Before we get to know the punishment of backbiting in Islam, let us learn what is backbiting first.
Backbiting means to speak ill of a person in his absence in such a way that if he hears it, he will think it bad, whether it is done with the tongue or with the body parts or with the pen or any other way. It is a great sin that is condemned in Islam. The Qur’an describes this sin as eating the flesh of a dead person and in hadiths, this sin is said to be more serious than committing adultery.
Condemnation Of Backbiting
Backbiting is a sin that Allah Almighty does not forgive the perpetrator of, despite remorse and repentance until he apologizes to the one whom he has backbitten. This is the reason why backbiting has been declared the deadliest and most serious sin in Islam. It has also often been seen that a person backbites and when he is told not to backbite, he says, ‘I am describing the correct fault of that person, it is not backbiting’.
Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) had clearly defined backbiting.
Abu Hurairah (R.A) narrated that it was said:
“O Messenger of Allah! What is backbiting?” He (ﷺ) said: “Mentioning your brother with that which he does not like.” He said, “What if what I said about him is so?” He (ﷺ) said: “If what you said about him is so, then you have backbitten him, and if it is not as you said, then you have slandered him.”
Punishment For Backbiting in Islam
Backbiting, apart from spoiling the spirit of a person, also pollutes the social environment of people and causes hatred and enmity between people, destroys peace of mind, and spreads sin. Apart from being guilty of backbiting, it is also forbidden to listen to it. This sin destroys the rights of people, so according to Islam, repentance depends on the one who has been backbitten to forgive the person who backbites him. In the hadiths, the punishment and its consequences for backbiting are mentioned, such as the good deeds of the backbiter being transferred to the person (whom he is backbiting).
Related: You might also want to learn the best Duas for forgiveness from Allah and Sayyidul Istighfar.
Punishment of Backbiting From Hadith
Bahr bin Marrar (R.A) narrated that his grandfather Abu Bakrah (R.A) said:
“The Messenger of Allah passed by two graves, and he (ﷺ) said: ‘They are being punished but they are not being punished for anything major. One of them is being punished because of urine, and the other is being punished because of backbiting.'”
Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
When I was taken up to heaven I passed by people who had nails of copper and were scratching their faces and their breasts. I said: Who are these people, Gabriel? He replied: They are those who were given to back biting and who aspersed people’s honour. Abu Dawud said: Yahya b. ‘Uthman has also transmitted it from Baqiyyah, there is no mention of Anas in it.
Backbiting destroys the faith and morals of society and causes disgrace to a person in this world and the hereafter. As a result of which corruption spreads, unity in the society is lost and the hearts are alienated from each other. On the Day of Resurrection, there will be some people who will have good deeds in their records. They will ask Allah Almighty that we have not done these good deeds. Allah SWT will say that the good deeds of those who backbit you have been erased from their deeds and written in your records.
یٰۤاَیُّهَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوْا كَثِیْرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ٘-اِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ اِثْمٌ وَّ لَا تَجَسَّسُوْا وَ لَا یَغْتَبْ بَّعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًاؕ-اَیُحِبُّ اَحَدُكُمْ اَنْ یَّاْكُلَ لَحْمَ اَخِیْهِ مَیْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوْهُؕ-وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَؕ-اِنَّ اللّٰهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِیْمٌ
O you who believe! Avoid most suspicion—some suspicion is sinful. And do not spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat his dead brother’s flesh? You would hate it. So reverence Allah. Allah is the Acceptor of Repentance, the Mercy-Giver. (Al-Quran 49:12)
Conclusion
At this time, the vast majority of Muslims are in the grip of the terrible calamity of backbiting. Due to this backbiting, most houses have become battlegrounds today, and ugly walls of hatred have been established in families, neighborhoods, and markets. A large number do not even know the definition of backbiting so it is very important to get knowledge about backbiting. If a person backbites someone, he must repent and promise not to do it in the future.
In places where backbiting is an insult and desecration to the person being backbitten, if asking for forgiveness from him is considered compensation for the insult and desecration, then he should ask for forgiveness from him. Train yourself to get rid of backbiting by controlling the tongue. Only in this way can you avoid the punishment of Allah SWT.
