When is it permissible to backbite?
Backbiting is the act of accusing a person in his absence of something that is not acceptable according to Sharia or custom. It is oppression because it causes people to think negatively of the person while he is unable to defend himself, and the abhorrence of oppression is self-evident. Therefore, Allah Almighty has indicated the abhorrence of this act in His Book and said: ﴿وَلَا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾[1]; “And do not backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother?! You would hate it. So fear Allah! Indeed, Allah is the Acceptor of repentance, the Most Merciful.”
Yes, it is not forbidden to backbite a non-believer; because by His words: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا﴾; “O you who believed,” ﴿بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا﴾; “one another,” and ﴿لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ﴾; “the flesh of his brother,” Allah Almighty has forbidden believers from backbiting each other. Therefore, backbiting one who is a disbeliever, an oppressor, or a sinner, and therefore is not considered a believer, is not what Allah Almighty has forbidden. However, abandoning it is more proper if it serves no religious benefit, and the religious benefit is to inform those present of his disbelief, oppression, or sin if they need to know about it so that they would not be harmed by him in their religion or world, not to inform them of a deficiency in his body, wealth, or family that he has not had a role in its occurrence; because this would be humiliating him unlawfully, and it is not permissible to humiliate anyone unlawfully, even if he is the worst of Allah’s creation; as one of our companions informed us, he said:
«ذَكَرْتُ عِنْدَ الْمَنْصُورِ الْهَاشِمِيِّ الْخُرَاسَانِيِّ عَدُوًّا لَهُ جَبَّارًا، فَقُلْتُ: ذَاكَ السَّمِينُ الْكَوْسَجُ! فَتَغَيَّرَ لَوْنُهُ وَقَالَ: أَسْرَفْتَ! أَسْرَفْتَ! لَا نُعَادِيهِ لِخَلْقِهِ، وَلَكِنْ نُعَادِيهِ لِخُلْقِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا خَلْقُهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ، وَخُلْقُهُ مِنْ قِبَلِ نَفْسِهِ»; “In the presence of Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, I mentioned a tyrannical enemy of his. Then I said: ‘That fat, patchy-beard man!’ So he turned pale and said: ‘You went too far! You went too far! We are not hostile to him for his physical appearance, but we are hostile to him for his character; because his physical appearance is from Allah, and his character is from himself.’”
This is the manner of Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, while the manner of his enemies is nothing but reviling, humiliation, defamation, mockery, and slander, and ﴿إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ﴾[2]; “only the wise will take heed!”
Please provide an accurate and comprehensive definition of backbiting and clarify its boundaries.
Talking about others in their absence in a way that will offend them if they hear it is considered backbiting, which is a major sin; unless they are non-Muslims, or there is a religious necessity to talk about them; for example, the religion, lives, wealth, or honor of present Muslims will be harmed if they are not talked about. For this reason, Muslim scholars have considered it permissible to weaken some hadith narrators or accuse them of lying; because without doing so, Muslims may rely on their narrations, and consequently, their religion and even their lives, wealth, and honor may be harmed. Similarly, vilifying unjust witnesses or judges in the sense of informing others of their lack of justice is permissible, but rather obligatory; because Allah Almighty has considered their justice essential and said: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا شَهَادَةُ بَيْنِكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ حِينَ الْوَصِيَّةِ اثْنَانِ ذَوَا عَدْلٍ مِنْكُمْ﴾[1]; “O you who believed! When death approaches any of you, let two just men from among you act as witnesses to the making of a bequest,” and said: ﴿وَأَشْهِدُوا ذَوَيْ عَدْلٍ مِنْكُمْ﴾[2]; “And have two just men from among you act as witnesses,” and said: ﴿يَحْكُمُ بِهِ ذَوَا عَدْلٍ مِنْكُمْ﴾[3]; “Two just men from among you shall judge it.” Based on this, it is contrary to the command of Allah Almighty and the interests of Muslims to choose an unjust witness or judge and accept their testimony or ruling. Therefore, concealing his condition by those who know it is cooperating in sin and transgression and harming Muslims, both of which are forbidden.
It is understood from here that mentioning the ideological or practical defects found in the following people is permissible if it is far from lies, exaggerations, and negative thoughts:
1. Hadith narrators
2. Witnesses
3. Judges
4. Those who invite people toward falsehood
5. Disbelievers and hypocrites
6. Muslim sinners who do not care about people knowing about their sins; such as those who commit forbidden acts in the streets and public places.
7. Muslim sinners who harm people by concealing their sins; such as fraudsters who devour people’s wealth falsely through deception.
Based on this, there is nothing wrong with saying, “That so-and-so narrator is a liar or careless with narrating Hadith,” or “That so-and-so witness is addicted to drugs and testifies for money,” or “That so-and-so judge takes bribes,” or “That so-and-so disbeliever or inviter who invites people toward misguidance has a wrong belief or bad deed,” or “That so-and-so hypocrite has conspired against Islam,” or “That so-and-so Muslim woman appears in the streets and public places without a veil,” or “That so-and-so Muslim is a fraudster and has falsely devoured the wealth of a group through deception,” or similar things, provided that it is done based on knowledge and with good intention, which is to prevent people from being harmed materially or spiritually; because in this case it is considered as “doing good,” and Allah Almighty has said: ﴿مَا عَلَى الْمُحْسِنِينَ مِنْ سَبِيلٍ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾[4]; “There is no way (to blame) against those who do good, and Allah is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.” However, mentioning the defects of just Muslims or Muslims who have their faults hidden from view and have not committed any sin publicly is not permissible in their absence, even if it is permissible in their presence; because mentioning their defects in their presence can be an example of enjoining right and forbidding wrong and benefit them, while it is not so in their absence. Similarly, there is no reason to mention the physical defects of those who are absent, even if they are among those whose backbiting is permissible. The same ruling applies to their states that are not considered as defects according to Sharia, such as saying, “So-and-so’s clothes are ugly,” or “So-and-so’s house is small,” or “So-and-so’s cooking is bad,” or “So-and-so travels a lot,” or “So-and-so’s daughter has no suitor,” or “So-and-so’s son is unemployed,” or similar things that are prevalent among people, while they serve no benefit and are detestable.