Quran Verses about Backbiting and suspicion
Allah commands the believers to avoid much suspicion, not to spy on one another and not to backbite, which is likened to eating the flesh of one's dead brother. The verses also rebuke those who did not think well of fellow believers, forbid spreading indecent talk from mouth to mouth, and warn the backbiter, the slanderer and the one who goes about with malicious gossip.
The prohibition of suspicion, spying and backbiting
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا يَسۡخَرۡ قَوۡمٞ مِّن قَوۡمٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونُواْ خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَلَا نِسَآءٞ مِّن نِّسَآءٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهُنَّۖ وَلَا تَلۡمِزُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَلَا تَنَابَزُواْ بِٱلۡأَلۡقَٰبِۖ بِئۡسَ ٱلِٱسۡمُ ٱلۡفُسُوقُ بَعۡدَ ٱلۡإِيمَٰنِۚ وَمَن لَّمۡ يَتُبۡ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ ١١
Yāʾayyuhal-ladhīna āmanū lā yaskhar qawmum min qawmin ʿasā ay yakūnū khayram minhum wa lā nisāʾum min nisāʾin ʿasā ay yakunna khayram minhunn, wa lā talmizū anfusakum wa lā tanābazū bil-alqāb, biʾsalismul-fusūqu baʿdal-īmān, wa mal lam yatub fa ulāʾika humuẓ-ẓālimūn.
O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name [i.e., mention] of disobedience after [one's] faith. And whoever does not repent - then it is those who are the wrongdoers.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱجۡتَنِبُواْ كَثِيرٗا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعۡضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثۡمٞۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُواْ وَلَا يَغۡتَب بَّعۡضُكُم بَعۡضًاۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمۡ أَن يَأۡكُلَ لَحۡمَ أَخِيهِ مَيۡتٗا فَكَرِهۡتُمُوهُۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابٞ رَّحِيمٞ ١٢
Yāʾayyuhal-ladhīna āmanujtanibū kathīram minaẓ-ẓanni inna baʿḍaẓ-ẓanni ithm, wa lā tajassasū wa lā yaghtab baʿḍukum baʿḍā, ayuḥibbu aḥadukum ay yaʾkula laḥma akhīhi maytan fakarihtumūh, wattaqullāh, innallāha tawwābur raḥīm.
O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allāh; indeed, Allāh is Accepting of Repentance and Merciful.
Thinking well of fellow believers
لَّوۡلَآ إِذۡ سَمِعۡتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمۡ خَيۡرٗا وَقَالُواْ هَٰذَآ إِفۡكٞ مُّبِينٞ ١٢
Lawlā idh samiʿtumūhu ẓannal-muʾminūna wal-muʾminātu biʾanfusihim khayraw wa qālū hādhā ifkum mubīn.
Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of themselves [i.e., one another] and say, "This is an obvious falsehood"?
The prohibition of spreading indecent talk
إِذۡ تَلَقَّوۡنَهُۥ بِأَلۡسِنَتِكُمۡ وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفۡوَاهِكُم مَّا لَيۡسَ لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلۡمٞ وَتَحۡسَبُونَهُۥ هَيِّنٗا وَهُوَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ عَظِيمٞ ١٥
Idh talaqqawnahū biʾalsinatikum wa taqūlūna biʾafwāhikum mā laysa lakum bihī ʿilmuw wa taḥsabūnahū hayyinaw wa huwa ʿindallāhi ʿaẓīm.
When you received it with your tongues1 and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allāh, tremendous.
Footnotes (1)
- Rather than your ears, i.e., not thinking about what you had heard but hastening to repeat it carelessly.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ ٱلۡفَٰحِشَةُ فِي ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ١٩
Innal-ladhīna yuḥibbūna an tashīʿal-fāḥishatu fil-ladhīna āmanū lahum ʿadhābun alīmun fid-dunyā wal-ākhirah, wallāhu yaʿlamu wa antum lā taʿlamūn.
Indeed, those who like that immorality1 should be spread [or publicized] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allāh knows2 and you do not know.
Footnotes (2)
- Specifically, unlawful sexual relations.
- The hidden aspects of all things: what is beneficial and what is harmful.
The warning to the backbiter and the slanderer
وَيۡلٞ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٖ لُّمَزَةٍ ١
Waylul likulli humazatil lumazah.
Woe to every scorner and mocker