What is the punishment for those who backbite?

கேள்வி-பதில்: பண்பாடுகள்

What is the punishment for those who backbite?

Allah has prohibited backbiting about people. Islam sternly condemns those who indulge in it.

Woe to every fault-finding backbiter; who amasses wealth and counts it over and again. He thinks that his wealth will immortalise him forever. Nay, he shall be thrown into the Crusher. And what do you know what the Crusher is? It is the Fire6 kindled by Allah, the Fire that shall rise to the hearts (of criminals) Verily it will close in upon them, in outstretched columns.

(Al-Qur’aan 104:1-9)

O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.

(Al-Qur’aan 49:12)

Our Prophet (p) has warned us that backbiting will lead us only to hell-fire:

11 حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الْقُرَشِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بُرْدَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُّ الْإِسْلَامِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ رواه البخاري

Narrated Abu Musa:

Some people asked Allah’s Apostle, “Whose Islam is the best? i.e. (Who is a very good Muslim)?” He replied, “One who avoids harming the Muslims with his tongue and hands.”

Reference : Bukhari – 11

216 حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ مَرَّ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِحَائِطٍ مِنْ حِيطَانِ الْمَدِينَةِ أَوْ مَكَّةَ فَسَمِعَ صَوْتَ إِنْسَانَيْنِ يُعَذَّبَانِ فِي قُبُورِهِمَا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُعَذَّبَانِ وَمَا يُعَذَّبَانِ فِي كَبِيرٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ بَلَى كَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا لَا يَسْتَتِرُ مِنْ بَوْلِهِ وَكَانَ الْآخَرُ يَمْشِي بِالنَّمِيمَةِ ثُمَّ دَعَا بِجَرِيدَةٍ فَكَسَرَهَا كِسْرَتَيْنِ فَوَضَعَ عَلَى كُلِّ قَبْرٍ مِنْهُمَا كِسْرَةً فَقِيلَ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لِمَ فَعَلْتَ هَذَا قَالَ لَعَلَّهُ أَنْ يُخَفَّفَ عَنْهُمَا مَا لَمْ تَيْبَسَا أَوْ إِلَى أَنْ يَيْبَسَا رواه البخاري

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said:

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by two graves and said, “They are being punished, but they are not being punished for anything that was difficult to avoid. One of them used to walk about spreading malicious gossip (nameemah), and the other used not to take precautions to avoid getting urine on himself when he urinated.” Then he called for a green branch, which he split in two and planted a piece on each grave, and said, “May their torment be reduced so long as these do not dry out.”

Reference: Sahîh al-Bukhârî 216

One day Prophet Muhammad was sitting with his Companions and he said: “Do you know who is a Muflis (insolvent one)?” One of his Companions said: “The one who has neither dirham nor wealth.” The Prophet said, “A Muflis is one who comes on the Day of Judgment with prayers, fasting, and zakat, but finds himself bankrupt on that day as he has exhausted his funds of virtues by hurling abuse upon others, bringing calumny against others, unlawfully consuming the wealth of others, shedding the blood of others and beating others; his virtues will be credited to the account of those who suffered at his hand. And if his good deeds fall short of balancing the account, then the other person’s sins will be entered into the Muflis’ account, and he will be thrown into the hell-fire.”

Reference: Sahîh Muslim 4678

6474حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الْمُقَدَّمِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ سَمِعَ أَبَا حَازِمٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ يَضْمَنْ لِي مَا بَيْنَ لَحْيَيْهِ وَمَا بَيْنَ رِجْلَيْهِ أَضْمَنْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةَ رواه البخاري

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“Whoever can guarantee to me what is between his two lips and what is between his two legs, I can guarantee for him Paradise.”

This was reported by sahl bin sa’aad

Reference :Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6474)

6478حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُنِيرٍ سَمِعَ أَبَا النَّضْرِ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَعْني ابْنَ دِينَارٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِالْكَلِمَةِ مِنْ رِضْوَانِ اللَّهِ لَا يُلْقِي لَهَا بَالًا يَرْفَعُهُ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَاتٍ وَإِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِالْكَلِمَةِ مِنْ سَخَطِ اللَّهِ لَا يُلْقِي لَهَا بَالًا يَهْوِي بِهَا فِي جَهَنَّمَ رواه البخاري

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “A man might speak a word without thinking about its implications, but because of it, he will plunge into the Hellfire further than the distance between the east and west.”

Reported by Abu huraira(R)

Reference : Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6477) and Sahîh Muslim (2988)

4235حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُصَفَّى حَدَّثَنَا بَقِيَّةُ وَأَبُو الْمُغِيرَةِ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا صَفْوَانُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي رَاشِدُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَمَّا عُرِجَ بِي مَرَرْتُ بِقَوْمٍ لَهُمْ أَظْفَارٌ مِنْ نُحَاسٍ يَخْمُشُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَصُدُورَهُمْ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ يَا جِبْرِيلُ قَالَ هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ لُحُومَ النَّاسِ وَيَقَعُونَ فِي أَعْرَاضِهِمْ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُد حَدَّثَنَاه يَحْيَى بْنُ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ بَقِيَّةَ لَيْسَ فِيهِ أَنَسٌ حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ أَبِي عِيسَى السَّيْلَحِينِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي الْمُغِيرَةِ كَمَا قَالَ ابْنُ الْمُصَفَّى رواه أبو داود

Prophet (p) said:

The Prophet said: “When I was taken up to heaven I passed by people who had nails of copper and were scratching their faces and their breasts. I asked: Who are these people, Jibreel ? He replied: They are those who were given to backbiting and who cast aspersions on people’s honor.”

Narrated by : Anas bin malik (R)

Reference: Abu dawood 4235