One can do away with doing so by voicing displeasure with...

One can do away with doing so by voicing displeasure with these things which are attributed to him. The other is attracting one’s attention to something whereby he hates to be identified. This is more general than the first because of making a statement, a reference, or narrating a tale or other things, and it is better because of what we will be explaining about backbiting not being restricted to only making statements.

A famous tradition cites the Prophet (ص) asking his companions, “Do you know what backbiting is?” They said, “Allāh and His Messenger know best.” He said, “It is when you say something about your brother which he hates.” It was said to him, “Suppose what I say about my brother is true.” He said, “If what you say is true, it is backbiting, and if it is not, it is slandering.” This is recorded in Tanbīh al-Khwatir , Vol. 1, p. 118. It is also recorded in Al-Targheeb wal Tarheeb , Vol. 3, p. 515.

Some people mentioned the name of a man in the presence of the Prophet (ص), saying, “How weak he is!” He (ص) said, “You have backbitten your fellow.” They said, “O Messenger of Allāh! What we have said about him is true!” He (ص) said, “If you wrongfully attribute something to him, you will be slandering him.” This is stated in Ad-Durr Al-Manthoor , Vol. 6, p. 96. There is consensus about prohibiting backbiting. It is a major sin due to both the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah warning against it.

Allāh Almighty clearly holds it in contempt in His Book, making a similitude between one who is guilty of it to one who eats the flesh of his dead brother. He says, “O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible), for suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy on each other, nor speak ill of others by way of backbiting. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay! You would abhor it... but fear Allāh, for Allāh is oft-Returning, Most Merciful” (Qur'ān, 49:12).

The Messenger of Allāh (ص) has said, “A Muslim, all of him, is prohibited from harming another Muslim, whether shedding his blood, or robbing him of his possessions, or harming his honor” (Vol. 1, p. 115 of Tanbīh al-Khawātir ). Jābir [ibn Abdullāh al-Ansāri] and Abū Sa`īd al-Khudri have said, “He (ص) has said, ‘Beware of backbiting, for backbiting is worse than adultery.

An adulterer repents, so Allāh accepts his repentance, but one who backbites is not forgiven unless his fellow [whom he had backbitten] forgives him’” (Vol. 1, p. 115 of Tanbīh al-Khawātir ; p.