Question
What exactly is Gheebat (backbiting)? From my knowledge it is a very great sin. Can it be defined as “a conversation between two people talking ill of a third person not present in that conversation”?
Secondly if with complete evidence we know that a particular individual is bad would it even then be backbiting?
Thirdly would it be back biting if we talk ill of someone in his absence but we can carry out the same in front of him as well?
Another question is regarding a situation when we want to save any of our brother, children or dear one from the company or any interaction of an individual for the fear that it may bring harm to them knowing the fact that that particular individual is not of a known repute with complete evidence and by telling our dear ones about his dirty or wrong personality traits which we know through evidence, would even this be backbiting or gheebat?
Reply
Gheebah, or backbiting, is to talk about someone else’s actual faults, in the absence of that person without having a positive reason to talk about such faults.
Keeping the foregoing explanation of Gheebah in perspective, it should be clear that my answer to your second and third question would be in the affirmative, while that of the third question would be negative.
Talking about someone else’s fault – even in the absence of that person – with the intention of saving someone from that person’s harm or of getting someone’s help in correcting these faults or of recording one’s grievances with the authorities or of any other imaginable positive reason to discuss such faults, should not be considered as Gheebah.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
UIUK team
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