When People Speak

 بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

When people mention others, they may commit one of four sins: Gheebah, Buhtaan, Ifk, or Nameemah, all of which are rebuked in the Book of Allaah. 

🚫 Gheebah (backbiting) is to say what is true about a person.

🚫 Buhtaan (slandering) is to say what is not true about a person.

🚫 Ifk (rumoring) is to say what was conveyed to you.

🚫 Nameemah (gossiping) is to stir enmity between friends.

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1️⃣ Gheebah (Backbiting): Speaking evil about a person, even if it is true.

{O you who Believe! Avoid much suspicion; indeed, some suspicions are sins. And spy not, 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.}
📚 [Surah Al-Hujuaraat (49): 12]

Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrated: The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Do you know what is backbiting?❞ They (the Companions) said: “Allaah and His Messenger ﷺ know best.” Thereupon, he ﷺ said: ❝It is saying something about your brother which he dislikes.❞ Someone asked: “Suppose that what I said about my brother was true?” He ﷺ said: ❝If what you say about him is true, you have backbitten him, and if it is not true, you have slandered him.❞
📚 [Saheeh Muslim]

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2️⃣ Buhtaan (Slandering/Perjury): Speaking evil about a person while knowing it is not true.

{And those who harm believing men and believing women, for acts they did not commit, have certainly borne upon themselves a slander and manifest sin.}
📚 [Surah Al-Ahzaab (33): 58]

{And whoever commits a mistake, or a sin, and then blames it on an innocent person, has indeed burdened himself with slander and a clear sin.}
📚 [Surah Al-Nisaa’ (4): 112]

Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrated: The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Do you know what is backbiting?❞ They (the Companions) said: “Allaah and His Messenger ﷺ know best.” Thereupon, he ﷺ said: ❝It is saying something about your brother which he dislikes.❞ Someone asked: “Suppose that what I said about my brother was true?” He ﷺ said: ❝If what you say about him is true, you have backbitten him, and if it is not true, you have slandered him.❞
📚 [Saheeh Muslim]

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3️⃣ Ifk (Rumors): Spreading unverified information, and often with a negative social impact. is to say what was conveyed to you. Rumors are false tales that one spreads without knowing the reality.

{Verily, those who brought forth the Ifk (slander against `Aaishah رضي الله عنها, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ) are a group among you… Why then did not the believers, men and women, when you heard it (the slander), think good of their own people and say: “This (charge) is ifk (an obvious lie)?”}
📚 [Surah Al-Noor (24): 11–20]

Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝It is sufficient that a man has lied who narrates everything that he hears.❞
📚 [Saheeh Muslim in the introduction to his Saheeh]

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4️⃣ Nameemah (Gossiping/Calumny): Spreading information - true or false - to create hostility between people by malicious misrepresentation of someone’s words or actions. It’s an act of division and destruction, often fueled by jealousy or a desire to incite conflict (between friends and relatives).

{And (O Muhammad ﷺ) obey not every Ḥallaaf Maheen (the one who swears much and is a liar or is worthless). A Hammaaz (slanderer), going about with Nameem (calumnies); Hinderer of the good, transgressor, sinful; cruel, and moreover baseborn (of illegitimate birth).}
📚 [Surah Al-Qalam (68): 10-13] 

Ibn `Abbaas رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ once passed by two graves and he said: ❝Verily, these two are being punished. One of them was not careful about protecting himself from urine (when relieving himself). The other one used to spread Nameemah (calumnies).❞
📚 [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree & Saheeh Muslim]

The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Shall I tell you about the most evil ones amongst you?❞ They said: “Of course.” He ﷺ said: ❝Those who go around with Nameemah. They make enmity between friends, and they seek problems for the innocent.❞
📚 [Musnad Ahmad, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]

Hudhaifah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝A Nammaam (gossip monger) will never enter paradise.❞
📚 [Saheeh Muslim]

نسأل الله السلامة