Conclusion

On Ghiybah

بِاسْمِهِ وَاِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ اِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ

In the Fifth Point of the First Ray of the First Light of the Twenty-Fifth Word, a single âyah's arousing aversion from ghiybah in six ways — which serves as an example for the station of condemnation and restraint — has fully demonstrated how abhorrent ghiybah is in the eyes of the Quran, leaving no need for further explanation. Indeed, after the explanation of the Qur'an, no further explanation is possible, nor is there any need for it.

Here, the âyah

اَيُحِبُّ اَحَدُكُمْ اَنْ يَاْكُلَ لَحْمَ اَخِيهِ مَيْتًا 1

condemns in six degrees of condemnation, and severely restrains from ghiybah on six levels. When this âyah is directed at those who engage in ghiybah, its meaning is as follows:

It is well-known that the interrogative hamza ( أ ) at the beginning of the âyah conveys the meaning of questioning (âyâ). This interrogative meaning penetrates every word of the âyah like water. Thus, there is an implicit judgment in each word.

Here is the first: through the hamza, the âyah says, "Do you not (Âyâ) possess a mind, which is the seat of question and answer, that it fails to comprehend such an ugly thing?”

The second, through the word

يُحِبُّ 2

the âyah says, "Has your heart, which is the seat of love and aversion, been so corrupted and rotten that it loves the most detestable thing?"

The third, through the word

 اَحَدُكُمْ 3

the âyah says, "What has happened to your social life and civilisation, which draw their very life from the community (jamâ’ah), that they accept an act which poisons your very existence in this way?"

The fourth, through the words

اَنْ يَاْكُلَ لَحْمَ  4

the âyah says, "What has happened to your humanity that you are savagely tearing apart your friend with your teeth?"

The fifth, through the word

اَخِيهِ 5

the âyah says, "Have you no compassion for your own kind, no regard for the bonds of sila ar-rahm,6 that you unjustly bite the ma’nawî personality of a wronged person who is your brother in so many aspects? And do you not possess a mind that you are madly biting your own limbs with your own teeth?"

The sixth, through the word

مَيْتًا  7

the âyah says, “Where is your conscience (Vijdân)? Has your fitrah been so corrupted and rotten that you commit the most abhorrent act — eating his flesh — against a brother of yours who deserves the highest respect?”

It means that through the expression of this âyah and the individual indications of its words: condemnation and ghiybah are condemned by the mind, the heart, the humanity, conscience (Vijdân), fitrah and nationhood. See now! How this âyah, with its concise eloquence, condemns condemnation in six degrees, and miraculously restrains from that crime on six levels.

Ghiybah is a lowly weapon most commonly used by the people of enmity, envy and obstinacy. An honourable person would never stoop to using this filthy weapon. As a renowned figure once said,

اُكَبِّرُ نَفْسِى عَنْ جَزَاءٍ بِغِيْبَةٍ ٭ فَكُلُّ اِغْتِيَابٍ جَهْدُ مَنْ لاَ لَهُ جَهْدٌ

That is, "I hold myself above punishing my enemy through ghiybah, and I do not deign to do so. For ghiybah is the weapon of the weak, the lowly and the despised."

Ghiybah is defined as follows: If the person spoken about were present and heard it, he would dislike it and feel offended. If what is said is true, it is ghiybah itself. If it is a lie, it is both ghiybah and slander (iftirâ) — a double-layered, ugly sin.

Ghiybah can be permissible (jâiz) in a few specific cases:

First: A person speaks to the official in charge in the form of a complaint, so that he may help remove that evil and wrongdoing from him, thereby securing his rights.

Second: A person wishes to enter into a partnership with someone and consults (mashwarah) with you. If you say, purely for the sake of a genuine benefit and without malice, in order to fulfil the duty of consultation: "Do not enter into partnership with him, for you will suffer harm."

Third: When the purpose is not to insult or expose, but rather to describe and identify, one says: "That limping and ragged man went to such and such a place."

Fourth: The one spoken about is a fâsiq al-mutajâhir. That is, he is not ashamed of his wrongdoing; rather, he takes pride in the sins he commits; he takes pleasure in his dhulm without being embarrassed, committing it openly without any shame.

Thus, in these specific cases, ghiybah can be permissible (jâiz) if it is done without malice and purely for the sake of haqq and a genuine benefit. Otherwise, just as the fire consumes wood, ghiybah consumes good deeds (‘amâl as-sâlihah).

If a person has committed ghiybah or listened to it willingly, then he should say,

اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْلَنَا وَ لِمَنِ اغْتَبْنَاهُ 8

and whenever he crosses paths with the one spoken about, he should say, "Forgive me for the wrong I have done to you and release me from your rights."

 

اَلْبَاقِى هُوَ الْبَاقِى

Said Nursî