17.1 The Prohibition of Backbiting and the Commandment of Guarding One's Tongue
١٧۔١ باب تحريم الغيبة والأمر بحفظ اللسان
Allah Almighty said: "And do not backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his brother dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of Repentance and Merciful." [Hujurat 49:12]
And He said: "And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart—all those will be questioned." [Isra 17:36]
And He said: "Man does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record]." [Qaf 50:18]
Know that it is incumbent upon every accountable person to guard their tongue from all words except those in which there is clear benefit. If speaking and remaining silent are equal in benefit, then the Sunnah is to refrain from speaking because permissible speech can easily lead to the forbidden or disliked, which is common by nature, and nothing equates to safety.
قَالَ الله تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾ [الحجرات: ١٢]
وقال تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولَئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُولًا﴾ [الإسراء: ٣٦]
وقال تَعَالَى: ﴿مَا يَلْفِظُ مِنْ قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ﴾ [ق: ١٨]
اعْلَمْ أنَّهُ ينبغي لك مُكَلَّفٍ أنْ يَحْفَظَ لِسَانَهُ عَنْ جَميعِ الكَلامِ إِلاَّ كَلاَمًا ظَهَرَتْ فِيهِ المَصْلَحَةُ، ومَتَى اسْتَوَى الكَلاَمُ وَتَرْكُهُ فِي المَصْلَحَةِ، فالسُّنَّةُ الإمْسَاكُ عَنْهُ لأَنَّهُ قَدْ يَنْجَرُّ الكَلاَمُ المُبَاحُ إِلَى حَرَامٍ أَوْ مَكْرُوهٍ، وذَلِكَ كَثِيرٌ في العَادَةِ، والسَّلاَمَةُ لا يَعْدِلُهَا شَيْءٌ.