If a person backbites another and is unable to seek his forgiveness, is seeking forgiveness from Allah and making du'a for him sufficient?
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The questioner : If a person backbites another and is unable to seek his forgiveness, is seeking forgiveness from Allah and making du'a for him sufficient?
The Shaykh : The correct view regarding one who backbites someone from among the people is that he cannot be absolved of it until he personally seeks their forgiveness, if the one who was backbitten has become aware of the backbiting.
If the person was not aware of it, then it is sufficient to seek forgiveness for him and to mention him with good in the gatherings where he was backbitten.Sunan Abi Dawud 4874Sahih (Al-Albani).
Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) explicitly stated that backbiting is one of the major sins that is not forgiven except through repentance; prayer, charity, fasting, and Hajj do not expiate it, but repentance is necessary.
Let it be known that backbiting is one of the major sins for the general Muslim community. If it is directed at the elite, such as backbiting scholars or rulers, it is more severe and a greater sin. This is because backbiting scholars is not merely personal backbiting, but it is also belittling their scholarly value, and they are the guides of the Ummah. If their scholarly value is diminished, people’s guidance through them is diminished, and that weakens a source of the Shari'ah, namely the scholars. I say a source of the Shari'ah because we do not know the Shari'ah except through the people of knowledge, for they are the heirs of the Prophets. If we say something that belittles their status, and their value among people decreases, people’s acceptance of their words decreases, and the Shari'ah is thereby compromised.
As for backbiting rulers, it also diminishes their awe and weakens people’s obedience to their commands, and it is a cause of rebellion against them. Therefore, backbiting them is greater than backbiting the general people, more dangerous, and a greater sin.
Therefore, I warn my Muslim brothers against backbiting scholars and other rulers. By saying this, I am not saying to refrain from pointing out their faults, nor am I saying that these scholars or rulers are infallible; rather, they make mistakes like others. But the sound path is to contact the scholars about whom we have heard or seen what should be pointed out or must be pointed out. We mention to them what they have erred in, and they may be excused in their error, either by ta'wil (figurative interpretation), by ignorance of the reality, or for other excuses. If we contact them, clarify what we see as an error, and discuss it with them, it may be that the truth is with them and we are the ones who erred, or it may be that the truth is with us, in which case they are obligated to return to the truth.
In conclusion, backbiting is one of the major sins for any Muslim, and its sin becomes greater if it is directed at scholars or rulers. So we ask Allah the Exalted to protect our tongues from what angers Him, and we ask Allah the Exalted to restrain us from the faults of others and restrain others from our faults, and to make us among those who see the truth as truth and follow it, and see falsehood as falsehood and avoid it.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.
The Shaykh : The correct view regarding one who backbites someone from among the people is that he cannot be absolved of it until he personally seeks their forgiveness, if the one who was backbitten has become aware of the backbiting.
If the person was not aware of it, then it is sufficient to seek forgiveness for him and to mention him with good in the gatherings where he was backbitten.
It is saying something about your brother which he would dislike
الغيبة ذكرك أخاك بما يكرهImam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) explicitly stated that backbiting is one of the major sins that is not forgiven except through repentance; prayer, charity, fasting, and Hajj do not expiate it, but repentance is necessary.
Let it be known that backbiting is one of the major sins for the general Muslim community. If it is directed at the elite, such as backbiting scholars or rulers, it is more severe and a greater sin. This is because backbiting scholars is not merely personal backbiting, but it is also belittling their scholarly value, and they are the guides of the Ummah. If their scholarly value is diminished, people’s guidance through them is diminished, and that weakens a source of the Shari'ah, namely the scholars. I say a source of the Shari'ah because we do not know the Shari'ah except through the people of knowledge, for they are the heirs of the Prophets. If we say something that belittles their status, and their value among people decreases, people’s acceptance of their words decreases, and the Shari'ah is thereby compromised.
As for backbiting rulers, it also diminishes their awe and weakens people’s obedience to their commands, and it is a cause of rebellion against them. Therefore, backbiting them is greater than backbiting the general people, more dangerous, and a greater sin.
Therefore, I warn my Muslim brothers against backbiting scholars and other rulers. By saying this, I am not saying to refrain from pointing out their faults, nor am I saying that these scholars or rulers are infallible; rather, they make mistakes like others. But the sound path is to contact the scholars about whom we have heard or seen what should be pointed out or must be pointed out. We mention to them what they have erred in, and they may be excused in their error, either by ta'wil (figurative interpretation), by ignorance of the reality, or for other excuses. If we contact them, clarify what we see as an error, and discuss it with them, it may be that the truth is with them and we are the ones who erred, or it may be that the truth is with us, in which case they are obligated to return to the truth.
In conclusion, backbiting is one of the major sins for any Muslim, and its sin becomes greater if it is directed at scholars or rulers. So we ask Allah the Exalted to protect our tongues from what angers Him, and we ask Allah the Exalted to restrain us from the faults of others and restrain others from our faults, and to make us among those who see the truth as truth and follow it, and see falsehood as falsehood and avoid it.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.