The Ruling on Generalizing in Censure
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Your Eminence! What is the ruling on one who says: If someone says, "All Egyptians are liars" or "The Saudis are traitors," is this considered backbiting?
If someone says: If someone says, "All Egyptians are liars and all Saudis are liars,"Then he is subjected to discretionary punishment, meaning: the Imam should discipline him for his statement; because he is lying in his speech. There is no doubt that he is lying.Meaning: If we suppose that there are liars among the Egyptians and likewise liars among the Saudis, or sinners or the like, but not all of them, then if the ruler hears this man’s statement, it is obligatory that he discipline him. As for the Egyptians, Saudis, Iraqis, and Syrians, this does not harm them; because it is a generalization and no one believes it to be true.So now we have two aspects: The first aspect: regarding this statement which he attributed to the general public, in which he is lying, he must be subjected to discretionary punishment and disciplined.
Second: As for those about whom this statement was made, it does not harm them in any way, because people know that this description cannot apply to everyone. For this reason, the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) said in the chapter on false accusation of adultery: If someone accuses the people of a town,By saying: saying that all the people of the town are adulterers, then the fixed punishment for false accusation of adultery is not applied; rather, discretionary punishment is applied, because this statement does not affect the people of the town as a whole.
If someone says: If someone says, "All Egyptians are liars and all Saudis are liars,"Then he is subjected to discretionary punishment, meaning: the Imam should discipline him for his statement; because he is lying in his speech. There is no doubt that he is lying.Meaning: If we suppose that there are liars among the Egyptians and likewise liars among the Saudis, or sinners or the like, but not all of them, then if the ruler hears this man’s statement, it is obligatory that he discipline him. As for the Egyptians, Saudis, Iraqis, and Syrians, this does not harm them; because it is a generalization and no one believes it to be true.So now we have two aspects: The first aspect: regarding this statement which he attributed to the general public, in which he is lying, he must be subjected to discretionary punishment and disciplined.
Second: As for those about whom this statement was made, it does not harm them in any way, because people know that this description cannot apply to everyone. For this reason, the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) said in the chapter on false accusation of adultery: If someone accuses the people of a town,By saying: saying that all the people of the town are adulterers, then the fixed punishment for false accusation of adultery is not applied; rather, discretionary punishment is applied, because this statement does not affect the people of the town as a whole.