What’s gossiping?
Have
you ever met someone guilty of cannibalism? Probably not, yet if many
of us who gossiped were to go by any name – it would be this. This is
the way backbiting is described in Islam and many of us know it.
Allah warns us: “O
you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some
assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of
you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it.
And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and
Merciful.” (49: 12)
As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us, backbiting is “to say something about your brother that he would dislike.” Someone asked him (peace and blessings be upon him): “But what if what I say is true?” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)said: “If what you say about him is true, you are backbiting him, but if it is not true then you have slandered him.”
Why do people gossip?
When someone loves to gossip, it is usually for one or more of the following reasons:
1. Ignorance
2. Low Self-Confidence
3. Envy
4. Boredom/Wasting time
5. Trying to impress you
6. Low faith
What to do when people gossip?
Sometimes
we feel we have been dragged into it and really want to avoid
situations where gossip takes place, and though we really want to do it,
we don’t know how to get out of the conversation let alone put a stop
to it. Here are some tips to help you out insha’Allah:
1. Praise the person being talked about
Witness your iman increase up as you defend them asthe Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“Whoever defends his brother’s honour, Allah will protect his face from the Fire of the Day of Resurrection.”(Tirmidhi)
There
may be that moment just before speaking up in which you hesitate, but
muster up some courage: once you get the first few words out, you will
feel good about doing the right thing and people will realize that they
are engaging in wasteful talk.
2. Invite truth from each other
Though
it might be quite an outrageous act at first, you could ask the one who
is gossiping to actually come with you and check the truth about what
they are saying in the presence of the one they talked about! You don’t
really need to go and verify but this is an action which is really part
of the Sunnah, for we should prevent lying about one another and
tarnishing people’s reputation especially if it is based on rumours.
3. Explain it’s none of your concern:
This
is probably the hardest part we stumble upon when a group of friends
slip into gossip, however we should imply that it‘s none of the
gossiper’s business to discuss other people affairs unless it is in a
permissible manner. If you can encourage someone to not speak about
others badly, then you can also tell them that it does not interest you
or is irrelevant to you – instead find a mutual topic of interest to
discuss other than people!
Al Hasan Al Basri said: “A sign that Allah has turned away from a servant is that He makes him busy with matters that are of no concern to him.”
4. Put yourself in their shoes
Asking the person gossiping( or even ourselves for that matter) the question: “How would I feel if this vicious rumour was said about me?” should
make one regain some sense of integrity and put himself in the position
of the one he just spoke against, hopefully repelling him/her from
talking about another.
5. Change the topic
If
you’ve tried the steps above and still find someone engaging in gossip
about useless matters, find something else to talk about; take the lead
in bringing up a subject you know they are interested in, or ask them to
tell you about themselves.
6. Leave
If
all else fails and you’ve tried to pull out all of the above tips–
simply excuse yourself and leave the gathering. For Allah has advised us
in the Quran:
“And
when you see those who engage in [offensive] discourse concerning Our
verses, then turn away from them until they enter into another
conversion. And if Satan should cause you to forget, then do not remain
after the reminder with the wrongdoing people.” [Al-An’am 6:68]
How to stop yourself from gossiping?
What about if it’s you who’s responsible for the vain talk?
Hold your breath and recall these tips before saying a word
1. Remember backbiting is a major sin in Islam and is one of the causes for entering the Hellfire
2. Ask yourself:
“Would
the person I am about to speak of like what I’m going to say? Would I
say it if the person was present? Will I feel good about myself after
saying it?”
You
can save yourself some guilt ridden apologies later by simply asking
these questions to yourself. In addition, you can try to think about how
you felt the last time you found out that people were speaking badly or
falsely about you.
3. Is it useful for anyone to know?
Allah Most High has said:
“Successful are the believers, who are humble in their prayers, and who turn away from pointless talk” [23:1-3] And “Those who do not bear witness to what is false, but when they pass by pointless talk, pass by with dignity” [25:72], “When they hear pointless talk, they turn away from it” [28:55]
“Successful are the believers, who are humble in their prayers, and who turn away from pointless talk” [23:1-3] And “Those who do not bear witness to what is false, but when they pass by pointless talk, pass by with dignity” [25:72], “When they hear pointless talk, they turn away from it” [28:55]
These
verses describe the characteristics we should embody in speech. A top
tip to help you is to cut short telephone conversations and keeping chat
to essential things.
4. Is it necessary for anyone to know?
Even
if it is, does it require your intervention? Often it is the trick of
shaytan when we indulge in backbiting, as we seem to feel better about
ourselves if we downgrade others. Instead ask yourself how we can
improve our own character and lives.
5.
Imagine that the person you are talking about can hear everything you
are saying. However, know that Allah Ta’ala is The All-Seeing,
All-Hearing, and All-Knowing. We should not forget about Day on which we
will be held accountable for our deeds. Remember backbiting is a bad
reflection on your own character.
6.
Be mindful of the company you keep. Keep away from people who usually
turn to gossip. Recall the times in which you usually find yourself
gossiping and keep yourself busy during that time with other tasks or
even better – invite friends to learn about the grave consequences of
gossiping!
7. Are you 100% sure about it?
Spreading false information is slander as it is creating discord and problems between Muslims. As we are told in the Quran:
“Why,
when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think
good of themselves [i.e. one another] and say: ‘This is an obvious
falsehood’?”[24:12]
8.
Rejoice at the time and reward you’ll gain by stopping this nasty habit
not to mention the good deeds you will accumulate to efface the bad
ones. You‘ll be surprised about the time, energy, and faith boost you
will gain in this life, and the reward that awaits you in the akhirah
insha’Allah.
9.
Look for positive qualities in people. If you really have to talk about
someone who’s not there, talk about how great, hardworking, funny,
humble they are instead of deficiencies; as I often say ‘we are always
quick to find imperfections in others but not ourselves’.
10.
If you feel you have to say it to someone and that you can’t keep the
news for yourself, write it in your diary or on a private piece of a
paper. Reread it after a couple of days and evaluate if you still want
to let the world know you are not trustworthy enough to keep a
confidential fact to yourself! Discard of the paper, and of the thought
in your mind – disciplining your thoughts to be good of others should be
instilled instead.
11.
Repent and make the intention to stop, you could keep the verses and
ahadith about the punishment of this sin on your wallpaper or screen to
remind you at work (where people politics can enter!). Lastly make dua’a
to Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala)to help you and while it takes effort,
don’t give up:
“Whosoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, then let him speak good or remain silent.”[Al-Bukhari]
And the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: “O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), which of the Muslims is best?” He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “He whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe from.” [Al Bukhari and Muslim]
What about if someone is gossiping about you?
Send them a gift. They are providing you with rewards!
Someone was told: “So-and-so has gossiped about you” so he sent him a dish of dates, with the message: “I
heard that you had given me your rewards as a gift, and I want to
return the favour; please excuse me for not being able to pay back in
full!”
Whilst this is amusing, it bears great dignity for one to befriend the one who has backbitten him
To
conclude, make the intention to purify your heart today by applying
these practical tips to stop wasting your life on a grave act. Share
other tips you have here below!
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