The Difference Between Backbiting and Talebearing, and What Is Permissible of Backbiting
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
A questioner asks: Is backbiting and talebearing permissible regarding a person who has been criticized?
Answer:
No, my brother. There is a difference between backbiting and talebearing. Talebearing is not permissible. As for backbiting, if there is a benefit that results from it, such as warning people about the person, or if there is a dispute between them and he wants to obtain his right, then backbiting is permissible in this case. You go to the prince or the head of the committee and say, "So-and-so did not pray, so-and-so does such and such, so-and-so has gatherings." This is backbiting, but it is praiseworthy backbiting because its intention is to make things right and to take hold of the hands of those who cause corruption. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh,
A questioner asks: Is backbiting and talebearing permissible regarding a person who has been criticized?
Answer:
No, my brother. There is a difference between backbiting and talebearing. Talebearing is not permissible. As for backbiting, if there is a benefit that results from it, such as warning people about the person, or if there is a dispute between them and he wants to obtain his right, then backbiting is permissible in this case. You go to the prince or the head of the committee and say, "So-and-so did not pray, so-and-so does such and such, so-and-so has gatherings." This is backbiting, but it is praiseworthy backbiting because its intention is to make things right and to take hold of the hands of those who cause corruption. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh,
Source
شرح كتاب فتح المجيد في شرح كتاب التوحيد [ صالح الفوزان ]، باب : بيان شيء من أنواع السحر — islamhouse.com (48:23)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.