💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful
💌 While some people may not be active gossipers, they are actually participating in gossip indirectly if they remain quiet when surrounded by friends who are talking badly about others who aren't present. It's a lot worse if they're not only listening attentively but they also laugh at the jokes and contribute to the sinful discussion with further insulting remarks about the subject being dissed from behind. To ensure you're not guilty of the major sin of backbiting, whenever some individuals start criticizing an absent person, either you willfully walk away to avoid overhearing what they're going to say, or you gather up the courage to defend that Muslim who isn't around to explain themselves.
The following are some examples of dialogues in which a Muslim is being gossiped about, along with sample responses which you could use if you were to defend the one subjected to unjust ridicule:
🚫 Person gossiping: "Don't you think they're so selfish and kuripot (miserly)? We give them exotic dishes once in a while yet when we visit their house all they offer is water, bread and coffee."
☑️ You say: "Maybe they're financially struggling at the moment. Maybe that's what they can provide for the time being. Or they probably don't know what you want as their guests. Then again, they're not your servants. If you're distributing food to neighbors not for Allah's sake but to receive another dish in return, you might as well contact social services from a different planet."
🚫 Person gossiping: "Whoa, she stinks so bad. Even if she's miles away from us, we can still smell her awful stench."
☑️ You say: "She probably has health issues or she's having a stressful day. I'm sure your menstrual blood, sweat and other fluids you emit don't smell like flowers either. Does describing people's odor make your character better?"
🚫 Person gossiping: "Did you see him finish the whole tray of spaghetti? Wow, he's one greedy dude."
☑️ You say: "Maybe he was starving and didn't have anything for breakfast. Why judge him? Did you switch your profession to body mass counter and nutritionist? Are you being paid for monitoring people's way of eating?"
🚫 Person gossiping: "I strongly recommend that nobody befriends this guy because if he borrows money from you, he never returns it. I tell you, he's a lying thief who takes advantage of people's kindness. Don't ever talk to him again."
☑️ You say: "There could be a possibility that he has tons of debts which he's still trying his best to pay off. I mean, with the insufficient income he gets every week, it's not easy to keep up with his rent, especially if he has two wives and lots of young children. Or he has some sort of memory problem and can't recall how much he owes you. Why not discuss issues with him face to face instead of whining about something he probably didn't intend to do?"
🚫 Person gossiping: "She's such an arrogant snob who acts like she's too good for us and we're not perfect for her as friends. How come she keeps rushing to leave the meeting and she rarely sits with us?"
☑️ You say: "Maybe she's an introvert whose energy gets drained from excessive socializing. Maybe she's very choosy regarding who she hangs out with and she minimizes interacting with you because you guys are known for gossiping, teasing people, and pranking. Let her do what she wants as long as she's not physically injuring any Muslim."
📖 Abu Darda RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “Whoever defends the reputation of his brother, Allah will defend his face from the Hellfire on the Day of Resurrection.”
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1931
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani
📖 Asma’ bint Yazid RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “Whoever defends the flesh of his brother from backbiting, it will be a duty upon Allah to free him from the Hellfire.”
Source: Musnad Ahmed 26950
Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to Al-Suyuti
📖 Wathilah ibn Al-Asqa’ RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “Do not rejoice over the misfortune of your brother, lest Allah has mercy upon him and afflicts you with trials.”
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2506
Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to At-Tirmidhi
https://abdurrahman.org/2015/04/26/the-sin-of-listening-to-the-backbiting-and-not-prohibiting-it-imam-nawawi/amp/
