Defamation or criticism of others has taken the form of an epidemic in our society, at home and abroad. This epidemic is more terrible than the coronavirus. More people are affected by the slander epidemic than by Corona. Whether we can do a good deed ourselves or not, we are quite adept at criticizing others.
It's great to catch people wrong. Those who slander are left behind in their careers. They don't have a vision of how to improve themselves, they have a way of thinking about how to blame others. Others can be disrespected. So in society, in the world, slanderers cannot make great progress. That is why Islam has instructed us to refrain from this injustice. In verse 12 of Surah Hujurat, Allah the Almighty says, ‘O you who believe! You refrain from many ideas.
Surely some ideas are sinful. And don't look for secrets. Let none of you slander anyone. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Indeed, you hate it. Surely Allah is Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful. In the above verse, three things are forbidden- 1. You can't have a bad idea about anyone. 2. The faults of others cannot be sought. 3. Even if someone is at fault, it cannot be disclosed. So these three issues should be avoided.
Remember, slander is speaking in the absence of someone that hurts him when he says it in front of him.
A hadith from Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) has been narrated in this regard on page 322 of the second volume of Muslim. He said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, once asked the Companions, 'Do you know what is called backbiting?' They said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) then said, 'Gibbat (slander) is to talk about your brother in a way that he will dislike when he hears it.' He was then asked, "If what I say about my brother is in him, do you think it is slander?" He replied, "If what you said (in reality) is in him, then you must have slandered him." And if it is not in him, then you slander him. (Defamation is a more heinous crime). And there are special rewards for surviving slander. Narrated from Hazrat Sahl Ibn Saad. He said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Whoever takes charge of the object between his two jaws and the object between his legs (in terms of control), I will take charge of him going to heaven.' Bukhari. In other words, if he can take care of his tongue and place of shame, the beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) will arrange for him to enter Paradise at his own risk. May Allah grant us the grace to act.
