Salafus-Saaliheen سلف صالحين

Bismillaah innal hamdulillaah was salaatu was salaamu `alaa
rasoolillaah wa `alaa aalihi wa sahbihi ajma`een, wa ba`ad...

as salaamu `alaykunna wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh-

Tale carrying involves converying the speech of one group of people to another in order to spread dissention between them. Allaah has indeed censured the one described with this characteristic and forbade against listening to his speech as He Says (meaning): "And do not obey every habitual swearer and slanderer going about with malicious gossip: preventer of good, transgressing and sinful." [68:10-12]


His statement "going about with malicious gossip" refers to the one who goes around among the people inciting discord and carrying tales as mentioned in Tafseer ibn Katheer.

Tale carrying is from the major sins: On authority of ibn `Abbaas (radiyAllaahu `anhumaa) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) passed by two graves and they were being tormented, but they were not being tormented for something great, while indeed it is a major sin. One of them carried tales and the other did not keep himself free from being defiled by urine. [Saheehayn]

...Hudhayfah said, "I heard the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam) say: 'A slanderer (Qattaat) will not enter Paradise.' " [Bukhaaree #6056/10]

His statement "Qattaat" is explained in the narration of Muslim: "A tale carrier (Nammaam) will not enter Paradise."

It is said that the slanderer (Qattaat) is one that listens to something that he does not know about, and then he converys what he has heard.

So the affair of tale carrying is a dangerous one, it creates dissention between friends and corrupts the strong bonds that connect them...

It is from corruption and animosity. Allaah has prohibited corruption as He Says (meaning): "And do not seek corruption in the land. Indeed, Allaah does not like people of corruption." [28:77]

rather, He orders rectification: "Fear Allaah and rectify that which is between you." [8:1] Additionally He Says (meaning): "And if two factions from the believers should fight, then reconcile between them." [49:9]

He Says (meaning): "There is no good in much of their private conversation, except for those who enjoin charity or that which is good or reconciliation between people. Whoever does that seeking the pleasure of Allaah, then We will give him a great reward." [4:114]

And the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said from the narration of abu ad-Dardaa': "Should I not inform you of something more excellent in degree than fasting and giving charity?" They said, 'Of course, O Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam)!' He said, "Reconciliation between the people and the corruption of this is destructive (Haaliqah)." [as-saheeh al-Musnad 149/2, abu Daawood]

"Haaliqah" is the characteristic that usually causes people to shave; meaning it destroys and eliminates the religion just as the razor eliminates the hair. It is also saod that it is the severing of family ties and mutual oppression. [an-Nihaayah 428/1]

From the examples of efforts to corrupt relationships is the inciting of a woman against her husband.

Abu Daawood narrated upon the authority of abu Hurayrah (radiyAllaahu `anhu) who said that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever incites the wife of a man or his servant against him is not from us." [Hasan]

Therefore, it is obligatory to strive towards reconciliation between the Muslims and not to corrupt them.

Moreover, his statement "is not from us" is if he was in opposition to Islaamic Law. then he is considered a disbeliever so the meaning entails that he is not upon our rligion...if he was negligent, then the meaning here is that he is not upon our way. Also from the pious predecessors, there were those who said that it should be understood as it was revealed...


Know that the one who carries tales to you carries tales about you. So I advise whoever possesses this characteristic with softness, easiness, and good admonition time after time. However, if she is not reprimanded, then warn your sisters from her and stay away from her gatherings.

The people of knowledge differ regarding backbiting and tale carrying. Do they oppose one another or are they similar? The position supported by al-Haafidh (rahimahullaah) is that dissimilarity exists between the two and that between the two are both general and specific aspects...carrying tales is conveying the condition of a person to other than him for the purpose of spreading mischief without his consent, regardless of whether he knew about it or not; whereas backbiting is mentioning him in his absence with that which is displeasing to him. Therefore, tale carrying is distinct in that it is done with the intention of spreading mischief and this is not a condition applicable backbiting. Backbiting is distinct in that it occurs in the absence of the subject of the backbiting; but both carrying tales and backbiting share in other than what has been mentioned...

Indeed shaykh Muhammad ibn `abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) mentioned a chapter entitled "Chapter: In clarification of some of the types of magic" in Kitaab at-Tawheed. From the evidences that he mentioned is the prophetic narration narrated by Muslim upon the authority of ibn Mas`ood (radiyAllaah `anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said: "Should I not inform you what slandering is? It is a tale carrying which creates dissention amongst people." The explainer of Kitaab at-Tawheed - `abdur-Rahmaan Hasan said that ibn `abdul-Barr mentioned upon the authority of Yahyaa ibn abee Katheer who said, "The one who carries tales and backbites corrupts in one hour what a magician cannot corrupt in a year." Abul-Khattaab said, "And from magic is laboring in carrying tales and spreading corruption between the people." [`Uyyoon al-Masaa'il] He said, "And he pointed out that he means harm with his speech and action by way of deceit and trickery which resembles magic, and this is commonly known to the people, by way of custom, that it produces and generates results which are similar to magic, or even more so. Thus, it is assigned the ruling of magic in an attempt to unite that which is similar or approximate. However, it is said, 'The magician disbelieves by way of his association to magic.' This is a specific affair with specific evidence, while the other is not a magician; but rather indeed, his action produces what a magician may produce, so he is given the same ruling except in what is specific to magic like disbelief and the abandonment of accepting a magician's repentance." [al-Furoo']




My Advice to the Women
Shaykhah Umm `Abdillaah al-Waadi'iyyah (haafidahallaah)
pgs. 43-52