Is speaking about people's flaws, without disparaging them, considered backbiting (gheebah)?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
As long as a person dislikes the mention of it, then it is forbidden backbiting, even if it is not a disparagement. This is based on the saying of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him: "Do you know what backbiting is?" They said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "It is your mentioning about your brother that which he dislikes..." the . The criterion for backbiting is that anything by which you make another understand a defect in a Muslim is forbidden backbiting.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/150829
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 150829
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy