Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 3 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 629

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

بَابُ فَضْلِ الصَّلَوَاتِ.

Chapter on the virtue of prayers.

قَالَ: «إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ».

He said: "If what you say is true of him, you have backbitten him; if it is not, you have slandered him."

وَالْغِيبَةُ تَخْتَلِفُ آثَامُهَا بِاخْتِلَافِ آثَارِهَا وَعَوَاقِبِهَا، فَمَثَلًا: اغْتِيَابُ الْعُلَمَاءِ أَشَدُّ مِنْ اغْتِيَابِ الْعَوَامِّ، وَاغْتِيَابُ الْأُمَرَاءِ يَعْنِي وُلَاةَ الْأُمُورِ أَشَدُّ مِنِ اغْتِيَابِ مَنْ دُونَهُمْ، وَبِهَذَا نَعْرِفُ أَنَّ هَذِهِ النَّشَرَاتِ الَّتِي تُوَزَّعُ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ الْآنَ أَنَّهَا أَوَّلًا: مِنَ الْغِيبَةِ، وَثَانِيًا: أَنَّ نَشْرَهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ مِنْ كَبَائِرِ الذُّنُوبِ، وَأَنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ يَأْثَمُ بِهَا إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا؛ لِأَنَّهَا تُوجِبُ أَنْ يَكْرَهَ النَّاسُ مَنِ اغْتِيبُوا فِي هَذِهِ الْأَوْرَاقِ وَالنَّشَرَاتِ، وَأَنْ يَتَمَرَّدُوا عَلَيْهِمْ، وَتُوجِبُ أَيْضًا إِيغَارَ الصُّدُورِ، وَإِحْدَاثَ الْفِتَنِ، فَهِيَ - وَالْعِيَاذُ بِاللَّهِ - غِيبَةٌ لِوُلَاةِ الْأُمُورِ، وَهِيَ مِنْ أَكْبَرِ الْآثَامِ فِي الْغِيبَةِ، فَالَّذِي يَنْظُرُهَا أَوْ يُصَوِّرُهَا وَيُوَزِّعُهَا آثِمٌ فَاعِلُ كَبِيرَةٍ - وَالْعِيَاذُ بِاللَّهِ - عَلَيْهِ إِثْمُهَا، وَإِثْمُ كُلِّ مَنْ تَأَثَّرَ بِهَا - نَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ السَّلَامَةَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ - لِأَنَّ هَذِهِ الْأُمُورَ لَا شَكَّ أَنَّهَا دَاخِلَةٌ فِي الْغِيبَةِ: «ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ»،

The gravity of backbiting varies according to its impact and consequences. For example, backbiting scholars is worse than backbiting commoners, and backbiting rulers—those in authority—is worse still. We can see that the leaflets currently circulating are, first, a form of backbiting, and second, that spreading them is a major sin. One incurs a grave burden by doing so, as these papers incite hatred against those mentioned, encourage rebellion, inflame hearts, and sow discord. We seek refuge in Allah, for this is backbiting against those in authority and stands among the worst forms of the sin. Whoever reads, copies, or distributes them commits a major transgression. They bear not only their own sin but also the sin of everyone influenced by them—we ask Allah for safety and well-being. These actions undoubtedly fall under the definition of backbiting: "mentioning your brother in a way he dislikes."

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Vocabulary · المفردات (24 verbs · 42 nouns)

• قَالَ — to say
• كَانَ — to be
• اِغْتَابَ — to backbite
• بَابٌ — chapter
• فَضْلٌ — virtue
• صَلَاةٌ — prayer