Backbiting and Its Adverse Effects

Backbiting and Its Adverse Effects

'Ghibah is not an easy term to translate- there is no single equivalent word in English, although it may be loosely covered by the term Backbiting (Ghibah) also includes Gossip, slandering, scandal-mongering, etc. Whichever word we chose, we cannot escape from the fact that Ghibah affects us all. We have all been victims and - we must be honest - we have all been guilty of this sin. But it is not a matter to be taken lightly - Backbiting can wreck lives and shatter communities. If we seek to unite as Muslims, we must combat Ghibah. Islam is a practical faith which recognizes the human conditions and offers achievable remedies to the problems that beset us. Every human society faces the problem of gossip, and Islam shows us how to tackle it in a sensible and humane manner. [At-Tirmidhi]