Do you know of any situations where gossip is allowed?

علمّ انہ الغیباها tubahu ligharadiⁿ saḥihⁿ sharʿīiⁿ̃ la yumkinu alwusūlu aillaihi aillaã bihā, wahūa sitāhu asbabiⁿ:

Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Please know that

Backbiting is permissible in some cases only for legitimate and necessary purposes, and only when there is no other way to achieve the goal than backbiting.

This happens for one of the following six reasons:

الاآwãlu: الtãẓalumu, fayajūzu lilmaẓ́lūmi آنْ yataẓalāma ایٹلایا السٹلٹانی ولقادی وغایریهما mimān̊ lahu wilāayaၿ, aẘ qudrāuⁿ عALAYA إنصافیه min̊ ẓālimihi, fyqwl: ẓalamānī fulạanuⁿ bkạ.

First reason:

To complain about oppression.

It is permissible for an oppressed person (a person who has been wronged) to complain to the sultan, the judge, or anyone who is capable of restoring justice to him in order to obtain justice from his oppressor.

For example, the oppressed:

He can say, "So-and-so wronged me in such-and-such a matter."

الثاني: الاسِتيعاناهو عالى taghyiri almun̊kari, waradĩ alʿāsī ایٹلايا الشاوابی, fyqwlu liman̊ yarْjū qud̊rathu عالى إزالاهی almun̊kari: fulanuⁿ yaʿmalu kadha, فازْجْرْهُ عْنْهو wnḥw dhalika wykwnu maqْsūduhu altāwasūlū ایٹلای آزالعی almuńkari, fāń laḿ yaḱsid́ dhalika kana harāmaⁿa.

Second reason:

Asking for help to change evil and return the sinner to the right path.

It is permissible for a person to seek help from someone who is capable of removing evil.

For example, he might say:

They say things like, "So-and-so is doing such-and-such," meaning he is doing corrupt things, "please stop him from doing this."

At this point, the goal should be to eliminate evil.

However, if he does this only for the purpose of gossiping, then it is forbidden.

الذاعليثو: الاسْستيفتاʾu, فيقولو ليلموفتي: ẓalamānī اảby Ảẘ اخي, Ảẘ zwjy, Ảẘ fulẓnuⁿ bkaẖā fahaĺ lahu dhalika? wamā ṭaryqy fy alkhlāṣi min̊hu, wtaḊṣyli ḥaqĩy, wadaf̊i alẓŻl̊? Wanaḥ̒w dhalika, fhạa jāyỉzuⁿ līlḥājai, wlkinā الاحْwṭa والفḍala عنْ yqwl: mā tqwlu fy rajuliⁿ aẘ şakh̊shiⁿ, aẘ zaẖjiⁿ, kāna min̊ am̊rihi kảa? Fā̹nāhu yah̶sulu bihi alghaḍu min̊ ghairi taʿyyniⁿ, wamaʿa dhalikā, fāltaʿynu jāyỉzuⁿ kāmā sanadh̊kuruhu fy Ḥadiṭi hińdiⁿ ́n̊ shaāʾa allhu taʿalay.

Third reason:

Asking for a fatwa.

It is permissible for a person to ask a mufti for a fatwa to know his rights.

For example, it could say:

"My father, or my brother, or my spouse, or so-and-so wronged me in such-and-such a matter."

Does he have the right to do that?

How can I be free from oppression and get my rights?"

This is permissible because it is necessary.

But be careful, and preferably without mentioning the person's name,

"A person, an individual, or a land did such and such a thing.

"Is this work right?"

Because this is also the way to achieve the goal.

At the same time, if it is necessary to mention someone's name, this is not against Islamic norms.

This is explained in detail in the hadith narrated by our mother Hind, may Allah be pleased with her.

*Coming in the next chapter.

When our Indian mother said that her husband, Abu Sufyan, was stingy, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not stop her from gossiping.

الرابعو: تاحْدیر المسْلیمینا mina الشار۩ wanāṣīḥatuhuḿ, wdhalika min̊ wujūhiⁿ:

Fourth reason:

To warn Muslims against evil and to advise them.

This is permissible in several cases:

منْها جرْحو الماجْروحينا mina الروواحي والشوحودي ودلكا جاي؉zuⁿ بِجمععي الموسْليمينا, بالْ wajibⁿ llْحاجعي.

First case:

Explaining the status of hadith narrators and witnesses.

This is permissible by Muslim consensus,

It is even obligatory because it is necessary.

ومنها: الموشاوراهو في موشاهاهي إنْسانيⁿ او مشاركتيه, اؘ ؘيدائيhi, اؘ muʿamalathihi, اؘ غيری دحیلا, اؘ mujawaratihi, wyjbu عالى المشاوری انْ لا yukh̊fīa ḥālahu, bal̊ yadh̊kuru almasāwīả alãty fīhi binīāḥi alnāṣyḥāṭi.

Second case:

Asking for advice about a person's relationship with someone, whether it's a relationship, partnership, trust, trade, or neighborly relationship.

