If a person says that all Egyptians are liars, or that all Saudis are the same, what is the ruling? Is it backbiting?
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The questioner : O Shaykh, may Allah reward you with good. What is the ruling on one who says: that all Egyptians are liars, or...
The Shaykh : That...
The questioner : That all Egyptians are liars, or the Egyptians...
The Shaykh : The people of Egypt...
The questioner : Are all liars, or the Saudis, meaning, is this considered backbiting?
The Shaykh : If someone says: that all Egyptians are liars and all Saudis are traitors, then he is subject to discretionary punishment, meaning the Imam disciplines him for his statement, because he is a liar in his speech. There is no doubt that he is a liar in his speech.
Meaning, if we suppose that there are liars among the Egyptians and likewise among the Saudis, or that they are open sinners or the like, it is not the case that all of them are so. If the ruler is informed of 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 general statement and no one believes it. Do you understand? So now we have two aspects: The first aspect: regarding this statement which he attributed to the general population, and in which he is lying, he must be subject to discretionary punishment and disciplined. Second: regarding 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 of falsely accusing someone of zina: If one accuses the people of a town by saying: "These people of the town are all adulterers," then the fixed punishment for falsely accusing someone of zina is not applied, but rather discretionary punishment is applied, because this statement does not affect the people of the town as a whole.
The Shaykh : That...
The questioner : That all Egyptians are liars, or the Egyptians...
The Shaykh : The people of Egypt...
The questioner : Are all liars, or the Saudis, meaning, is this considered backbiting?
The Shaykh : If someone says: that all Egyptians are liars and all Saudis are traitors, then he is subject to discretionary punishment, meaning the Imam disciplines him for his statement, because he is a liar in his speech. There is no doubt that he is a liar in his speech.
Meaning, if we suppose that there are liars among the Egyptians and likewise among the Saudis, or that they are open sinners or the like, it is not the case that all of them are so. If the ruler is informed of 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 general statement and no one believes it. Do you understand? So now we have two aspects: The first aspect: regarding this statement which he attributed to the general population, and in which he is lying, he must be subject to discretionary punishment and disciplined. Second: regarding 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 of falsely accusing someone of zina: If one accuses the people of a town by saying: "These people of the town are all adulterers," then the fixed punishment for falsely accusing someone of zina is not applied, but rather discretionary punishment is applied, because this statement does not affect the people of the town as a whole.