It's Time To Stop Backbiting

Backbiting - it is a big ethical problem, and it is gaining momentum in our houses, our communities.

We sometimes backbite in front of our children. Sometimes you find families will sit and they will have nothing to do but to talk ill of others. Because when we talk about backbiting is to talk of ill of someone behind him, to stab someone behind him.

And what is more dangerous is that some of these people, when they meet you, they will come Salam 'alaykum, they will greet you. They will offer you a glass of water, or tea, but the moment you disappear from the scene, they will start talking ill of you.

Qur'an is very clear when it comes to backbiting. What does Allah Tabaraka wa Ta'ala says? Allah says. He said: "ayuhibbu ahadukum an ya'kula lahma akhihi maytan?"(49:12) -'Does any one of you wish to eat the flesh of his dead brother or sister?'

In other words, someone who is so dear to you departs from this world, and his flesh is cut off and given to you to eat. Will you eat? Nobody will make an attempt or dare eat the flesh of his brother or sister. Qur'an equates backbiting that. That if you talk ill of someone behind him, it is as if you are eating his flesh after his death.

And you know the consequences of eating someone's flesh after his death, you will not be welcomed by Allah. You will trigger Allah's wrath and Allah's punishment. Likewise backbiting, which today people find is normal.

And you know one thing which I want to really caution here and draw the attention of brothers and sisters too, is that whenever you commit a sin, and you realise that committing the sin has become like part and part of your life, you feel nothing, you should be worried, you should really be worried.

Why you should be worried? It is simply because bad has become beautiful for you and beautiful has become bad for you. You should not feel comfortable talking ill of others.

And you remember very well that tradition of the Holy Prophet of Islam. There were two ladies in the Holy Month of Ramadan, they were walking towards the mosque of the Prophet in Madinah but as they were walking, they were talking ill of others. They were talking badly about people. Talking about people in a very negative way. When they got to Prophet, they got to the mosque. Prophet saw them, and the Prophet said to them, spit. They said, Spit what? There is nothing. No he said: there is something in your mouth, spit. They spitted. It was blood and flesh. Prophet said, you are talking ill of someone, and this is what has happened to you, and you have broken your fast.

What I am trying to say it is one of the greatest sin to backbite within the religion of Islam. And if you don't want to trigger the wrath of Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala, let us stay away from talking ill of others.

The Holy Prophet said: "man kana yu'minu bi Allahi wa al-Yawmi al-Akhir fa 'l-yaqul khayran aw il-iskut"- 'Whoever believes in Almighty God and believes in the Day of Qiyama, he should either say good or keep quiet'. If you cannot say good about someone, just keep quiet.

If someone is wrong and you really want to tackle it, is to face the person, and tackle it with the person. And in fact, Islam taught us, the best way to tackle someone's problem is to to call him alone, and alone and talk to them and that is the best way to tackle it.