Punishment for those who do wrong

LP · October 26, 2008, 10:11am

Re: Punishment for those who do wrong

What is the definition of gheebah and what is the ruling on it?

	 	  	Praise be to            Allaah.
      **Gheebah            (backbiting, gossip)** means that a person mentions the faults of his            Muslim brother in his absence, which he would not like if he heard about            it, when there is no need  to mention them.
      When            I say “mentions the faults of his brother”, this excludes cases when            the other person says something to praise or commend him.
      When            I say “Muslim brother”, this excludes the kaafir, for there is no gheebah            in the case of a kaafir.
      When            I say, “in his absence”, this excludes things said in his presence,            which is not called gheebah according to the more correct of the two            scholarly opinions.
      When            I say, “which he would dislike if he heard about it”, this excludes            things which he would not mind.
      When            I say, “when there is no need to mention them”, this excludes cases            when there is a shar’i reason for doing that, such as warning against            an innovator to make people aware of his bid’ah.
      It            is essential to pay attention to the following in such cases:
      1.                Sincerity            towards Allaah and seeking His pleasure.
      2.                Paying attention            to the interests being served by such things.
      3.                What is said            should be limited to the shortcomings in question and should not go            further, to matters in which there is no benefit.
      The            scholars agreed that it is haraam to talk behind a person’s back for            no legitimate purpose. Most of them stated that this is a major sin            and that it varies in degree, some kinds being worse than others. The            one who backbites about a scholar is not like one who backbites about            an ignorant person. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
                 “… neither backbite one another. Would one of you like            to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting).            And fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is the One Who forgives and accepts            repentance, Most Merciful”
                 [al-Hujuraat 49:12]
      In            Saheeh Muslim it is narrated from al-‘Alaa’ ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan            from his father from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that            the Prophet                       (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do you know what            gheebah is?” They said, “Allaah and His Messenger know best.” He said,            “That you say something about your brother that he dislikes.” He was            asked, “What if what I say about my brother is true?” He said, “If what            you say is true then you have gossiped about him, and if it is not true            then you have slandered him.”
      Abu            Dawood narrated in his Sunan via Nawfal ibn Masaahiq from Sa’eed            ibn Zayd that the Prophet                       (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The most prevalent            kind of usury (riba) is going to lengths in talking unjustly against            a Muslim’s honour.”
      And            he                       (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Your blood, your            wealth and your honour are sacred among you, as sacred as this day of            yours in this month of yours in this land of yours. Let those who are            present convey it to those who are absent; perhaps he will convey it            to one who has more understanding than he does.”
      (Agreed            upon, from the hadeeth of Abu Bakrah).
      One            of the worse types of gheebah and one which is most emphatically forbidden            it to look down upon a Muslim and do one’s utmost to insult him, show            disrespect towards him and cast aspersions upon his honour. This is            a blameworthy characteristic and a serious malady; it is one of the            major sins and the one who does this is subject to the warning and a            severe punishment.
     

  	Shaykh Sulaymaan ibn Naasir al-‘Alwaani

Does hasad (destructive envy) exist in Islam or not?.

	 	  	Praise be to Allaah.                    Hasad (destructive envy) means wishing that a blessing that      Allaah has bestowed on the envied person be taken away. Allaah enjoined His      Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to seek refuge with      Him from the evil of the envier when he envies. Allaah says (interpretation      of the meaning): 
      “Say: ‘I seek refuge with (Allaah), the Lord of the      daybreak,
      2. ‘From the evil of what He has created,
      3. ‘And from the evil of the darkening (night) as it comes      with its darkness; (or the moon as it sets or goes away),
      4. ‘And from the evil of those who practise witchcraft      when they blow in the knots,
      5. ‘And from the evil of the envier when he envies.’”
      [al-Falaq 113] 
      What is meant by “when he envies” is when he manifests what      he feels of envy in his heart and acts on it, and his envy makes him do      something bad to the one whom he envies. 
      Hasad is of varying degrees: 
      1 – When a person wants the blessing to be taken away from      his Muslim brother, even if it does not come to him; rather he does not like      Allaah to bless anyone else and that upsets him. 
      2 – Where he wants the blessing to be taken away from someone      else because he wants it, in the hope that it will come to him. 
      3 – Where he wishes for himself a blessing like that which      someone else has, without wanting it to be taken away from the other person.      This is permissible and is not called hasad rather it is called ghibtah. 
      The envier harms himself in three ways: 
      1 – He earns sin because hasad is haraam. 
      2 – It is bad etiquette before Allaah, because what hasad      really means is hating Allaah’s blessing His slaves, and objecting to what      Allaah does. 
      3 – He suffers because of too much worry and distress.  
      And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send      blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.      End quote. 
      Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas 


  	Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’ (26/29).