💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful
📜 Question: I am a woman who has gossiped and talked badly about others behind their backs many times, and no one has been spared from my tongue, even strangers or passersby in the streets I'm guilty of backbiting about them. I have gossiped about my brothers, my sisters, my father, my husband, my neighbors, and my relatives, nearly every one of them. And if I attended a social gathering I would not leave anyone behind but I'd gossip about a fault or flaw in them, and this (bad habit of gossiping) went on for ten years or more. Now repenting with the most severest regret, I feel guilty of how I previously misbehaved. I have repented and returned to Allah the Almighty and I hope that He Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala has accepted my repentance, however I understand that repenting from the major sin of gossiping requires a condition, which is to rectify matters and fix things with those whom I gossiped about. How can I clear myself of backbiting my family when doing so may bring about hatred? And how do I repent from gossip concerning strangers (and people whom I cannot easily contact) when doing so is difficult, complicating and I'm unable to locate them? Is there another way out (instead of asking, one by one, for each person's forgiveness)? Would you advise me to pray that Allah the Most Forgiving forgives those people whom I have badly spoken about in the past, or what do I do? Will it suffice that I pray for them after every prayer?
📝 Answer: Sincere Tawbah (repentance) to Allah the Most Merciful is enough Alhamdulillah, and we ask Allah that He accepts it (Tawbah) from you.
Ask Allah earnestly that He grants them pardon and forgiveness, and mention their names in a good manner (to better their reputation) or describe them in a positive way (to compensate for formerly backbiting).
As for fixing things with each and every individual whom you gossiped about previously, then it is not necessary due to the difficult circumstances that you have mentioned. However if you know that some of them are aware of your spreading rumors about them, then it is better to directly approach them and ask for their forgiveness. Tell them "I have done this, please excuse my ignorance and forgive me." if doing so is easy and you don't fear any negative consequence. Otherwise, if requesting them to forgive you could lead to further fitna, enmity or trouble, then Tawbah with sincerity is enough, Alhamdulillah, and in this case you are not obliged to ask for pardon individually. Regarding individuals whom you do not know, yet you insulted them, then sincere Tawbah for Allah's sake, as well as making Du'a for them, is sufficient. Alhamdulillah.
From the Fataawa of sheikh AbdulAziz Ibn Baz (May Allah have mercy on him. Ameen.)
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📖 Abdullah Ibn Amr RadhiAllahu 'anhu reported that they mentioned a man in front of the Messenger of Allah SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam and they said, “He only eats if he is fed! He only moves if he is made to move!” The Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "You have backbitten him." They said, “We only said what is true about him.” The Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "It is enough sin to mention bad things about your brother."
In another narration, the Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "If what you said about him were not true, you would have slandered him."
Source: Musnad ‘Abdullah ibn Al-Mubārak 2
Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to Al-Mundhiri
📖 Abu Dharr RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "A man does not accuse another man of wickedness or disbelief except that it will be turned against him, if his companion is innocent."
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 5698
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Bukhari
https://binbaz.org.sa/fatwas/17006/%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%BA%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9