Q 3: Is it permissible to backbite a person who does not perform Salah (Prayer) or say Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah), but indulges in acts that invoke the wrath of Allah (Exalted be He) (Part No. 26; Page No. 11) and His Messenger (peace be upon him)? Am I permitted to do so to make the people aware of them?

A: You should advise them first and instruct them to do what Allah has enjoined and warn them against doing what He has forbidden. If they respond positively to you, even if not as much as you expect, you should continue advising them according to your ability. Otherwise, it is preferable for you to keep away from them to avoid their evil and not to be tempted by their heedlessness of the rulings of Islam. However, you are permitted, if necessary, to tell the people about their negligence of their obligations and insistence on wrongdoing so as to warn against their evil. Likewise, you may find yourself obliged to do so if you are asked about them for reasons of establishing marriage relationships, entering into partnerships with them, or even for the sake of hiring them, or if you fear that someone might fall victim to their deception. In such cases, it becomes obligatory for you to inform the people about them to save them from their malice and evil. This may also be a means to deter them from going into their malicious deeds if they know that the people will avoid them. You should keep in mind that you are not allowed to ridicule their evil deeds and make them a topic of amusement for you, because this leads to propagate evil and weakens or even abolishes the sense of disgust felt when hearing about evil deeds. Moreover, you should not fabricate lies about them to add to their ill repute, because this is lying and transgression which the Prophet (peace be upon him) has forbidden.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.