Backbiting and Accusations

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Backbiting destroys the religion of a person faster than an internal cancerous disease.’ “The Imam has also said, ‘The Messenger of Allah has said, “Sitting in the mosque is worship as long as it does not happen.” He was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, ‘What has not happened?’ He said, ‘Backbiting.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

148. Ali Bin Ibrahim, and a number of our companions, from Sahl Bin ziyad altogether, from Muhammad Bin Isa, from Yunus, from Abu Al-Sabbah Al-Kanany, from Al-Asbagh Bin Nabata who said: Amir-ul-Momineen (asws) said: ‘For the sun there are three hundred constellations. Each of the constellations from these is like an island from the islands of Arabia. So it descends upon a constellation from these each day. So when it disappears, it ends up to the limits beneath the Throne. It does not stop prostrating until the next day. Then it returns to the place of its rising, and with it are two Angels who hail with it and turn its face towards the people of the sky, reversing it from the people of the earth. And had it faced the people of the earth, it would have burnt down the earth and the ones upon it due to the intensity of its heat. And the meaning of its prostration is what the Glorious and the High has Said: “[22:18] Do you not see that to Allah bow down in worship all things that are in the heavens and on earth, the sun, the moon, the stars; the hills, the trees, the animals; and a great number among mankind?”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from certain individuals of his people from Abū ʿAbdillāh (AS) who said: "Whoever says about a believer what his eyes have seen and his ears have heard, he is among those whom Allah, the Almighty and Glorious, has said about: 'Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread among those who have believed will have a painful punishment.'" (24:19).

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu’alla ibn Muhammad from al- Hassan ibn Ali al-Washsha’ from Dawud ibn Sarhan who has said the following: “Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) about backbiting. The Imam said, ‘It is when you say about your brother in belief something about his religion that he has not done, and publicize against him something that Allah has covered up for him and he is not convicted for such crimes.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from his father from Harun ibn al-Jahm from Hafs ibn ‘Umar from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Holy Prophet was asked, ‘What is the expiation for backbiting?’ He said, ‘It is to ask forgiveness from Allah for the person backbitten whenever one remembers him. ’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from Malik ibn ‘Atiyyah from ibn abu Ya’fur from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Whoever accuses a believer with something that is not in him, Allah will raise him formed with the clay of Khabal, in which he will remain until he is out of what he had said. ’ I (the narrator) then asked, ‘What is KhabalT The Imam said, ‘It is the puss that comes out from the vagina of the prostitutes.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al- ‘ Abbas ibn ‘Amir from Aban from a man we do not know except Yahya al- Azraq who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan (a.s.) once said to me, ‘Anyone’s mentioning a man behind his back with something that is found in him and people know is not backbiting. Whoever mentions a person behind his back with something that is found in him and people do not know it, he has backbitten him. Whoever mentions a person with something that is not found in him has accused him falsely.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

7. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from ‘Abd al-Rahman from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Sayabah who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Backbiting is when you say something about your brother (in belief) that Allah has covered up for him. However, the matters that are manifest in him like hot-temperedness and haste is not backbiting. Accusation is when you say about him what is not found in him.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.