A person who has been afflicted by backbiting and negative assumptions, among many other moral vices that incur rights upon them, has been blessed by Allah with repentance. What should they do to relieve themselves of these rights, especially if they cannot approach the individuals for forgiveness due to various reasons, including loss of face and inability to find those people?
[AR_ID:2772]
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
Ayatollah Khamenei (may Allah protect him):
The backbiter must repent. If the person who was backbitten is alive and it is possible to seek forgiveness from them without causing harm, it is obligatory to apologize to them. However, if they are deceased or if seeking forgiveness is not possible, then one should ask Allah for forgiveness on their behalf.
Source: Special Inquiry.
Ayatollah Sistani (may Allah protect him):
It is recommended to seek forgiveness from the person who was backbitten or to ask Allah for their forgiveness. If seeking forgiveness is considered a way to rectify the harm done to the dignity of the backbitten person, it is necessary to do so, provided it does not lead to any harm. The backbiter does not need to inform the backbitten person about the specifics of the forgiveness unless there is evidence that the forgiveness does not cover the type of backbiting mentioned.
Source: Official Website.
May you be successful in all good.