Back biting is the biggest sin

By: Ayatullah al-Uzma Nasir Makarim Shirazi from ‘Tafsir i-Namunah’
Translated from Farsi into English by Fatima Zabeth Beenesh

1- The complete and multifaceted social peace
The six commands that defined in the above two aayaat are (the prevention from mocking, criticising, calling bad names, to suspect others in an evil manner, inquisitiveness and backbiting) when this prevention implemented among the people completely, the people’s dignity and self-esteem in every way will be secured. No person to achieve the self-pride can make others a means of his entertainment and mock them. He has no right to open his mouth to criticise this and that person and cannot call others with the bad titles and degrade their status. Even he has no right to think suspiciously into the life and matters of others and he has no right to enquire in the life of others and cannot disclose their hidden defects as well.
In other words the human being has four assets and all of them must be protected in the fort of this law and be saved they are the lives, wealth, the respect of one’s own family women and honour.
The terms of the above aayaat and the Islamic narrations illustrates that the honour and the status of the people is similar to their wealth and live but at times it is more important too.
Islam wants the peace should be prevail in the Islamic community, not only people practically but even verbally and also by their opinions, they should be in peace and tranquillity. And who ever feels that the other person in his thoughts aims the arrows of accusations at him and this peace is acknowledged as of uppermost level, which is impossible except in the religious and faithful society.
The great prophet peace be upon him in a hadis said: the merciful God made illegal (haram) the intrusion in the life, wealth and honour of others and same way to think ruthlessly regarding the others.
A suspicious eye not only effects the status and prestige of a man but for the person who is committing it, brings a great disaster as it causes to make him aloof and cut his cooperative relations with the people and create for him a horrible world filled with unfriendliness and aloofness. Hence in a hadis the amirul mominin Ali alaihis salam said: the person who think for others suspiciously, he fears and terrifies with everybody.
In other words the thing which separates the human life with the animal life and gives him prosperity, uplift his efforts to perfection, it is a spirit of cooperation and operating with a group of people. And it is possible when the trust and the optimism rules over the people, whereas the suspicion dissolves and shakes the foundation of this trust, destroy the social spirit and the life-force of cooperation.
It is not only the suspicion but also the inquisitiveness and the backbiting is the same.
The pessimistic people are always indulged in fright. And they have fear with everybody. an endless anxieties permanently dominate upon them. They cannot find any friend, companion and sympathizer nor any partner or co-operator for social activities and any associate and supporter for the days of helplessness.
It is necessary to keep this point in mind also, here by suspicion it means the unreasonable suppositions. Therefore in some cases the supposition is based upon some reason that is the reliable reason and in this order it is exceptional, similarly as the witness attained by two just people.

2- Do not be inquisitive
As we find the noble Quran clearly prevented the inquisitiveness in the above ayat and as it is not limited to any conditions, it indicated that inquisitiveness in the affairs of others and getting impatience to open their secrets is a sin. But certainly the evidences that exist in and out of the aayaat are showing that this command is related to the personal and private life of the people and regarding the social life, until it has no effect in the outcome of the people, this order is correct.
But it is obvious that this matter related with the fate of the people in society has a different aspect. Hence the prophet peace be upon him appointed the agents to recollect the information they are called by the term ‘the eyes’ to evoke whatever happenings concerning the relations and the destiny, inside or outside the Islamic society.
Besides this reason the Islamic government can maintain agents of information or it can establish the vast organisations to recollect the information. And where there is fear of conspiracies against Islam and it is going to put to risk the social peace, the Islamic government can even rise to be inquisitive in such a manner that it can be able to search in their houses too and even they can make enquiry in their personal lives.
But this matter must not turn out to be an excuse for breaking the sanctity of this pure Islamic law. They are the people, for the issue of conspiracy and the violation of peace allows themselves to attack the personal life of the people and open their letters, and control their telephones and in any hour of the day or night can rush to their houses.
In short the margin between the inquisitiveness and to acquire the needed information to protect the peace of society is very delicate and minute. And the duty of the people’s administrative department is to strictly protect this boundary to save the sanctity of the people’s secret and the peace of the Islamic society must not be put to risk.

