Backbiting is so serious in Islam that the Quran presents one of its most graphic images to describe it: would you love to eat the flesh of your dead brother? This powerful lecture by Abdel Nasir Jangda breaks down Surah Al-Hujurat, verse 12, to reveal how a chain of sins beginning with suspicion leads to spying, which leads to backbiting, which devours your good deeds and destroys communities.
The Chain That Leads to Destruction
Allah uses the same word to forbid backbiting that He uses to forbid alcohol and gambling: ijtanibu, meaning stay completely away from it. The chain begins with assumptions about people. Those assumptions breed suspicion. Suspicion drives you to spy and snoop. Once you confirm your suspicions, you develop an unbearable urge to tell someone, and backbiting begins. Each step feeds the next until you are consuming the flesh of your brother’s honor.
“The Prophet said: Backbiting is saying something about someone that they would not appreciate you saying. The companion asked, what if what I am saying is true? The Prophet said: then that is the very definition of backbiting. If it is not true, that is slander, which is even worse.” — Hadith
How to Protect Yourself
- Avoid making assumptions about people; some assumptions are sinful and lead to a chain of greater sins
- Do not spy on others or try to confirm your suspicions about their private lives
- When you learn something about someone, resist the urge to share it with anyone
- Remember the Quranic image: backbiting is like eating the flesh of your dead brother, and you would hate that
Guard Your Tongue, Guard Your Deeds
“Would any one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it. So fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is the Acceptor of repentance, the Most Merciful.” — Quran 49:12
The next time you feel the urge to share information about someone behind their back, remember this image from the Quran and ask yourself: is this really worth eating my brother’s flesh? Guard your tongue, purify your heart, and know that Allah is watching every word you speak and every message you send.
