What a Muslim does in investigating what is attributed to a Muslim in order to advise him is not backbiting
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Fatwa number ( 19515 )
Q: One of my relatives spoke to me about a man who works with my father in a private establishment owned by my father. She told me that this man’s wife says: “My husband does not pray much of the time, and he watches obscene films.” This man’s wife also said: “Perhaps Abdullah—and I mean myself—perhaps he should advise him on this matter.” When one of my relatives told me this, I was truly saddened and concerned about the issue, knowing that I had already advised him about abandoning prayer and congregational prayer specifically, but I had not known about the films before. To verify the matter of prayer and watching films, I said to another relative—another one—who has a good relationship with this man’s wife: “Please verify the matter.” This was so that we could offer him advice from this angle, and so that I could inform my father about this man; because the harm of sins is realized in this world before the Hereafter, and its harm extends to the sinner and to others. Out of my desire to offer and deliver advice, and out of concern for my father regarding the consequences of that, I did what I wrote. The question, O honorable Shaykh: My father was angry with me and said: “This is spying, and it is not permissible for you to contact people and investigate him. You should focus on yourself and your children.” His wife thought that there were people seeking to marry her husband and were asking about him. Is this action considered spying, and what is the concept of spying?
Specifically the congregation, but I had not known about the subject of films before. As a personal effort to verify the matter of prayer and watching films, I said to one of my female relatives—another one—: "Verify the subject," as she has a good relationship with this man's wife, so that we could offer him advice from this angle, and so that I could inform my father about this man; because the harm of sins is realized in this world before the Hereafter, and its harm extends to the sinner and to others. So, out of my concern to deliver advice and convey it, and out of concern for my father regarding the consequences of that, I did what I wrote. The question, O honorable Shaykh: My father became angry with me and said: "This is from spying, and it is not permissible for you to contact and investigate him, and you should focus on yourself and your children," as his wife thought that there were people proposing to her for marriage who were asking about him. Is this action considered spying, and what is the concept of spying? I would like clarification on the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil
A : You have done well in offering advice, and what you did in verifying and confirming the matter for the sake of advising the aforementioned man is not considered the forbidden spying, but rather it is a form of verification for the sake of advice. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: One of my relatives spoke to me about a man who works with my father in a private establishment owned by my father. She told me that this man’s wife says: “My husband does not pray much of the time, and he watches obscene films.” This man’s wife also said: “Perhaps Abdullah—and I mean myself—perhaps he should advise him on this matter.” When one of my relatives told me this, I was truly saddened and concerned about the issue, knowing that I had already advised him about abandoning prayer and congregational prayer specifically, but I had not known about the films before. To verify the matter of prayer and watching films, I said to another relative—another one—who has a good relationship with this man’s wife: “Please verify the matter.” This was so that we could offer him advice from this angle, and so that I could inform my father about this man; because the harm of sins is realized in this world before the Hereafter, and its harm extends to the sinner and to others. Out of my desire to offer and deliver advice, and out of concern for my father regarding the consequences of that, I did what I wrote. The question, O honorable Shaykh: My father was angry with me and said: “This is spying, and it is not permissible for you to contact people and investigate him. You should focus on yourself and your children.” His wife thought that there were people seeking to marry her husband and were asking about him. Is this action considered spying, and what is the concept of spying?
Specifically the congregation, but I had not known about the subject of films before. As a personal effort to verify the matter of prayer and watching films, I said to one of my female relatives—another one—: "Verify the subject," as she has a good relationship with this man's wife, so that we could offer him advice from this angle, and so that I could inform my father about this man; because the harm of sins is realized in this world before the Hereafter, and its harm extends to the sinner and to others. So, out of my concern to deliver advice and convey it, and out of concern for my father regarding the consequences of that, I did what I wrote. The question, O honorable Shaykh: My father became angry with me and said: "This is from spying, and it is not permissible for you to contact and investigate him, and you should focus on yourself and your children," as his wife thought that there were people proposing to her for marriage who were asking about him. Is this action considered spying, and what is the concept of spying? I would like clarification on the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil
A : You have done well in offering advice, and what you did in verifying and confirming the matter for the sake of advising the aforementioned man is not considered the forbidden spying, but rather it is a form of verification for the sake of advice. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.