of the rights of God whereas backbiting and its like pertains to the rights of me.
A backbiter, if he dies after repenting, is the last to enter paradise and the one who insists on this evil is the first to enter the hell.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said: Backbiting, is more effective in destroying the religion of a Muslim than the illness of leprosy.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has also said: Sitting in a mosque awaiting prayer is worship until he commits hadas. People asked what was meant by hadas. He said: backbiting.
Now that we have seen a number of verses and traditions about backbiting (gheebat) let us know what is gheebat or backbiting. It has been narrated in traditions: gheebat means talking of a thing about your brother in his ghaibat absence what God has kept covered.
Fuqaha have also said: It means saying something about your brother which, if he hears, would not like.
And it must also be remembered that it is backbiting if the evil is found in the bitten man and that if that evil is not there in him it is false allegation.
And sometimes people, in order to justify their deed, say that we say these words to them on their face also. But it should be remembered that saying such ting, if itself, even if it falls in the category of Nahy anil Munkar stopping the evil, is not proper to be uttered before others.
It should also be understood that backbiting is not limited only to the tongue but it also involves signals and gestures.
Similarly, just as backbiting is Haraam, so is also sitting in a meeting where backbiting is being done.
Reasons of backbiting
1. Jealousy makes one point out the weak points of others whereby one intends to bring them down in the eyes of people.
2. Sometimes anger and uneasiness also causes backbiting.
3. Sometimes one tries to show off himself as clean and clear by talking bad about others.
4. Sometimes, just for making a gathering joyful and happy one resorts to backbiting those who are not present there.
5. Sometimes man describes others offences by way of astonishment and angrily whereas it should be pointed out to that person and not between other people.
6. Sometimes some hidden trouble makes people backbite in the form of friendship and sympathy.
Anyway it must be remembered that back-biting others and dishonouring them due to any of such reasons is, from the viewpoint of Islam, haraam and prohibited.
Harms of backbiting
There are many harms in backbiting both for the individual and the society.
From the individual viewpoint, it is considered injustice and oppression to a Mo-min and Muslim brother-in-Faith. What oppression is greater than if it one destroys the honour of another as it cannot be compensated in any way!
And from the collective or social viewpoint, backbiting, in one way, is common in it harmfulness with two other heinous evils of cynicism and faultfinding.
1. A society having backbiters will never be able to achieve unity and harmony and integrity and love and hence will never be a group of good people full of affection and sympathy.
2. Mutual help and assistance required for Holy aims depends upon the feeling of reliance and trust. A society that reveals the defects of people and raises curtain from their errors destroys the feeling of trust that is created through good opinion about others.
3. Talking bad of others in their absence, fans the flames of enmity, because, the man who has been bitten from back, and whose secret has been revealed and whose honour has been taken away, becomes very angry and so he decides to take avenger.
4. If curtain is raised from the hidden sins of people it makes them hold and carefree and then they insist on their evils, because, what prevents man from sin is the fear of being dishonoured. So even if he sins he does so secretly and with caution. If we tear away that curtain and dishonour him then there will be no reason for him to keep them secret.
Many people refrain from a series of crimes merely because of the fear of a decline in their honour and position. If we take away this deterrent which is in fact a spiritual treasure of a man from him there will be no other thing to block him from sinning.
Moreover, revealing people secrets does not only encourage them but, in case of those having weak faith, it also embolden them to do bad things and in this way back-biting will be a source of spreading immorality and corruption.
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has said: Those who say about Muslims that which they have themselves seen or heard are those about whom God has said: Surely as for those who love that scandal should circulate respecting those who believe, they shall have a grievous chastisement in this world and the Hereafter.