Q54 :It is well known that Islam forbids
backbiting. What if a person happens to be dishonest or a petty thief?
Should not people be warned of the fact, so that they be on their guard
when they deal with him? Similarly, should not people in the
neighborhood be warned that certain individuals of the wrong types of
character have moved into their area?
A54 : Backbiting is certainly one of the actions
Islam forbids. Its effect on individuals and netmunities is all there
to see. It creates ill feelings and mistrust. Moreover, it betrays a
cowardly attitude, as the backbiter takes the opportunity of the
absence of another person in order to speak ill of him, giving other
people a bad picture of him. Had he been speaking the truth, he would
not have chosen to speak of him in such terms when he is away. He
actually acknowledges that he does not have the courage to face him
with similar statements. Indeed, I do not have to dwell on the evils of
backbiting and how they affects society. Those are well-known to
everyone. I only wish to add that backbiting also gives a bad image of
the backbiter himself. However, there are cases when pointing out the
faults of another person is permissible. Suppose that people nete to
you to ask for information about a man you know intimately. They tell
you that he has proposed to marry their daughter, or to go into
business partnership with them. In such a case, you have to give them
all the information which is likely to influence their decision one way
or the other. You must point out the faults you know of that person in
order to make an honest testimony. For example, if you know him to be
stingy or hot tempered or negligent of his family duties, you must tell
them of all that because these are qualities which influence a decision
on accepting a proposal of marriage. If you know from your long
association with that person, that, for example, he had entered into a
business partnership with others and the business collapsed and there
was some suspicion about his honesty, or his handling of the affairs of
the business, or that he did not have a sound business sense, you must
tell that to the inquirers. In such cases, you are not indulging in
backbiting; you are simply acting as a witness who must give an honest
testimony. There are, however, certain things to take into account
when you are called upon to give such information. The first thing is
that you give it only to the people who need it. You must not publicize
it. The second is that you give only the information which is
necessary. Thirdly, you must be very objective. You must not allow your
own prejudice to either exaggerate or make little of what you know.
Fourthly, you should give the information in the least offensive way.
You should use the words that give a clear idea of the man and his
standing and that are not too personal. That is not backbiting by any
measure.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )