The danger of backbiting.

 The danger of backbiting.

ALHAMDULILLAH, backbiting الغيبة is one of the greatest sin in Islam.

The one who does it is like a bankrupt on the day of qiyaamah.

Allah says in Qur'an,

Al-Hujurat 49:12

O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of Repentance and Merciful.

Backbiting is like eating the flesh of your Muslim brother who is dead.

This is how great it is because it reduces the honour and image of a person.

One of the Salaf, sufyan ibn thawri rahimullah said,

Backbiting is greater and worse than zina. He was asked why?

He said for a fornicator, when he seeks repentence, Allah forgives him but for a backbiter, unless the person forgives him not Allah.

This is why backbiting is greater than zina.

Today it has become a norm.

The tongue is what will lead many to hellfire as reported in the hadith,

Narrated Abu Huraira:

That he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "A slave of Allah may utter a word without thinking whether it is right or wrong, he may slip down in the Fire as far away a distance equal to that between the east."

Sahih al-Bukhari 6477.

The Prophet; said, "A slave (of Allah) may utter a word which pleases Allah without giving it much importance, and because of that Allah will raise him to degrees (of reward): a slave (of Allah) may utter a word (carelessly) which displeases Allah without thinking of its gravity and because of that he will be thrown into the Hell-Fire."

Sahih al-Bukhari 6478.

Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever guarantees me (the chastity of) what is between his legs (i.e. his private parts), and what is between his jaws (i.e., his tongue), I guarantee him Paradise."

Sahih al-Bukhari 6807.

A believer thinks twice before speaking a word for the two angels are recording whatever we say.