1- Back biting is the biggest sin
As we told human life’s great wealth is his status and person. And to put it into to risk is equal to put his life into risk. But sometimes terrorising any personality is more serious than terrorising his person. Here sometimes its sin is heavier then killing a person.
One of the philosophies of the preventions of backbiting is to protect the wealth and status of man from getting destroyed. And the sanctity of the people must not get ruined. Their position must not get stained. The Islam considered this subject very much important.
Another point is that back biting and suspicion create the weak social relations, destroys the wealth of trust and shakes the base of mutual aid and cooperation.
We are well aware that Islam believes very much in unity and reliability in the Islamic society and its solidarity, whatever strengthens its unity, Islam wholeheartedly welcomes it and whatever weakens it, Islam abhors it.
Apart from that the back biting spreads the seeds of enmity and hatred in the hearts and at times it causes bloody fights, murders and killings .In short if Islam counts the back biting one of the biggest sin it is for its ill effects that inflicts upon the person and the society.
In the Islamic narrations there are many shocking terms in this subject. We will bring an example of it below: The great prophet of Islam peace be upon him said: a single penny which a human being earns from the money of interest is a sin and it is equal to 36 times committing the adultery (zina). And the esteem of a Muslim is more important than a single interest.
This comparison is for the purpose that as much as the adultery is obscene and ugly it has an aspect of “haqullah” the right of mighty Allah but usury (extortion of interest) is worse than that, to dishonour the esteem of people by means of backbiting and some other mean. It has the aspect of the right of the people.
In another hadis it is described, once the prophet peace be upon him gave the speech in a very loud voice and shouted: O group of people who brought the faith verbally, not whole heartedly! Do not commit the backbiting behind the people and do not be inquisitive to search the defects of people. As the one who searches in the secret matters of his Islamic brother, the almighty God reveals his secrets and degrade him in his own house.
In another hadis it is narrated: the benevolent God inspired the prophet Musa (Moses) alaihis salam and said: the one who died after the repentance of his commitment in the backbiting. He is the last person who enters the heaven. And the person who is adamant in the committing the back biting, he is the first person who enters the hellfire.
In a narration by the prophet peace be upon him we read: the religion of Islam defined the effects of back biting is much faster than the leprosy. This comparison shows that backbiting is similar to the leprosy that eats the body and decays it same way it quickly destroys the faith of a man. Keeping in the mind that the acts that motivates the backbiting are the affairs like jealousy, proud, miserliness, hatred (malice), monopolization and they are ugly and unacceptable. It got cleared now, why the backbiting and destroying the prestige and respect of a Muslims destroys the faith (point to be noted).
There are a number of narrations existed in this field, by narrating another hadis we bring an end to the discussion of this subject. Imam Sadiq alaihis salam said: the one who quotes the words for a believer, to destroy his prestige in the eyes of the people. The mighty God brings him out of his province and ends him into the province of shaitan (Satan).
All these shocking terms and expressions are for the purpose that the Islam believes in the protection of social prestige and status of the believers. The backbiting left the destructive effects in the social unity, the mutual trust and the attachment among the people’s hearts. The most worse act is the back biting which causes to catch the fire of hatred, enmity, disharmony and the spread of prostitution in the social grounds because when the hidden secrets of the individuals gets evident by means of backbiting then the significance of sin becomes wiped out and getting polluted to it becomes easy.

4- The concept of back biting
Back bite as by its name, it is evident that to speak in the absence of any person .But the words reveals the defects of that person, Whether this defect is physical or moral in his behaviour or in his words even the matter that is concerned to him like his dress, house, spouse or his children.
Therefore if anyone expresses regarding the external and visible qualities, it is not called back biting. But if he has the intention of criticism and condemnation then in this case it is haram (prohibited). For example if he says for the criticism, that the man is blind or short in height or dark in colour or thin.
Like this manner the expression of the hidden defects for any intention, it is haram (prohibited). The description of the visible defects for the intention of condemnation of a person too is prohibited, whether we estimate it in the impression of back biting or not.
All these things are in the case when this quality exists in the said person. But the quality which does not exist in the person will be counted as the accusation. Its sin will be much heavier.
In a hadis from imam Sadiq alaihis salam we read: the backbiting are the words, one speaks about one own Muslim brother which the mighty God concealed it. But the thing which is visible such as bad temper and haste does not count in the backbiting. But defamation is the act about a person which this person does not possess.
Here it is obvious that the vulgar pretexts that some people bring for the backbiting it is not heard, for example sometimes the person who is back biting says this is not backbiting, it is his quality! While if it is not his quality then it is a blame, it is not a back biting.
Despite he says: these are the words I say before him as well. While telling at the face of that person is not only reduces the sin of backbiting but for the harassment he creates the heavier sin.

5- The cure of back biting and its repentance
The backbiting like the many others, increase the qualities that gradually turns into a disease. In such a manner that the backbiter enjoys his act, as much as he is destroying the status of others he feels contented and pleased. And this is the most hazardous stage of the morality.
Here before anything the backbiter must find the inner motives to cure the back biting that are present in his depth and inspires him to do this sin. Its motives are miserliness, jealousy, hatred, enmity and pride.
Then to repent his sin whereas the backbiting has the aspect of the people’s right, if the backbiter is in the reach of the person upon whom he committed the backbiting, not creating any fresh problem, he apologize him though secretly. For example he should say: sometimes as I was not aware, I expressed some thing about you, please excuse me and do not explain more. It must not cause a fresh deterioration.

The exceptional cases
The last words about the back biting is that the law of backbiting is similar to every other law has some exceptions for example some times for taking the opinion in the selection of life partner or the business partner a person wants to enquire regarding somebody to know more about that person. To trust in the opinion is the indisputable Islamic law. It requires that if he knows anything bad about that person he must reveal it to save a Muslim from getting caught in the trap. This type of backbiting committing with the good intention is not prevented (haram).
Same way in the other occasions that have important purpose such as seeking the opinion in the affairs for the protection of the rights
Of course who commits the sins openly this person is out of the discussion in this subject. And if his sin is stated in his absence he has no objection. But this point must be taken into the mind that these sins are evident sins.
This fact is significant that back biting is not only prevented (haram) but also to hear it as well is disallowed and to be present in the social gathering where the backbiting is going around that is similarly outlawed (haram). Of course according to some of the narrations it is obligatory upon the Muslims to reject the backbiting. That means to rise up in defence against the backbiting. How beautiful is the society in which these moral rules are perfectly implemented.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ (49:13

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ

إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ

وَتَزَوَّدُواْ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي سَوْءَاتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىَ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ ذَلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ (7:26

وَمَا يَذْكُرُونَ إِلَّا أَن يَشَاء اللَّهُ هُوَ أَهْلُ التَّقْوَى وَأَهْلُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ (74:56

وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللّهُ

وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الْبرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى

اعْدِلُواْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَغُضُّونَ أَصْوَاتَهُمْ عِندَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ امْتَحَنَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ لِلتَّقْوَى لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ (49:3

فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا (91:8

لاَ تَقُمْ فِيهِ أَبَدًا لَّمَسْجِدٌ أُسِّسَ عَلَى التَّقْوَى مِنْ أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقُومَ فِيهِ فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُواْ وَاللّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُطَّهِّرِينَ (9:108