Another example of consuming people’s wealth is when someone falsely lays claim to another’s property, produces witnesses who commit perjury, and thereby secures a verdict in his favour. This, too, is nothing but devouring wealth in falsehood. Instances of such wrongdoing are many, but each of them is forbidden when unsupported by right; for that reason Allah said, “So do not wrong one another.”

People’s honour is likewise inviolable. It is not lawful for a person to attack his brother’s reputation by backbiting him in a gathering or by hurling insults, for that counts among the grave sins. Allah the Exalted says, “O you who believe, avoid much suspicion—for some suspicion is a sin. Do not spy, and let none of you backbite another” (Qur’an 49:12). Note the sequence: first, “avoid much suspicion,” because when a person harbours suspicion about his brother he proceeds to spy on him; hence the second prohibition, “do not spy.” Once he spies, he slips into backbiting, and so comes the third: “let none of you backbite another.”

The verse then asks, “Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother?” The answer is obviously no; one finds it repulsive. That is why the verse continues, “You would detest it.” Some exegetes state that on the Day of Resurrection the person who was backbitten will be brought forth in the form of a dead body, and it will be said to the backbiter, “Eat of his flesh.” Though he loathes it, he will be forced to do so as a punishment—Allah’s refuge is sought.

Backbiting, therefore—violating your brother’s honour—is forbidden. Abu Dawud reports that during the Prophet’s Night Journey he passed by a people with copper fingernails clawing at their faces and chests, raking them with those copper claws. He asked, “O Gabriel, who are these?” Gabriel replied, “They are those who used to eat the flesh of