What is the ruling on slandering people’s honor, and what is the expiation for that?
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Question:
Yes, may Allah bless you. This person asks: regarding one who slanders people’s honor, is this considered talebearing, and what is the expiation for it?
Answer:
This is backbiting; it is considered backbiting. If the slandering of people’s honor involves accusing them of committing fornication, then it is false accusation (qadhf). If it is established against him, he deserves the hadd punishment of being flogged eighty lashes.[An-Nur 24:4], [An-Nur 24:4-5] False accusation, may Allah protect us from it, is a major sin; indeed, it is one of the seven destructive sins. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) counted it among the seven destructive sins. However, if it is without this specific crime, meaning if he defamed them by belittling them, that is backbiting, and it is a major sin.
And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said:[Al-Hujurat 49:12] Yes.
Yes, may Allah bless you. This person asks: regarding one who slanders people’s honor, is this considered talebearing, and what is the expiation for it?
Answer:
This is backbiting; it is considered backbiting. If the slandering of people’s honor involves accusing them of committing fornication, then it is false accusation (qadhf). If it is established against him, he deserves the hadd punishment of being flogged eighty lashes.
And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses - lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony ever after
وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ فَاجْلِدُوهُمْ ثَمَانِينَ جَلْدَةً وَلَا تَقْبَلُوا لَهُمْ شَهَادَةً أَبَدًاAnd those are the defiantly disobedient, (5) Except for those who repent thereafter and reform, for indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ تَابُوا مِن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌAnd Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said:
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.
وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما حكم القدح في أعراض الناس، وما كفارة ذلك؟ - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.