What is the ruling on backbiting, and what is the ruling on one who hears backbiting while passing by and does not refute it with his tongue?
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Question:
May Allah reward you with good and do you well. A student whose name is represented by the letters Q, A, and S says: I am a high school student, praise be to Allah, and my problem is that I spend my time in a school where backbiting and mockery are widespread. Sometimes, when I hear backbiting or the like, I try to refute it if the students are speaking it in front of me. However, sometimes I hear backbiting while I am walking or occupied with something else, and I have no connection to it, so I do not refute it. Am I sinful and considered a backbiter because I remained silent? Considering that there is no place without students whose conversation is about backbiting, what should I do? Please guide us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
There is no doubt in the prohibition of backbiting and talebearing, and that they are among the major sins, causes of corruption on earth, severing of family ties, and division among Muslims. It is obligatory for the Muslim to forbid it and warn against it. If there is no response to accepting the advice, he should withdraw from these gatherings if he is able to do so. If he is unable to withdraw, he should not listen to it and should not approve of it, but rather he should refute it. He should not remain silent and leave it alone, but should forbid it. As for when something happens and he did not intend to listen to it or sit with them, but it occurred incidentally on the road, in a car, or in one of the classrooms, it does not harm the one who disapproved of it and refuted it and did not pay attention to it. It does not harm him because he did not come for the sake of this gathering or to socialize with them, but he came for another purpose, such as riding the bus, listening to a lesson, or something similar. So, if Allah wills, no sin will be recorded for him in that, provided he disapproves of it in his heart and with his tongue as much as he is able.
May Allah reward you with good and do you well. A student whose name is represented by the letters Q, A, and S says: I am a high school student, praise be to Allah, and my problem is that I spend my time in a school where backbiting and mockery are widespread. Sometimes, when I hear backbiting or the like, I try to refute it if the students are speaking it in front of me. However, sometimes I hear backbiting while I am walking or occupied with something else, and I have no connection to it, so I do not refute it. Am I sinful and considered a backbiter because I remained silent? Considering that there is no place without students whose conversation is about backbiting, what should I do? Please guide us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
There is no doubt in the prohibition of backbiting and talebearing, and that they are among the major sins, causes of corruption on earth, severing of family ties, and division among Muslims. It is obligatory for the Muslim to forbid it and warn against it. If there is no response to accepting the advice, he should withdraw from these gatherings if he is able to do so. If he is unable to withdraw, he should not listen to it and should not approve of it, but rather he should refute it. He should not remain silent and leave it alone, but should forbid it. As for when something happens and he did not intend to listen to it or sit with them, but it occurred incidentally on the road, in a car, or in one of the classrooms, it does not harm the one who disapproved of it and refuted it and did not pay attention to it. It does not harm him because he did not come for the sake of this gathering or to socialize with them, but he came for another purpose, such as riding the bus, listening to a lesson, or something similar. So, if Allah wills, no sin will be recorded for him in that, provided he disapproves of it in his heart and with his tongue as much as he is able.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما حكم الغيبة، وما حكم من يسمع الغيبة أثناء مروره ولا ينكر بلسانه؟ الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.