The Ruling on Backbiting When It Involves Injustice
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O honorable Shaykh! Is it permissible to backbite a person who has wronged you?
There is nothing wrong with this.Meaning: If a person comes to the one in authority and says, "So-and-so did such and such to me," or if he mentions it to someone other than the one in authority, such as a friend to whom he seeks advice on what to do, there is nothing wrong with that. Or if he backbites him to warn him against him, there is nothing wrong with that; because the intention is to bring about reform. A man sought permission to enter upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: "Allow him to enter; what a bad brother of the tribe he is." He spoke ill of him.And when he entered, meaning: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was pleased with him; because the man, as it appears, was a leader of his people, but he was bad.
The important point is that if the intention is to give advice, to complain of injustice, to seek counsel, or something similar, there is nothing wrong with that. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) in the books of the men of hadith mention what is used to criticize a person.They say: They say, "This one is a liar," "This one is accused of lying," "This one is weak," and there is nothing wrong with that.
O honorable Shaykh! Is it permissible to backbite a person who has wronged you?
There is nothing wrong with this.Meaning: If a person comes to the one in authority and says, "So-and-so did such and such to me," or if he mentions it to someone other than the one in authority, such as a friend to whom he seeks advice on what to do, there is nothing wrong with that. Or if he backbites him to warn him against him, there is nothing wrong with that; because the intention is to bring about reform. A man sought permission to enter upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: "Allow him to enter; what a bad brother of the tribe he is." He spoke ill of him.And when he entered, meaning: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was pleased with him; because the man, as it appears, was a leader of his people, but he was bad.
The important point is that if the intention is to give advice, to complain of injustice, to seek counsel, or something similar, there is nothing wrong with that. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) in the books of the men of hadith mention what is used to criticize a person.They say: They say, "This one is a liar," "This one is accused of lying," "This one is weak," and there is nothing wrong with that.
