Is there any Tawbah from backbiting?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Brother,

Backbiting (Gheebat) is a major sin. Allah Taa’la refers to Gheebat in the following verse of the Quran:

يَأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا ٱجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ  وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ(49\12)

Translation: O you who believe, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful. (Surah Hujurat:12)

Nabi (Sallallahu Alahi Wasallam) has also warned the Ummah about Gheebat and its punishments.

See the following Ahadith:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيبَةُ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ قِيلَ أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ ( صحيح مسلم )

Translation: Abu Huraira reported: Nabi (Sallallahu Alahi Wasallam) said, “Do you know what backbiting is?” They said, “Allah and his messenger know best.” Nabi (Sallallahu Alahi Wasallam) said, “To mention your brother in a way he dislikes.” It was said, “What do you think if what I said about him is true?” Nabi (Sallallahu Alahi Wasallam) said, “If what you say about him is true, it is backbiting. If it is not true, it is slander.”

(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2589)

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ لَمَّا عُرِجَ بِي مَرَرْتُ بِقَوْمٍ لَهُمْ أَظْفَارٌ مِنْ نُحَاسٍ يَخْمِشُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَصُدُورَهُمْ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَؤُلاَءِ يَا جِبْرِيلُ قَالَ هَؤُلاَءِ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ لُحُومَ النَّاسِ وَيَقَعُونَ فِي أَعْرَاضِهِمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ حَدَّثَنَاهُ يَحْيَى بْنُ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ بَقِيَّةَ لَيْسَ فِيهِ أَنَسٌ ‏.‏

(ابو داود)

Translation:Anas ibn Malik (Radiyallahu Anhu) narrates: Nabi (Sallallahu Alahi Wasallam) said: When I was taken up (during m’iraj) I passed by people who had nails of copper and were scratching their faces and their breasts. I said: Who are these people, Gabriel? He replied: They are those who were given to back biting and who aspersed people's honour. ( Sunan Abi Dawud 4878)

عن البيهقي عن سفيان بن عيينة رحمه الله قال الْغِيبَةُ أَشَدُّ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنَ الزِّنَا وَشُرْبِ الْخَمْرِ لأَنَّ الزِّنَا وَشُرْبَ الْخَمْرِ ذَنْبٌ فِيمَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَإِذَا تُبْتَ عَنْهُ تَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ وَالْغِيبَةُ لا يُغْفَرُ لَكَ حَتَّى يَغْفِرَ لَكَ صَاحِبُكَ(شعب الإيمان للبيهقي)

Translation: Al-Bayhaqi has also reported: Sufyan ibn ‘Uyayna (Rahimahullah) said, “Backbiting is worse to Allah than fornication and drinking wine, as fornication and drinking wine is a sin between you and your Lord. If you repent from them, Allah will accept your repentance. Yet backbiting is not forgiven unless the victim forgives you.”(Shu’ab al-Imān 6229)

Gheebat also includes gossiping which is a cause of punishment in the grave.

See the following Ahadith:

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ مَرَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى قَبْرَيْنِ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أَمَا إِنَّهُمَا لَيُعَذَّبَانِ وَمَا يُعَذَّبَانِ فِي كَبِيرٍ أَمَّا أَحَدُهُمَا فَكَانَ يَمْشِي بِالنَّمِيمَةِ وَأَمَّا الآخَرُ فَكَانَ لاَ يَسْتَتِرُ مِنْ بَوْلِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَدَعَا بِعَسِيبٍ رَطْبٍ فَشَقَّهُ بِاثْنَيْنِ ثُمَّ غَرَسَ عَلَى هَذَا وَاحِدًا وَعَلَى هَذَا وَاحِدًا ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ لَعَلَّهُ أَنْ يُخَفَّفَ عَنْهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَيْبَسَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏(صحيح مسلم)

Translation: Ibn Abbas (Radiyallu Anhu) reported: Nabi (Sallallahu Alahi Wasallam) happened to pass by two graves and said: They (their occupants) are being tormented, but they are not tormented for a grievous sin. One of them carried tales (gossiping) and the other did not keep himself safe from urine drops. He then called for a fresh twig and split it into two parts, and planted them on each grave and then said: Perhaps, their punishment way be mitigated as long as these twigs remain fresh. (Sahih Muslim 292)

حَدَّثَنِي بَحْرُ بْنُ مَرَّارٍ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ، قَالَ مَرَّ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ بِقَبْرَيْنِ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّهُمَا لَيُعَذَّبَانِ وَمَا يُعَذَّبَانِ فِي كَبِيرٍ أَمَّا أَحَدُهُمَا فَيُعَذَّبُ فِي الْبَوْلِ وَأَمَّا الآخَرُ فَيُعَذَّبُ فِي الْغِيبَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.( سنن ابن ماجه)‏

