Know that backbiting is permitted for a valid, legally sanctioned purpose that cannot be attained except through it, and that is for six reasons:
رياض الصالحينAbū Zakariyyā Muḥyī al-Dīn Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī٢٥٦ - باب ما يباح من الغيبة
٢٥٦ - باب ما يباح من الغيبة
The first: seeking redress for a wrong. It is permissible for one who has been wronged to complain to the ruler, the judge, and others who hold authority or the power to obtain justice for him from the one who wronged him, saying: "So-and-so wronged me with such-and-such."
The second: seeking help in changing a wrong and turning a sinner back to what is right. So he says to one whose power to remove the wrong he hopes for: "So-and-so does such-and-such, so restrain him from it," and the like. His aim must be to bring about the removal of the wrong; but if he does not intend that, it is forbidden.
الثَّالِثُ: الاسْتِفْتَاءُ، فيقُولُ لِلمُفْتِي: ظَلَمَنِي أَبي أَوْ أخي، أَوْ زوجي، أَوْ فُلانٌ بكَذَا فَهَلْ لَهُ ذَلِكَ؟ وَمَا طَريقي في الخلاصِ مِنْهُ، وتَحْصيلِ حَقِّي، وَدَفْعِ الظُّلْمِ؟ وَنَحْو ذَلِكَ، فهذا جَائِزٌ لِلْحَاجَةِ، ولكِنَّ الأحْوطَ والأفضَلَ أَنْ يقول: مَا تقولُ في رَجُلٍ أَوْ شَخْصٍ، أَوْ زَوْجٍ، كَانَ مِنْ أمْرِهِ كذا؟ فَإنَّهُ يَحْصُلُ بِهِ الغَرَضُ مِنْ غَيرِ تَعْيينٍ، وَمَعَ ذَلِكَ، فالتَّعْيينُ جَائِزٌ كَمَا سَنَذْكُرُهُ في حَدِيثِ هِنْدٍ إنْ شَاءَ اللهُ تَعَالَى.
The third: seeking a legal verdict. So he says to the mufti: "My father, or my brother, or my husband, or so-and-so wronged me with such-and-such; does he have the right to do that? What is my way to escape it, to obtain my right, and to repel the injustice?" and the like. This is permissible out of need; but the more cautious and preferable course is for him to say: "What do you say about a man, or a person, or a husband, whose situation is thus?" — for the purpose is achieved by it without naming anyone. Even so, naming is permissible, as we shall mention in the hadith of Hind, if Allah, the Exalted, wills.
الرَّابعُ: تَحْذِيرُ المُسْلِمينَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ وَنَصِيحَتُهُمْ، وذَلِكَ مِنْ وُجُوهٍ:
The fourth: warning the Muslims against evil and giving them sincere counsel, and that is of several kinds:
مِنْهَا جَرْحُ المَجْرُوحينَ مِنَ الرُّواةِ والشُّهُودِ وذلكَ جَائِزٌ بإجْمَاعِ المُسْلِمينَ، بَلْ وَاجِبٌ للْحَاجَةِ.
Among them is the impugning of those narrators and witnesses who are open to criticism; that is permissible by the consensus of the Muslims — indeed, obligatory when there is need.
ومنها: المُشَاوَرَةُ في مُصاهَرَةِ إنْسانٍ أو مُشاركتِهِ، أَوْ إيداعِهِ، أَوْ مُعامَلَتِهِ، أَوْ غيرِ ذَلِكَ، أَوْ مُجَاوَرَتِهِ، ويجبُ عَلَى المُشَاوَرِ أَنْ لا يُخْفِيَ حَالَهُ، بَلْ يَذْكُرُ المَسَاوِئَ الَّتي فِيهِ بِنِيَّةِ النَّصيحَةِ.
And among them: consultation regarding entering into marriage ties with someone, or partnership with him, or entrusting a deposit to him, or dealing with him, or other than that, or being his neighbour. The one consulted is obliged not to conceal that person's condition; rather he should mention the faults in him with the intention of giving sincere counsel.
ومنها: إِذَا رأى مُتَفَقِّهًا يَتَرَدَّدُ إِلَى مُبْتَدِعٍ، أَوْ فَاسِقٍ يَأَخُذُ عَنْهُ العِلْمَ، وخَافَ أَنْ يَتَضَرَّرَ المُتَفَقِّهُ بِذَلِكَ، فَعَلَيْهِ نَصِيحَتُهُ بِبَيانِ حَالِهِ، بِشَرْطِ أَنْ يَقْصِدَ النَّصِيحَةَ، وَهَذا مِمَّا يُغلَطُ فِيهِ. وَقَدْ يَحمِلُ المُتَكَلِّمَ بِذلِكَ الحَسَدُ، وَيُلَبِّسُ الشَّيطانُ عَلَيْهِ ذَلِكَ، ويُخَيْلُ إِلَيْهِ أنَّهُ نَصِيحَةٌ فَليُتَفَطَّنْ لِذلِكَ.
And among them: if he sees a student of religious knowledge frequenting an innovator or a transgressor, taking knowledge from him, and he fears that the student will be harmed by that, he is obliged to counsel him by explaining that person's condition — on condition that he intend sincere advice. This is something in which people err: envy may drive the one who speaks of it, and Satan confuses the matter for him and makes it appear to him to be sincere counsel — so let him be alert to that.
وَمِنها: أَنْ يكونَ لَهُ وِلايَةٌ لا يقومُ بِهَا عَلَى وَجْهِها: إمَّا بِأنْ لا يكونَ صَالِحًا لَهَا، وإما بِأنْ يكونَ فَاسِقًا، أَوْ مُغَفَّلًا، وَنَحوَ ذَلِكَ فَيَجِبُ ذِكْرُ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ لَهُ عَلَيْهِ ولايةٌ عامَّةٌ لِيُزيلَهُ، وَيُوَلِّيَ مَنْ يُصْلحُ، أَوْ يَعْلَمَ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ لِيُعَامِلَهُ بِمُقْتَضَى حالِهِ، وَلاَ يَغْتَرَّ بِهِ، وأنْ يَسْعَى في أَنْ يَحُثَّهُ عَلَى الاسْتِقَامَةِ أَوْ يَسْتَبْدِلَ بِهِ.
And among them: that a person holds an office which he does not discharge as it ought to be — either because he is not fit for it, or because he is a transgressor, or negligent, or the like. It is then obligatory to mention that to one who has general authority over him, so that he may remove him and appoint someone competent, or so that he may come to know that about him in order to deal with him according to his condition and not be deceived by him, and so that he may strive to urge him towards uprightness or to replace him.
الخامِسُ: أَنْ يَكُونَ مُجَاهِرًا بِفِسْقِهِ أَوْ بِدْعَتِهِ كالمُجَاهِرِ بِشُرْبِ الخَمْرِ، ومُصَادَرَةِ النَّاسِ، وأَخْذِ المَكْسِ ، وجِبَايَةِ الأمْوَالِ ظُلْمًا، وَتَوَلِّي الأمُورِ الباطِلَةِ، فَيَجُوزُ ذِكْرُهُ بِمَا يُجَاهِرُ بِهِ، وَيَحْرُمُ ذِكْرُهُ بِغَيْرِهِ مِنَ العُيُوبِ، إِلاَّ أَنْ يكونَ لِجَوازِهِ سَبَبٌ آخَرُ مِمَّا ذَكَرْنَاهُ.
The fifth: that the person be one who openly flaunts his transgression or his innovation, like one who openly drinks wine, extorts people's property, takes unlawful tolls, collects wealth unjustly, and undertakes corrupt affairs. It is permissible to mention him for what he openly flaunts, but it is forbidden to mention him for his other defects — unless there is another reason permitting it, among those we have mentioned.
السَّادِسُ: التعرِيفُ، فإذا كَانَ الإنْسانُ مَعْرُوفًا بِلَقَبٍ، كالأعْمَشِ، والأعرَجِ، والأَصَمِّ، والأعْمى، والأحْوَلِ، وغَيْرِهِمْ جاز تَعْرِيفُهُمْ بذلِكَ، وَيَحْرُمُ إطْلاقُهُ عَلَى جِهَةِ التَّنْقِيصِ، ولو أمكَنَ تَعْريفُهُ بِغَيرِ ذَلِكَ كَانَ أوْلَى، فهذه ستَّةُ أسبابٍ ذَكَرَهَا العُلَمَاءُ وأكثَرُها مُجْمَعٌ عَلَيْهِ، وَدَلائِلُهَا مِنَ الأحادِيثِ الصَّحيحَةِ مشهورَةٌ. فمن ذَلِكَ:
The sixth: identification. If a person is known by a nickname, such as al-Aʿmash (the bleary-eyed), al-Aʿraj (the lame), al-Aṣamm (the deaf), al-Aʿmā (the blind), al-Aḥwal (the squint-eyed), and others, it is permissible to identify them by that; but it is forbidden to apply it by way of disparagement, and if it is possible to identify him by something else, that is better. So these are six reasons that the scholars have mentioned, most of which are agreed upon, and their proofs from the sound hadiths are well-known. Among them:
عن عائشة ﵂: أنَّ رجلًا اسْتَأذَنَ عَلَى النبيّ - ﷺ - فَقَالَ: «ائْذَنُوا لَهُ، بِئسَ أخُو العَشِيرَةِ؟». متفق عَلَيْهِ. احتَجَّ بِهِ البخاري في جوازِ غيبَة أهلِ الفسادِ وأهلِ الرِّيبِ.
On the authority of ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her): that a man sought permission to enter upon the Prophet (ﷺ), and he said: "Admit him; what an evil brother of his clan he is!" Agreed upon. Al-Bukhārī used it as evidence for the permissibility of backbiting the people of corruption and the people of doubtful character.
وعنها، قالت: قَالَ رسولُ الله - ﷺ: «مَا أظُنُّ فُلانًا وفُلانًا يَعْرِفانِ مِنْ دِينِنَا شَيْئًا». رواه البخاري. قَالَ: قَالَ اللَّيْثُ بن سعدٍ أحَدُ رُواة هَذَا الحديثِ: هذانِ الرجلانِ كانا من المنافِقِينَ.
And on her authority (ʿĀʾishah), who said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "I do not think that so-and-so and so-and-so understand anything of our religion." Al-Bukhārī narrated it. He said: Al-Layth ibn Saʿd, one of the narrators of this hadith, said: These two men were among the hypocrites.
وعن فاطمة بنتِ قيسٍ ﵂، قالت: أتيت النبيَّ - ﷺ - فقلتُ: إنَّ أَبَا الجَهْم وَمُعَاوِيَةَ خَطَبَانِي؟ فَقَالَ رسُولُ الله - ﷺ: «أمَّا مُعَاوِيَةُ، فَصُعْلُوكٌ لاَ مَالَ لَهُ، وأمَّا أَبُو الجَهْمِ، فَلاَ يَضَعُ العَصَا عَنْ عَاتِقِهِ» متفق عَلَيْهِ. وفي رواية لمسلم: «وَأمَّا أَبُو الجَهْمِ فَضَرَّابٌ لِلنِّساءِ» وَهُوَ تفسير لرواية: «لا يَضَعُ العَصَا عَنْ عَاتِقِهِ» وقيل: معناه: كثيرُ الأسفارِ.
And on the authority of Fāṭimah bint Qays (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: "Abū al-Jahm and Muʿāwiyah have proposed to me." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "As for Muʿāwiyah, he is a pauper with no wealth; and as for Abū al-Jahm, he never sets down his stick from his shoulder." Agreed upon. In a narration of Muslim: "As for Abū al-Jahm, he is one who beats women a great deal" — and this is an explanation of the narration "he never sets down the stick from his shoulder." It is also said that its meaning is: he travels a great deal.
وعن زيد بن أرقم - ﵁ - قَالَ: خرجنا مَعَ رسُولِ الله - ﷺ - في سَفَرٍ أصَابَ النَّاسَ فِيهِ شِدَّةٌ، فَقَالَ عبدُ اللهِ بن أُبَيّ: لاَ تُنْفِقُوا عَلَى مَنْ عِندَ رسولِ اللهِ - ﷺ - حَتَّى يَنْفَضُّوا، وقال: لَئِنْ رَجَعْنَا إِلَى المَدِينَةِ لَيُخْرِجَنَّ الأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا الأَذَلَّ، فَأَتَيْتُ رسُولَ اللهِ - ﷺ - فَأخْبَرْتُهُ بذلِكَ، فَأرْسَلَ إِلَى عبدِ الله بن أُبَيِّ، فَاجْتَهَدَ يَمِينَهُ: مَا فَعلَ، فقالوا: كَذَبَ زيدٌ رَسُولَ الله - ﷺ - فَوَقَعَ في نَفْسِي مِمَّا قَالُوهُ شِدَّةٌ حَتَّى أنْزلَ اللهُ تَعَالَى تَصْدِيقِي: ﴿إِذَا جَاءكَ المُنَافِقُونَ﴾ ثُمَّ دعاهُمُ النبيّ - ﷺ - لِيَسْتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ فَلَوَّوْا رُؤُوسَهُمْ. متفق عَلَيْهِ.
And on the authority of Zayd ibn Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: We set out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey in which the people suffered hardship. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy said: "Do not spend on those who are with the Messenger of Allah until they disperse," and he said: "If we return to Medina, the mightier will surely expel from it the more abased." So I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and informed him of that. He sent for ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy, who swore a solemn oath that he had not done it. So they said: "Zayd has lied against the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)." Distress fell into my soul at what they said, until Allah, the Exalted, sent down confirmation of me: "When the hypocrites come to you." Then the Prophet (ﷺ) summoned them so that he might seek forgiveness for them, but they turned their heads away. Agreed upon.
وعن عائشة ﵂، قالت: قالت هِنْدُ امْرَأةُ أَبي سفْيَانَ للنَّبيِّ - ﷺ: إنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ رَجُلٌ شَحِيحٌ وَلَيْسَ يُعْطِينِي مَا يَكْفيني وولَدِي إِلاَّ مَا أَخَذْتُ مِنْهُ، وَهُوَ لا يَعْلَمُ؟ قَالَ: «خُذِي مَا يَكْفِيكِ وَوَلدَكِ بِالمَعْرُوفِ». متفق عَلَيْهِ.
And on the authority of ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: Hind, the wife of Abū Sufyān, said to the Prophet (ﷺ): "Abū Sufyān is a miserly man, and he does not give me what suffices me and my children, except for what I take from him without his knowing." He said: "Take what suffices you and your children, in a reasonable manner." Agreed upon.