to the authority so that he may take whatever steps are warranted. Likewise, the words of anyone intent on spreading corruption should be reported to the ruler, lest he persist in his mischief. If a person fears that certain speech will breed evil, he is duty-bound to place the matter before the ruler so that the wrongdoing can be stamped out before it gains strength. One must not say, “I am afraid the ruler will punish me, or will punish him.” If punishment does befall him, he has only himself to blame, for he was the one who uttered words feared to cause corruption. Therefore the obligation is to bring such speech to the ruler, yet it is essential to verify the report and avoid putting oneself in an awkward position. In the Prophet’s time ﷺ, when ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy denied the statement attributed to him, revelation came affirming the truthfulness of Zayd ibn al-Arqam. In our era there is no revelation to confirm or refute, so you must investigate; and if you hear someone say something that leads to evil and corruption, you are obliged to convey it to the ruler so that the evil does not take root.

In summary, the author—may Allah have mercy on him—has listed the situations and guidelines that make backbiting permissible, and then cited the evidences for each. Allah alone grants success.

1535 – ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated: “Hind bint ʿUtbah, the wife of Abu Sufyan, said to the Prophet ﷺ, ‘Abu Sufyan is a miserly man; he does not give me enough for myself and my children except what I take from him without his knowing. Is that permissible?’ He replied, ‘Take what suffices you and your children in a reasonable manner.’” Agreed upon.