Backbiting in the Case of an Evil-Doer
Question :
If a person does not pray and does not remember Allâh and performs evil deeds worse than that which anger Allâh Almighty and His Messenger, may we backbite that person, to inform others about his evil behavior?
Answer:
You must advise this person to obey Allah's commands and you must warn him not do what Allah Almighty has forbidden. If he follows your advice, though he might do so gradually, stick with him and continue in your efforts. If he doesn't heed what you say, stay away from him as much as possible. Thereafter you may speak of him, letting people know of his evil and protecting them from that evil. At times you may be required to speak about him: when you are afraid that people will be affected by his evil or when you are confident that he will desist when he realizes that he is exposed. You may not, however, speak of him to appease yourself, seeking to amuse and entertain your companions. This is how evil spreads and how people grow numb to the evils around them. Furthermore, you may not invent evils about him, hoping to further discredit him. The Messenger of Allah forbade us from doing this and he called it slander, which is one of the greatest of sins.
Source:
The Permanent Committee
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 8 Pages 288-289
Share on WhatsApp