Sharh al-Arba'in al-Nawawiyya by Ibn Uthaymeen (شرح الأربعين النووية) — Page 438

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ فَصَّلَ وَقَالَ: إِنْ عَلِمَ بِالْغِيبَةِ ذَهَبَ إِلَيْهِ وَاسْتَحَلَّهُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَعْلَمْ فَلَا حَاجَةَ أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ شَيْئًا لِأَنَّ هَذَا يَفْتَحُ بَابَ شَرٍّ.

Some scholars offered a nuanced view: if the person is aware of the backbiting, one must go to them and seek their pardon. If they are unaware, there is no need to tell them, as doing so might only cause further trouble.

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَالَ: لَا يُعْلِمُهُ مُطْلَقًا، كَمَا جَاءَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ: «كَفَّارَةُ اغْتِبْتَهُ أَنْ تَسْتَغْفِرَ لَهُ» فَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُ وَيَكْفِي.

Others argued that one should never inform the person, citing the hadith: The expiation for backbiting is to seek forgiveness for the one you wronged. Simply praying for their forgiveness is sufficient.

وَلَكِنَّ الْقَوْلَ الْوَسَطَ هُوَ الْوَسَطُ، وَهُوَ أَنْ نَقُولَ: إِنْ كَانَ صَاحِبُهُ قَدْ عَلِمَ بِأَنَّهُ اغْتَابَهُ فَلَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَتَحَلَّلَ مِنْهُ، لِأَنَّهُ حَتَّى لَوْ تَابَ سَيَبْقَى فِي قَلْبِ صَاحِبِهِ شَيْءٌ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَعْلَمْ كَفَاهُ أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرَ لَهُ.

The balanced view is the most sound: if the person knows they were maligned, one must seek their absolution, for even if the offender repents, resentment may linger in the victim's heart. If the victim remains unaware, seeking forgiveness on their behalf is enough.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (23 verbs · 31 nouns)

• فَصَّلَ — to detail
• قَالَ — to say
• عَلِمَ — to know
• غِيبَةٌ — backbiting
• حَاجَةٌ — need
• شَيْءٌ — thing