In such situations, the person giving advice should not hide the truth,

Perhaps, in order to give advice, he should also mention that person's shortcomings.

ومنها: ایِثا رای mutafaqıhaⁿa yataradãdu ایلاى mub̊tadiʿⁿ, اؘ fasiqiⁿ yakhudhu ʿānḥu alʿilma, wkhafa آنْ yataḍarāra almutafaqıhu bidhalika, fāʿalīḥi naṣīḥaṭuhu bibayānī Ḥālihi, bisharṭi āń yaqṣida alnāṣīḥa, wahadha mimāa yughlaṭu fīhi. وقادْ ياحميلو المتاقليما بدليك الحاسادو, WAYULABİSU الشايتانو عاليهي دليكا, ويوخيلو عذليهي انحو ناشيحاوٿ فاليوتافتانْ ليدليك.

Third case:

If a student of fiqh goes to an innovator or a sinner and sees him learning from him, and fears that this will harm the student of fiqh, it is obligatory for him to warn him.

It is necessary for him to advise a person based on his situation.

However, the intention must be only to advise.

Many mistakes are made in this matter.

Because sometimes the person speaking may be jealous, and Satan may disguise it as advice and destroy its intention. Therefore, one should be careful in such situations.

waminha: اذنْ يكونا لاحو ولاياعوⁿ لا yqwmu بيها عالى وجّها: إما بيانْ لا ykwna صالحاⁿ lahaha, وٹما بيان̊ ykwna fāsiqaⁿ ا, اẘ mugafāⁿa, wanahwa dhalika fayajibu धिक्रू दालिका लिमान लाहु आलायु वलायु आमाहु लियूलहु, वायुाल्ऩ्य मान्ग युशलहु, अण अजालामा दालिका मिंगु लियामिलाहु bimuqtadaya halihi, walaa yaghtarã bihi, وان̊ yas̊aa̱ fy å yahuṭãhu عالى الاس̊tiqamaẹi aẘ yastabdila bihi.

Fourth case:

If a person has a leadership position but is not performing their duties properly.

This situation can be of two types:

1. He is not suitable for leadership - for example, he is not qualified.

He is either wicked or careless - that is, he performs his duties carelessly.

It is obligatory to report the shortcomings of such a person to a responsible person higher than this leader. Because:

To remove him from office and appoint a worthy replacement;

Or let people know his true status and not be deceived into thinking he is trustworthy;

Either try to get him back on track or replace him with someone more suitable.

الخاميسو: عنْ yakoona mujahiraⁿa bifisqihi aa bid’atihi kalmujahiri bishurbi alkhamri, wmusadarahi alnaasi, waakhadhi almaksi, wjibayai allammwali ẓul̊maⁿa, watawalĩy al-amūri al-batīlaḥi, fayajūzu dhikrūhu bimā yujāhiru bihi, wayaḊrumu dhikrūhu bighairihi mina al-auyūbi, ایٹلاã āń ykwna lijawazihi sababuⁿ ậkharu mimaha dhakarnahu.

Fifth reason:

If a person is openly involved in immorality or innovation.

It is permissible to gossip about people whose wickedness and heresy are obvious.

This is the case when he commits a blatant sin, for example:

If he openly drinks intoxicating liquor,

And the rights of the people are oppressed,

If an illegal tax is levied,

If he leads actions based on oppression and evil.

Since he openly showed his deeds to people, it is permissible to mention these very deeds.

However, it is forbidden to accuse him of anything other than backbiting.

Permission is granted only if one of the reasons mentioned above exists.

الساديسو: التعريفو, فضة كانا الإنسانو معروفا bilaqabi, كلاعماشي, ولاعراجي, ولاثاسم٩, ولاعـمّ, والاحْولی, وغایریحمْ جاز تعـریفوهم بدلیک, WAYAHRUMU إتْلاقهو عالى جهاهي التانْکیشی, wlw امكانا تعریفوہ بهایری دلیکا کانا آلیا, فهده ستعو اسبابیⁿ dhakarahah alʿulamāʾu wakthāruḥa mujmaʿuⁿ ʿalayhi, wadalạyỉluhā mine الاحديثي الصاحيحاهي مشهوراعوⁿ.

Sixth reason:

Introducing a person by their nickname.

If a person is known among many people for the following qualities, it is permissible to call him by this nickname:

Aṃmash - one who has poor eyesight,

The narrator of the narration, Sulayman ibn Mehran, may Allah have mercy on him.

Araj is lame,

Asam - the one who does not hear,

Uncle is blind,

The situation is a confused, confused person.

However, it is forbidden to use these words to insult or humiliate.

If there is a way to introduce this person to someone else, it is better to do so.

These six cases were mentioned by the scholars, and most of them were accepted by consensus.

These issues are also confirmed by authentic hadiths.

رياد الصالحين llnwwy رحمه الله تعالى

Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him)

From the hadith books on ethics called "The Garden of the Righteous"