Explanation of the Book of the Hearts-07b
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The reciter: Ali ibn al-Ja'd narrated to us, Shu'bah informed us from al-A'mash from Mujahid from A'ishah, she said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan an-Nasa'i 1936Sahih (Darussalam) He saidThe Shaykh : Yes,
The Shaykh : This hadith provides evidence that backbiting is called reviling, because it is not possible to revile a dead person while he is in front of you; he is dead, so you revile him in his absence. And His saying, "for they have passed on to what they sent ahead of them," means that since they have passed on to what they sent ahead of them, there is no benefit in reviling them. In another version of the hadith, it says, "so you harm the living." Who is harmed? Their relatives, their friends, and the like. Therefore, reviling the dead has no benefit whatsoever, ever. As for the living, if they are people of religious innovation and people of evil, and a person speaks about them in order to warn people against them, there is no harm. However, if he speaks about them merely out of jealousy in his heart and hatred for them, this is not permissible. But if his intention is the public benefit, that people warn themselves against them and do not be deceived by them, then there is no harm, and this falls under the category of advice.
Do not verbally abuse the dead, for they have reached the consequences of what they did.
لا تسبوا الأموات فإنهم قد أفضوا إلى ما قدمواThe Shaykh : This hadith provides evidence that backbiting is called reviling, because it is not possible to revile a dead person while he is in front of you; he is dead, so you revile him in his absence. And His saying, "for they have passed on to what they sent ahead of them," means that since they have passed on to what they sent ahead of them, there is no benefit in reviling them. In another version of the hadith, it says, "so you harm the living." Who is harmed? Their relatives, their friends, and the like. Therefore, reviling the dead has no benefit whatsoever, ever. As for the living, if they are people of religious innovation and people of evil, and a person speaks about them in order to warn people against them, there is no harm. However, if he speaks about them merely out of jealousy in his heart and hatred for them, this is not permissible. But if his intention is the public benefit, that people warn themselves against them and do not be deceived by them, then there is no harm, and this falls under the category of advice.