The Danger of Backbiting and Talebearing and Their Expiation

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Question:
Yasser says: Some gatherings are not free from talebearing and backbiting. What is the expiation, and what is your advice for these people?

Answer:
They should repent to Allah the Mighty and Majestic and leave backbiting and talebearing. Allah the Exalted 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

[Al-Hujurat 49:12]

So the Muslim must leave backbiting and mention his brother with what he dislikes. Talebearing is conveying speech between people in the form of slander, sowing discord between them, and inciting them. This talebearing is

⁽¹⁰⁾ And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer ⁽¹¹⁾ [And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip - ⁽¹²⁾ A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,

وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

[Al-Qalam 68:10-12]

and its danger is great. It is reported in the athar that the talebearer corrupts in an hour.
More than the sorcerer corrupts in a year. So the talebearer’s danger is great for society. The Muslim must avoid backbiting and talebearing and purify his tongue from them. Yes.

Source قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، [5240] خطر الغيبة والنميمة وكفارتهما - صالح الفوزان — youtube.com

The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.

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