Mufti Menk – Backbiting or not?

			There is a very, very important issue. People are plunged into crisis when others backbite about
them, slammed them have deceived them, have wronged them have oppressed them. They are plunged into
crisis because at times, you get to hear dribs and drabs of what is being said about you behind your
back or there is not much you can do about someone who has stolen from you or deceived you or
someone who has oppressed you; harmed you. So you complain to Allah that will bring about a lot of
comfort. When you complain to Allah Almighty, remember, He hears you, He will definitely come to
your help. That is Allah subhanho wa Ta'ala. And some people say, Well, you know, I'm not going to
		

			talk bad about someone who's stolen from me, so I'm just going to keep quiet about it. Allah says,
when you are wronged, there is no harm in speaking about what happened. You have to talk about it.
You have to inform some people who are going to be able to do things about it, and that will not be
considered backbiting. backbiting the Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam says --Dzikruka akhaka bima yakhra--, to
mention that of your brother, which he or she would not like if he or she had to hear about it, or
were told about it. So in their absence, you're saying something they wouldn't have liked. That's
called backbiting. Although what you did say it was true may have been true. If it was not true, it
		

			is slander, which is even worse. But when you have been wronged, there is no harm in warning others
or even informing them. You might have to go to authorities, perhaps the police, and you might have
to lodge a complaint. You cannot claim to be so pious that you arrive at the police station and say
someone did something to me, but I can't tell it to you because it will be considered backbiting. So
Allah says, Not at all, you must complain, you must raise the issue and you have every right to do
something about it because you were directly involved. Let's listen to the verse. Surah Nisa, verse
number 148, Allah says: <<Laa yuhibbullaahul jahra bis sooo'i minal qawli illaa man zulim;
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wa kaanallaahu Samee'an 'Aleemaa>> [Q,4:148]: Allah does not like that you openly declare some bad or evil in
your speech, something bad in your speech, unless you have been wronged. If you are wronged, then
you have every right to say something which might be bad about someone else, which is true because
you were directly affected as a first party. May Allah subhanho wa Ta'ala, protect all of us. Allah
says, Allah is broad in his knowledge. Allah knows absolutely everything. Subhana Allah. So my
brothers and sisters, we need to make sure that when we know someone has wronged us to highlight it
to others in a very respectful way, because we were involved, actually is considered an act of
		

			worship. If someone were to come to you and say, you know, I'd like to do business with so and so.
		

			What do you think you either tell them what you know, or if you don't know You keep quiet. But if
you know something, and you know, they will, they are very deceiving, and you've done business with
them. And it's firsthand it happened with you. And when you remain silent, you're actually doing
something wrong. The same applies to marriage. If someone came to you and told you I want to get
married to so and so please give me some good advice. Can you give a reference to give a false
reference is actually a sin. So you need to give a true reference. If really, you don't want to say
anything. You can say, Look, I'm not going to say much. Please find out from someone else. You
		

			haven't really lied, but you've excused yourself. Still, it would be a great act of worship. If you
told the truth in a very respectful way. Look, I've dealt with this person. Unfortunately, they
stole some money of mine, according to me, and they will not very honest they did this and they did
that. If you were to say it as a party who was involved in the matter, then it is not considered
backbiting, my beloved brothers and sisters, by virtue of this particular verse number 148 of Surah
An Nisa. May Allah protect every one of us and grant us goodness, may Allah grant every one of us
success.