Translation: Bahr bin Marrar (Rahimahullah) narrated that his grandfather Abu Bakrah (Radiyallu Anhu) said: " Nabi (Sallallahu Alahi Wasallam) passed by two graves, and he said: 'They are being punished but they are not being punished for anything major. One of them is being punished because of urine, and the other is being punished because of backbiting.'(Ibn Majah:349)

There are two angles to Gheebat. Gheebat itself is a major sin and constitutes Fisq. If one backbites he must make Tawbah and reform himself. He should resolve never to commit such a sin in the future.

Backbiting is also a host to many other sins. When a person backbites he looks down upon another. That constitutes pride. Nabi (Sallallahu Alahi Wasallam) advised that pride is:

"الكبر بَطَر الحق، وغمط الناس‏"‏‏. (رواه مسلم‏)‏‏.‏

Translation: Pride amounts to disclaiming truth out of self- esteem, and despising people(looking down on others) ."(Saheeh Muslim)

Gheebat makes one unmindful of his own shortcomings as he focuses on the weaknesses of others. When one is unmindful of his shortcomings and focuses on the shortcomings of others, he can never reform himself.

If a person backbites another and the person became aware of it, then it is compulsory to seek his forgiveness. In this instance, it is not sufficient to merely make Tawbah. It is now a case of infringing the rights of another person (Huquq-ul-Ibad).

If the person regarding whom Gheebat was made is alive, then it is compulsory to seek his forgiveness personally. In this era of technology and ease of communication, inaccessibility is not a valid excuse.

Yes, if the person has passed away, then one should seek forgiveness on that persons behalf. Through this, it is hoped that the sin of backbiting will be forgiven. In Sha Allah. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

When one considers the major implications of Gheebat, he will never dare to backbite about anyone to avoid unnecessary burden upon him and endanger his Akhirah.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Ahmad Patel

Student Darul Iftaa

South  Africa

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

(2020-09-26) 

^[1]

رد المحتار، ٦/ ٤١٠ - ٤١١ 
وإذا لم تبلغه يكفيه الندم وإلا شرط بيان كل ما اغتابه به 

قال بعض العلماء: إذا تاب المغتاب قبل وصولها تنفعه توبته بلا استحلال من صاحبه فإن بلغت إليه بعد توبته قيل لا تبطل توبته، بل يغفر الله تعالى لهما جميعا للأول بالتوبة وللثاني لما لحقه من المشقة، وقيل بل توبته معلقة فإن مات الثاني قبل بلوغها إليه فتوبته صحيحة، وإن بلغته فلا بل لا بد من الاستحلال والاستغفار، ولو قال بهتانا فلا بد أيضا أن يرجع إلى من تكلم عندهم ويكذب نفسه وتمامه في تبيين المحارم (قوله وإلا شرط بيان كل ما اغتابه به) أي مع الاستغفار والتوبة والمراد أن يبين له ذلك ويعتذر إليه ليسمح عنه بأن يبالغ في الثناء عليه والتودد إليه ويلازم ذلك حتى يطيب قلبه، وإن لم يطب قلبه كان اعتذاره وتودده حسنة يقابل بها سيئة الغيبة في الآخرة وعليه أن يخلص في الاعتذار، وإلا فهو ذنب آخر ويحتمل أن يبقى لخصمه عليه مطالبة في الآخرة، لأنه لو علم أنه غير مخلص لما رضي به.

^[2]

 الدر المختار (ص: 665(

 الغيبة أن تصف أخاك حال كونه غائبا بوصف يكرهه إذا سمعه. عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال عليه الصلاة والسلام: أتدرون ما الغيبة؟ قالوا: الله ورسوله أعلم، قال: ذكرك أخاك بما يكره، قيل: أفرأيت إن كان في أخي ما أقول؟ قال: إن كان فيه ما تقول اغتبته، وإن لم يكن فيه فقد بهته، وإذا لم تبلغه يكفيه الندم، وإلا شرط بيان كل ما اغتابه به.

^[3]

عَنْ أَنَسٍ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " «إِنَّ مِنْ كَفَّارَةِ الْغِيبَةِ أَنْ تَسْتَغْفِرَ لِمَنِ اغْتَبْتَهُ، تَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلَهُ» ". رَوَاهُ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ فِي " الدَّعَوَاتِ الْكَبِيرِ". (مشكاة المصابيح، رقم الحديث: ٤٨٧٧(

Maariful Quran(6/123)