‘O you who have believed, avoid much (negative) assumptions. Indeed, some assumption is a 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 Allah; indeed Allah is accepting of repentance and Merciful’.

{49:12}- The Holy Qur’an
The literal definition of the word ‘Gossip’ is something we mostly don’t think about, but it is notable that Qur’an regards it as an actual act of cannibalism.
The above mentioned ‘ayah’ refers to the flaw that we have in our society: The requirement or wish to speak unfavorably about our fellow friends/brothers/neighbors/sisters of our society.
It’s rightly quoted by Prophet Mohammad PBUH “Either speak good or remain Silent”
Gossip is extremely dangerous in bringing disrepute to someone. It can demolish the entire fabric and morality of a society. There are many reasons because of which people engage in gossiping such as; to feel superior (they feel better by demeaning people), out of envy, or to fit in the group, to seek attention (they become the center of attention for a while), out of vengeance and even out of absolute ennui. Gossip is usually an exaggeration of the truth by adding some ‘spice’ to it, to make it more appetizing.
How the Victim (the person who is targeted by the gossip monger) feels?
Rumors and gossip usually seem harmless but in reality it can turn uglier and distressing for the victim. It can become a major cause of depression, anxiety, exhaustion and therefore, can have serious psycho-social consequences.
The victim feels utterly miserable and goes through a cycle of myriad feelings and anxieties. Victim finds himself amid the roller coaster of negative emotions ranging from anger, frustration, embarrassment (often erroneous) and turning defensive in an attempt to explain the reality ( which is nothing but a herculean task). After all these attempts of the victim (target of the gossip monger) to clarify and explain, the problem is resolved, albeit, superficially- because the damage has been done.
The Gossiper ruins the entire fabric of relationships which the victim has weaved since years and has invested in enormously, hence, tainting the mirror of his/her existence forever. It’s like a murder, true or untrue, really doesn’t make sense – you kill a person’s reputation.

Owing to his manipulative potential and prowess, the Gossip monger, more often than not, manages to steer unscathed through the entire process.
Not fair and absolutely unfortunate!
But…..the scene is not over, there is yet a lot to it.
The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception and so are the nefarious triumphs and victories attained through evil means.
We need to remind ourselves that we will be held accountable in the court of Allah (s.w.t). The Prophet (pbuh) said, When man wakes up in the morning each day, all his body parts warn his tongue saying, “Fear Allah with regard to us, for we are under your mercy, if you are upright, we will be upright and if you are crooked, we will be crooked”. (Al- Tirmidhi)
To err is human! There is absolutely no doubt about it. We live in a world where we somehow, advertently or inadvertently, fall into the evil of gossiping and back biting. This can’t be changed overnight. But every individual is capable to work towards his reformation and certainly has the ability to change his attitude. We can certainly break this chain of Gossip if we heartily intend to do so. All we need to do is to constantly remind ourselves how much our creator despises those who engage in backbiting and gossiping.
The more you try to control yourself in the Visible world, the more you will be rewarded by the merciful in the Invisible world.
The Duniya is a test. Let’s not fail in it by simply falling prey to the evil of Gossiping.

Tailpiece: A poem by Colfax Burgoyne Harman sums up the message that I want to put through. It’s called “Truth will Triumph”
When gossip’s talk and traitor’s scheming,
And jealous fiends on evil bent,
With basest vices unredeeming,
Brand the names of the innocent;
When hopes bright sun seems nearly setting,
The future dim and cloudy lies,
And you more tired of life are getting,
And tears of sorrow dim the eyes;
Cheer up, take courage, do not falter,
Truth will triumph by and by,
Time all evil things will alter,
Vice and wickedness must die.

Email:---bismashafibhat@yahoo.in