Reconciling: {And He forgives what is less than that} and “He forgives all sins except backbiting”
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How do we reconcile the noble verse with the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that Allah forgives all sins except backbiting, and He will not forgive it for us unless we seek the forgiveness of the person who was backtalked about? As for the verse, it is the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Nisa: 48]?
Answer: The verse is general, and the hadith “except backbiting” is not authentic; it has no basis. The verse is general and encompasses all sins, all of them, under the will of Allah: backbiting, killing, and all sins, even killing which is greater than backbiting, are under the will of Allah. However, the right of the created being is not lost. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) compensates him for his right if he repents with a sincere repentance. He compensates the one who was backtalked about for his right, which another person violated by backtalking about him.
So the conclusion is: all sins are under the will of Allah, whether the sins pertain to the right of Allah or to the right of the created being, such as backbiting, killing, talebearing, and the like. All of them are under the will of Allah. If He wills (Glorified is He), He forgives the one who committed it, and if He wills, He punishes him for it as long as he does not repent. But if he repents, the sins are erased from him by the repentance. However, the right of the created being is not lost upon him; rather, Allah rewards him for his right from which the other person repented. Allah rewards him , and He makes him satisfied with that (Exalted and Majestic is He), if the repentant one is sincere in his repentance. So Allah makes the wronged one satisfied with what He wills .
It is obligatory upon the wrongdoer to seek the forgiveness of the wronged person if he is able to do so and if the person is present. He says: “I did such and such, my brother!” If it is money, he returns his money to him. If it is an action that warrants retaliation, he allows him to take retaliation. If it is backbiting, he says to him: “My brother! I backtalked about you, so forgive me and pardon me.” If he forgives, that is fine; otherwise, he gives him his right, allows him to take retaliation, returns his money, prays for him, and mentions him with good in the gatherings where he mentioned him with bad. He mentions him with his good deeds that he knows about him, so that this serves as a substitute for his backbiting about him.
And if he fears that if he informs him of the backbiting, it will lead to corruption, then he does not inform him, but he prays for him and seeks mercy for him. He mentions his virtues that he knows about him and his good traits that he knows about him in the gatherings and assemblies where he backtalked about him, so that this serves as a substitute for that. And Allah is the One to be sought for help. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُAnswer: The verse is general, and the hadith “except backbiting” is not authentic; it has no basis. The verse is general and encompasses all sins, all of them, under the will of Allah: backbiting, killing, and all sins, even killing which is greater than backbiting, are under the will of Allah. However, the right of the created being is not lost. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) compensates him for his right if he repents with a sincere repentance. He compensates the one who was backtalked about for his right, which another person violated by backtalking about him.
So the conclusion is: all sins are under the will of Allah, whether the sins pertain to the right of Allah or to the right of the created being, such as backbiting, killing, talebearing, and the like. All of them are under the will of Allah. If He wills (Glorified is He), He forgives the one who committed it, and if He wills, He punishes him for it as long as he does not repent. But if he repents, the sins are erased from him by the repentance. However, the right of the created being is not lost upon him; rather, Allah rewards him for his right from which the other person repented. Allah rewards him , and He makes him satisfied with that (Exalted and Majestic is He), if the repentant one is sincere in his repentance. So Allah makes the wronged one satisfied with what He wills .
It is obligatory upon the wrongdoer to seek the forgiveness of the wronged person if he is able to do so and if the person is present. He says: “I did such and such, my brother!” If it is money, he returns his money to him. If it is an action that warrants retaliation, he allows him to take retaliation. If it is backbiting, he says to him: “My brother! I backtalked about you, so forgive me and pardon me.” If he forgives, that is fine; otherwise, he gives him his right, allows him to take retaliation, returns his money, prays for him, and mentions him with good in the gatherings where he mentioned him with bad. He mentions him with his good deeds that he knows about him, so that this serves as a substitute for his backbiting about him.
And if he fears that if he informs him of the backbiting, it will lead to corruption, then he does not inform him, but he prays for him and seeks mercy for him. He mentions his virtues that he knows about him and his good traits that he knows about him in the gatherings and assemblies where he backtalked about him, so that this serves as a substitute for that. And Allah is the One to be sought for help. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.