A Person Does a Lot of Good And Keeps Away From Many Other Haraam Deeds, But Cannot Control The Tongue – [An Admonition For All of Us]

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, he Bestower of Mercy.

Shaikh Abdur Razzaaq Al-Badr [hafidhahullaah] quotes from Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [rahimahullaah] who stated:

Disobedience appears agreeable to a human being, such as Gheebah [backbiting], Nameemah [tale carrying], [blameworthy] argumentation, self-praise – whether uttered blatantly or indirectly, verbally abusing the one you hate, praising the one you love and what is similar to that. An intense urge agrees with [the soul’s desire],  then it becomes easy for the tongue to move and thus one’s patience weakens; so due to this the Messenger [sallal laahu-alayhi wasallam] said to Mu’aadh [radiyallaahu-anhu], “Restrain your tongue”, so Mu’aad said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah! Will we be held accountable for what we say?’ He [sallal laahu alayhi wasallam] said, ‘May your mother be bereaved of you, O Mu’aadh! Is there anything that topples people on their faces – or he said on their noses into the fire- other than the harvest of their tongues?!’” [Ref 1]

Regarding the statement: ‘’May your mother be bereaved of you, O Mu’aadh!’’ The Arabs used this statement for the purpose of persuasion and exhortation, and they did not intend its apparent meaning, which is ‘’May his mother lose him’’; rather what is intended is persuasion and exhortation. [Ref 2]

This urge occurs, especially when sinning through the tongue is habitual because it entices a person towards impatience. This is why you find that a man performs the night prayer, fasts during the day and refrains from reclining on a pillow made of silk out of fearing that he might enter into a doubtful affair that will affect him in the afterlife, but he backbites, spread tales and violates the honour of the people. [Ref 3]

Backbiting

Abu Hurairah [radiyallaahu-anhu] narrated that the Messenger of Allaah [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] said, ‘’Do you know what backbiting is?’’ They (i.e. the sahaabah) replied Allaah and his Messenger know best’’; he said [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] said, ‘’It is to mention your brother what he dislikes’’. Someone asked, ‘’What if what I said is true?’’ He [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] replied, ‘’If what you said about him is true you have backbitten him, and if it is not true you have slandered him’’. [Muslim]

When is speaking about someone behind his back not considered backbiting? It is not considered backbiting when a person makes a complaint about an oppressor to a person who has the ability to stop the oppression; when seeking help to stop an evil- by making that known to the person who has the ability to stop the evil; when seeking for a fatwa; when warning the Muslims so that they are not deceived; when mentioning a person who commits his evil openly or one who calls to bidah and when identifying someone with a physical defect, whilst not intending defamation. [Ref 4]

[Ref 1: Quoted by Shaikh Abdur Razzaaq Al-Badr (hafidhahullaah) in Sharh Ar-Risaalah Al-Mughniyah Fis Sukoot Wa Luzoomil Buyoot. Lesson 1]

[Ref 2: ‘Sharh Al-Arba’een An-Nawawiyyah’ by Shaikh Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah). Hadeeth Number 29, page 295. 1st Edition 2003 (1424 AH). Publisher: Daarul Thurayyah]

[Ref 3:  Quoted by Shaikh Abdur Razzaaq Al-Badr (hafidhahullaah) in Sharh Ar-Risaalah Al-Mughniyah Fis Sukoot Wa Luzoomil Buyoot. Lesson 1]

[Ref 4: Subul As-Salaam- Vol 4 page 553-554]