In Which Cases Is Backbiting Permitted?
متى تباح الغيبة؟
In which cases is backbiting permitted?
The answer lists six cases in which backbiting is permitted: seeking justice from someone with authority, seeking help to change a wrong, seeking a fatwa, warning Muslims and advising them (such as when consulted about a marriage or partnership), speaking of one who openly commits sin or innovation, and identifying someone by a known nickname.
Islamic law balances the protection of individual honor with the greater necessity of societal well being. When silence causes injustice or harm to others, speaking the truth becomes a duty rather than a sin.
The Six Permissible Cases
1. Grievance
It is permissible for the oppressed person to complain to the sultan, the judge, or others who are an authority or have the power to do right to the oppressed against the wrongdoer, so he can say: So and so wronged me with a such and such thing.
2. Seeking Help to Change Evil
Seeking help in changing the evil and getting the sinner to the right path. One can say to those who are able to change the evil: So and so does such and such thing, and you can prevent him from doing so. In this case, the main aim is strictly to remove the wrongdoing, and if he does not sincerely intend that then backbiting is forbidden.
3. Seeking a Fatwa (Religious Ruling)
He says to the Mufti: My father, brother, husband, or so and so wronged me in such a way; is he entitled to do that? And what is my way to free myself from him, obtain my right, and stop the wrong? This is permissible because of need. But it is more cautious, better, and freer of blame to say: What do you say about a man, a person, or a husband who did such and such? The purpose is achieved without naming anyone, although naming is permissible.
4. Warning Muslims of Evil and Giving Advice
This is permissible, and may even be obligatory because of need. It includes:
* Stating the reliability of narrators and witnesses.
* Consultation about marrying into a person's family, going into partnership with him, living next to him, or entrusting him with other trusts. The one consulted must not hide the person's condition, with the intention of sincere advice.
* If one sees a person who visits an innovator or an immoral person to seek Islamic knowledge from him, and fears that the seeker will be harmed, he should advise him by explaining the truth. However, he must be very careful about his intentions ensuring he intends only pure advice without being envious, as Satan can deceive a person here.
* If someone holds a position of authority that he does not fulfill properly, because he is unfit for it, immoral, negligent, or the like, this must be mentioned to the one who has general authority over him, so that he removes him and appoints someone suitable, or knows this about him and deals with him accordingly without being deceived by him, and strives to urge him to be upright or replaces him.
5. Open Immorality or Innovation
If someone openly commits sin, such as openly drinking alcohol, confiscating people's property, taking unlawful taxes, collecting money unjustly, and taking charge of false matters. It is permissible to mention the bad deeds or sins he commits openly, but it is strictly forbidden to mention other terrible things or hidden flaws about him unless the reason for mentioning them is included in the above cases.
6. Identifying Someone by a Known Nickname
If someone is known by a nickname, such as the weak-sighted, the lame, the deaf, the blind, the cross-eyed, the tall, the short, the grocer, and the like. It is permissible to call people by their known nicknames purely for identification, but it is entirely not permissible to call them names intending by that to mock them. Furthermore, it is recommended to avoid calling them by their nicknames if they can be known to others by their real names.
متى تباح الغيبة؟
يذكر الجواب ست حالات تباح فيها الغيبة: التظلم إلى من له ولاية، والاستعانة على تغيير المنكر، والاستفتاء، وتحذير المسلمين من الشر ونصيحتهم كالمشاورة في المصاهرة والمشاركة، والمجاهر بفسقه أو بدعته، والتعريف بلقب معروف.
توازن الشريعة الإسلامية بين حماية كرامة الفرد والضرورة الأكبر لسلامة المجتمع. فعندما يتسبب الصمت في ظلم أو ضرر للآخرين، يصبح قول الحقيقة واجبا وليس ذنبا.
الحالات الست المباحة
1. التظلم
فيجوز للمظلوم أن يتظلم إلى السلطان والقاضي وغيرهما ممن له ولاية أو قدرة على إنصافه من ظالمه فيقول: ظلمني فلان بكذا.
2. الاستعانة على تغيير المنكر
ورد العاصي إلى الصواب فيقول لمن يرجو قدرته على إزالة المنكر: فلان يعمل كذا فازجره عنه، ونحو ذلك، ويكون مقصده التوصل إلى إزالة المنكر، فإن لم يقصد ذلك كان حراما.
3. الاستفتاء
فيقول للمفتي: ظلمني أبي، أو أخي، أو زوجي، أو فلان بكذا، فهل له ذلك؟ وما طريقي في الخلاص منه وتحصيل حقي ودفع الظلم؟ فمثل هذا جائز للحاجة. وأحوط وأفضل وأبرأ للذمة أن يقول: ما تقول في رجل أو شخص أو زوج كان من أمره كذا، فإنه يحصل به الغرض من غير تعيين وإن كان التعيين جائزا.
4. تحذير المسلمين من الشر ونصيحتهم
كما في بيان عدالة الرواة وعدالة الشهود، وهو جائز، بل ربما كان واجبا للحاجة. ومنها المشاورة في مصاهرة إنسان أو مشاركته أو مجاورة في دار أو سكنى أو نحوها من الأمانات. ويجب على المشاور ألا يخفي حال المسؤول عنه التي فيه بنية النصيحة.
ومنها إذا رأى متفقها يتردد إلى مبتدع أو فاسق يأخذ عنه العلم وخاف أن يتضرر المتفقه بذلك، فعليه نصيحته ببيان حاله بشرط أن يقصد النصيحة. وهذا مما يغلط فيه، وقد يحمل المتكلم بذلك الحسد ويلبس الشيطان عليه ذلك ويخيل إليه أنه نصيحة فليتفطن لذلك.
ومنها أن يكون له ولاية لا يقوم بها على وجهها، إما بأن لا يكون صالحا لها، وإما بأن يكون فاسقا أو مغفلا ونحو ذلك، فيجب ذكر ذلك لمن له عليه ولاية عامة ليزيله ويولي من يصلح أو يعلم ذلك منه ليعامله بمقتضى حاله ولا يغتر به وأن يسعى في أن يحثه على الاستقامة أو يستبدل به.
5. المجاهر بفسقه أو بدعته
كالمجاهر بشرب الخمر ومصادرة الناس وأخذ المكوس وجباية الأموال ظلما وتولي الأمور الباطلة، فيجوز ذكره بما يجاهر به ويحرم ذكره بغيره من العيوب، إلا أن يكون لجوازه سبب آخر مما ذكرناه.
6. التعريف
فإذا كان الإنسان معروفا بلقب، كالأعمش والأعرج والأصم والأعمى والأحول والطويل والقصير والبقال وغيرها، جاز تعريفهم بذلك. ويحرم إطلاقه على جهة التنقص، ولو أمكن تعريفهم بغير ذلك كان أولى.
1. Hind's Complaint: Grievance and Fatwa | شكوى هند
Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, said: O Messenger of Allah, Abu Sufyan is a stingy man and does not give me what is enough for me and my child, except what I take from him without his knowledge. He said: Take what is enough for you and your child, in a reasonable way (Sahih al-Bukhari 5364). She described her husband's fault in his absence to seek a ruling and her right, and the Prophet did not blame her for it; al-Nawawi cites this hadith in his chapter on permitted backbiting.
قالت هند بنت عتبة: يا رسول الله، إن أبا سفيان رجل شحيح، وليس يعطيني ما يكفيني وولدي إلا ما أخذت منه وهو لا يعلم، فقال ﷺ: "خذي ما يكفيك وولدك بالمعروف" (صحيح البخاري 5364). فذكرت عيب زوجها في غيبته لتستفتي وتطلب حقها، ولم ينكر عليها النبي ﷺ، وقد أورده النووي في باب ما يباح من الغيبة.
2. Sincere Advice About a Marriage Proposal | النصيحة في الخطبة
Fatima bint Qays said that Mu'awiya and Abu Jahm had proposed to her. The Prophet said: As for Abu Jahm, he does not put his stick down from his shoulder, and as for Mu'awiya, he is poor and has no wealth; marry Usama ibn Zayd. She married him, and Allah put great good in it (Sahih Muslim 1480). This is the case of consultation in the answer: the one consulted describes the person truthfully, with the intention of sincere advice.
قالت فاطمة بنت قيس: إن معاوية بن أبي سفيان وأبا جهم خطباني، فقال رسول الله ﷺ: "أما أبو جهم فلا يضع عصاه عن عاتقه، وأما معاوية فصعلوك لا مال له، انكحي أسامة بن زيد" (صحيح مسلم 1480). وهذه حالة المشاورة التي ذكرها الجواب: يبين المستشار حال المسؤول عنه بنية النصيحة.
3. Warning About a Person of Evil | التحذير من أهل الشر
A man asked permission to see the Prophet, who said: Let him in; what an evil brother of his tribe he is. When the man came in, the Prophet spoke gently to him, and he explained to Aisha: The worst of people are those whom people leave alone to avoid their obscenity (Sahih al-Bukhari 6054). Al-Bukhari used this hadith as evidence that it is permitted to speak about people of corruption and suspicion.
استأذن رجل على رسول الله ﷺ فقال: "ائذنوا له، بئس أخو العشيرة"، فلما دخل ألان له الكلام، وقال لعائشة: "إن شر الناس من تركه الناس، أو ودعه الناس، اتقاء فحشه" (صحيح البخاري 6054). واحتج به البخاري في جواز غيبة أهل الفساد وأهل الريب.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Can I warn a friend about a bad business partner?
Yes, if he consults you. The answer includes consultation about partnership among the permitted cases: the one consulted must not hide the person's condition, with the intention of sincere advice, as the Prophet advised Fatima bint Qays (Sahih Muslim 1480).
If someone sins openly, can I mention his hidden sins too?
No. The answer permits mentioning only what he commits openly, and forbids mentioning his other faults unless another of the six reasons applies.
Is it backbiting to ask a scholar about my spouse's bad behavior?
Seeking a fatwa is permitted because of need. The answer adds that it is more cautious to ask without naming anyone, such as: what do you say about a husband who did such and such, although naming is permissible.
Did the Prophet allow describing a husband's fault to seek a ruling?
Yes. Hind told him that Abu Sufyan was stingy and did not give her enough, and he told her to take what was enough for her and her child in a reasonable way (Sahih al-Bukhari 5364).