[Commentary]

These are the remainder of the reports that the author (may Allah have mercy on him) cited in the chapter on backbiting and the duty to guard one’s tongue. They include several points, among them a definition of backbiting: to mention your brother with something he dislikes. We have already explained that this applies to anything he would resent—whether it concerns his religion, character, body, family, or anything else—except when the aim is sincere advice. For example, if someone consults you about entering into a transaction with a person whom you know is unfit—say he is a habitual liar, or the like—and you wish to alert the inquirer to that fault, there is no harm in doing so. The proof is found in the ḥadith of Fāṭimah bint Qays when she sought the Prophet’s guidance regarding suitors: Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān, Abū Jahm, and Usāmah ibn Zayd. The Prophet ﷺ said, “As for Muʿāwiyah, he is a pauper with no wealth; as for Abū Jahm, he habitually beats women. Marry Usāmah.” This falls under the heading of giving counsel, and therefore it is permissible.

These ḥadiths also contain the Prophet’s public declaration of the sanctity of life, property, and honor during the Farewell Pilgrimage—the largest gathering ever held between the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions, nearly one hundred thousand strong. There he proclaimed: “Your wealth, your blood, and your honor are sacred to you, as inviolable as this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this land of yours. Have I conveyed the message?” When they answered, “Yes,” he said, “O Allah, bear witness!”

These ḥadiths likewise clarify that to speak of your brother in a way he dislikes—even about