Translation from Kanz-ul-Iman: And do not backbite one another. Would any one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would not tolerate it!

(Part 26, Surah Al-Hujurat, Ayah 12)

Sadr-ul-Afadil, ‘Allamah Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Na’eemuddin Muradabadi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has stated regarding the above-mentioned Ayah: One should not even tolerate backbiting against his Muslim brother because calling him bad behind his back is like eating his flesh after his death because the way a person feels pain if his flesh is cut, similarly backbiting gives pain to his heart and, in fact, honour is more important than the flesh.

The reason of revelation as mentioned in Tafseer Khaza`in-ul-‘Irfan: When the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would set out on a Jihad, he صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would group one poor person with two rich individuals so that the poor person would serve his rich companions and the rich would feed him. This way all would benefit from each other. Similarly, Sayyiduna Salman رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ was grouped with two individuals. One day, he fell asleep and could not prepare a meal, so his companions sent him to the Beloved and Blessed Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم to get food. Sayyiduna Usamah رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ was the servant of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم who did not have any food left; he said that he had nothing. Sayyiduna Salman رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ returned and said the same to his companions. When he informed his companions, they replied, ‘Usamah has become stingy.’

When those two people went to the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم he             صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘I can see the colour of flesh in your mouth.’ They humbly said, ‘We have not eaten any meat!’ The Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم told them, ‘You have committed backbiting and the one, who backbites against a Muslim, eats the flesh of a Muslim.’ (Tafseer Baghawi, vol. 4, pp. 194)

Dear Islamic brothers! Have you noticed! Committing backbiting has been declared to be the worst deed like eating the flesh of our dead brother. But unfortunately despite this, nowadays majority of Muslims indulge in committing the grave sin of backbiting whether it is the father or the mother, the brother or the sister, the husband or the wife, the mother-in-law or the daughter in-law, the father-in-law or the son-in-law, the teacher or the