Backbiting (Ghibah)

:Muhammad Mahdi al-Naraqi

2013/05/26

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Backbiting consists of saying something about an individual that he would not like. Backbiting is one of the major sins, about which much has been written, and which has been condemned in a large number of traditions and Quranic verses. A detailed discussion of its limits, characteristics and exceptions is undertaken in the book. However, in order to remain within the limits set by the brief nature of our summary, we abstain from this elaborate discussion.

What is worse than backbiting (ghibah) is slander (buhtan), that is, false accusation. The opposite of backbiting is praising others, and the opposite of slander-which consists of falsehoods-honest mentioning of the actual good qualities of an individual.

Ethics