6. Defining someone - If someone is known to the people by his

nickname, such as "the bleary eyed one", "the one who limps", he did not pray properly. 'Umar ~ sent for him and said, "O Aba lshaq! These people claim that you do not pray properly." Abu lshaq said, "By Allaah, I used to pray with them a prayer similar to that of Allaah's Messenger ~ and I never reduced anything of it. I used to prolong the first two Rakat of 'lshaa' prayer and shorten the last two Rakat." 'Umar ~ said, "O Aba lshaq, this was what I thought about you." And then he sent one or more persons with him to Kufa so as to ask the people about him. So they went there and did not leave any mosque without asking about him.

All the people praised him till they came to the mosque of the tribe of Bani 'Abs; one of the men called Usama bin Qatada with a surname of Aba Sa'da stood up and said, "As you have put us under an oath; I am bound to tell you that Sa'd never went himself with the army and never distributed (the war booty) equally and never did justice in legal verdicts." (On hearing it) Sa'd said, "I pray to Allaah for three things: 0 Allaah! If this slave of yours is a liar and got up for showing off, give him a long life, increase his poverty and put him to trials." (And so it happened). Later on when that person was asked how he was, he used to reply that he was an old man in trial as the result of Sa'd's curse. 'Abdul Malik, the sub narrator, said that he had seen him afterwards and his eyebrows were overhanging his eyes owing to old age and he used to tease and assault the small girls in the way." (Bukhaaree) The proof in this narration is that 'Umar ~ did not adjudge the complainant to be backbiting. Rather, he acted upon them.

And Allaah ~ knows best. Guarding the Tongue "the deaf guy", "the blind guy", "cross-eyed", "flat-nosed", and other than that, then it is permissible to particularize him as such, with the aim of identifying him. However, it is forbidden to apply that to him, when one's intention is to degrade him. If he can be identified with another (more appropriate) type of name, then that is more preferable. These are the six cases, in which the scholars have stated that backbiting is permissible, if it is done in accordance to the guidelines we mentioned above.

From those who have reported similar to what we have stated is Abu Haamid AI-Ghazaalee 41 v-J in his book "Al-lhyaa"l391, as well as other scholars. The evidences for the permissibility of backbiting can be found in authentic and well-known Ahaadeeth. Furthermore, there is an agreement of the scholars concerning the allowance of backbiting in these six cases. It is reported in the Saheehs of AI-Bukhaaree and Muslim that 'Aa'ishah ~ said: "A man sought permission of the Prophet ~ to enter (his house), so he said: (39) lhyaa' Uloom Ad-Deen, by lmaam Aboo Haamid AI-Ghazzaalee ..i,1..,...,, is a book written about the actions of the heart. In praise and in criticism of the book, Shaykhu/-lslaam \bn Taymiyyah said: "Al-lhyaa contains many beneficial points, but it contains objectionable subjects, since it contains corrupt talks of the philosophers about tawhid, Prophethood, and the Hereafter.

Mentioning the 'knowledge' of the Soofees is like taking an enemy of the Muslims and dressing him up in Muslim c\othes ... lt contains many Ahaadeeth and reports, which are weak, rather fabricated (Mawdoo'), and it contains many mistakes and lies of the Soofees. Along with that it also contains sayings of the Shaykhs of the Soofees who have knowledge and are upright regarding actions of the heart, being in accordance with the Book and the Sunnah, and other things concerning worship and behaviour, which also conform to the Book and the Sunnah, such things being more than that which is to be rejected. Therefore the opinions of the people vary and they differ about it." Golden Advice Series 04 'Permit him to enter, and what an evil brother to (his) relatives he is."'[4o1 AI-Bukhaaree uses this hadith as evidence for the permissibility of backbiting the people of mischief and doubts. lbn Mas'ood ~ narrated: "The Messenger of Allaah ~ divided a portion (of war booty amongst the people), so a man from the Ansaar said: I swear by Allaah, Muhammad did not intend the face of Allaah by this (i.e. he was not fair). So I went to Allaah's Messenger and informed him of this. His face changed (i.e. he became mad) and said: 'May Allaah have mercy on Moosaa.

He was indeed abused with greater than this, but he was patient."'[411 AI-Bukhaaree uses this hadith as proof that a person is allowed to inform his brother of what is being said about him. 'Aa'ishah ~ reported that Allaah's Messenger :i once said: "I do not think that this person and that person know anything at all about our Religion."[421 AI-Laith bin Sa'ad ~ , one of the narrators of the hadith's [40] Bukhaaree. [41] Bukhaaree & Muslim. [42] Bukhaaree. Guarding the Tongue chain said: "They were two individuals from among the hypocrites (at his time)." Zayd bin Arqam ~ reported: "We set out on a journey with the Prophet and the people suffered great difficulty (due to a lack of provisions). So 'Abdullaah bin Ubay[43l said to his companions: 'Don't spend on those who are with Allaah's Messenger ~ so that they may disperse and go away from him.' He said: 'If we return to Madeenah, surely, the more honourable will expel the lowly ones from it. So I went to the Prophet ~ and informed him of that.

He sent for 'Abdullaah bin Ubay and asked him, but 'Abdullaah bin Ubay swore that he did not say so. So the people said: 'Zayd told a lie to Allaah's Messenger.' And what they said distressed me very much. Later Allaah ~ revealed the confirmation of my statement in His Saying: 'When the hypocrites come to you ... ' [AI-Munafiqoon ( 63): 1](441 Also there is the hadith of Hind ~ ' the wife of Abu Sufyaan ~ , in which she said to the Prophet ~ : "Indeed, Abu Sufyaan is a stingy man."(451 And also the hadith of Faatimah Bint Qays ~ , when the Prophet ~ said to her (with regard to her accepting marriage proposals from two suitors): (43] Translator's Note: He was the leader of the hypocrites in Madeenah. Upon his death, Allaah revealed Verses commanding the Prophet ~ not to pray the funeral prayer over him.

(44] Bukhaaree. (45] Bukhaaree. Golden Advice Series 04 t~~ t;f. J, .A.Z~ ·~ ~w ',., ~ ., 't t;f - , V ~ ~ Y. j Jli ~ nµ ''As for Mu'awiyah, then he is utterly poor. And as for Abu Jahm, then he does not cease to remove the stick from his shoulder (i.e. he beats his wives).''1461 What Should One Do When He Hears His Shaykh, Friend Or Someone Else Being Backbitten?

Know that it is upon the one who hears a Muslim being backbitten to oppose it and prevent the one doing the backbiting. If he is not able to prevent him with his speech, then he should stop him with his hand. If he is neither able to do so with his hand or with his tongue, then he should get up and leave that gathering. And if he hears his teacher (Shaykh) being backbitten - or anyone else who has a right over him, or if the person (being backbitten) is from the people of righteousness and nobility, then his concern with what we have mentioned above should be greater. Abu Ad-Dardaa ~ narrated that the Prophet ~ said: / ,,,, ~ ,,,, "/ I /" t I / 0 / / I~ t I O / / ,~ I "'/