Speaking about someone behind their back wounds them. The Prophet strongly warned against backbiting.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) never searched out anyone's faults, nor did he relate to others the faults he knew. Backbiting stains hearts and erodes trust in a community.
What does the hadith say?
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ، وَابْنُ، حُجْرٍ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيبَةُ " . قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ . قَالَ " ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ " . قِيلَ أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ قَالَ " إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ " .
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Do you know what is backbiting? They (the Companions) said: Allah and His Messenger know best. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Backbiting implies your talking about your brother in a manner which he does not like. It was said to him: What is your opinion about this that if I actually find (that failing) in my brother which I made a mention of? He said: If (that failing) is actually found (in him) what you assert, you in fact backbited him, and if that is not in him it is a slander
Text: Sahih Muslim, hadith no. 6593. Grade: sahih (hadiths in al-Bukhari and Muslim are accepted as sahih).
What is the hadith source of this sunnah?
This sunnah rests on the following hadiths. The reference gives the collection, chapter and number where the hadith appears.
- Muslim, Book of Righteousness and Kinship, 70 (hadith no. 6593)
- Abu Dawud, Book of Good Manners, 35 (hadith no. 4880)
- at-Tirmidhi, Book of the Description of the Day of Resurrection, 51 (hadith no. 2502)
How this page was prepared: sources and verification method.
More sunnahs in Speech Etiquette
As a table with references: Speech Etiquette sunnahs.
- Speak Good or Stay Silent: Keeping away from idle and harmful speech is the tongue's most valuable use.
- Never Lying: Keeping away from lying, even in jest, builds trust.
- Not Interrupting: Listening to someone without cutting them off while they speak is respect made concrete.
- Correcting Gently: Gentleness adds beauty to any task; the Prophet advised this.
- Controlling Anger: Controlling yourself in a moment of anger is the shortest way to be spared words you would regret.
- Beginning Speech in the Name of Allah: Beginning an important matter of speech by remembering Allah brings blessing to the words.