Backbiting
Question: How sound is the report attributed to the Prophet ﷺ that the expiation for backbiting is to seek forgiveness for the person you have backbitten by saying, “O Allah, forgive us and him”? And what exactly is meant by backbiting?

Answer: As for the ḥadith, nothing occurs to me about it at present, and I do not know its authenticity. As for backbiting itself, it is forbidden and ranks among the major sins. Allah the Exalted has prohibited His servants from engaging in it, saying: “And let not some of you backbite others. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would abhor it. So fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Ever-Relenting, Most Merciful” (al-Ḥujurāt 49:12). The Prophet ﷺ also said, “The life, property, and honour of every Muslim are sacred to another Muslim.” Therefore backbiting is forbidden, a reprehensible major sin. What, then, is backbiting?

The Prophet ﷺ clarified its meaning when he was asked about it. He said, “Backbiting is mentioning your brother in a way he dislikes.” Someone asked, “What if what I say about my brother is true?” He replied, “If what you say about him is true, you have backbitten him; and if it is not true, you have slandered him.”

Backbiting, then—as the Prophet ﷺ defined it—is “mentioning your brother in a way he dislikes.” If your brother is absent and you attack his honour by describing him with something he would hate, you have backbitten him, violated his honour, and incurred a grave sin. Should you feel remorse and repent to Allah, the door of repentance remains open; however, this involves a human right, and among the conditions of repentance in such matters is that you obtain the offended person’s pardon. You must therefore contact your brother and tell him