The reward of a person who defends his Muslim brother while he is absent

* Backbiting is the worst kind of usury:

Yusuf ibn `Abdullah ibn Salam reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The worst kind of usury is slandering a Muslim's honor." [Reported by Al Bazzar].

* The Righteous Predecessors' dispraise of backbiting and those who indulge in it:

`Ady ibn Hatim said: Backbiting is the pasture of the villains.

Ali ibn Al Husayn said: Beware of backbiting, for it is the nutrition of Hell-Fire's dogs [people who shall dwell in Hell].

Qutaybah said to a man who was back biting another: You have chewed a morsel that honorable people refused to eat. Backbiting is the pasture of the villains and the effort of the helpless.

Abu `Asim An-Nabil said: The people who mention the defects of people are low and irreligious.

Wise people said: There are things from the signs of vileness: Revealing the secret, betray, back biting others, and harming neighbors.

`Abdullah ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: My father said to me: I see that the Emir of the Believers -he means `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)- draws you nearer, so keep to three qualities: Beware of lying, do not reveal a secret, and do not back bite anyone in his presence. Then he said: O `Abdullah, they are three but not like any other. A person asked: O Ibn `Abbas, each one of those mentioned is better than a thousand advice. He said: Nay, each one is better than ten thousands.

* The reward of the one who defends the honor of his Muslim brother in his absence:

If the honor of a Muslim is violated and he is slandered in case of his absence, it is obligatory on those who hear his backbiting to defend him and mention the beauties of the slandered and defend his honor. When a Muslim does so, Allah (may He be Exalted) shall protect him from Hell-Fire on the Day of Resurrection because retribution is part of the same kind of action.

Abu Ad-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever defends the honor of his Muslim Allah shall protect his face from Hell-Fire on the Day of Resurrection."[1]

Asma' bint Yazid (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "If a person defends the honor of his Muslim brother, it was due to Allah to save him from Hell-Fire."[2]

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[1] [Reported by Ahmad - Hadith No: 26930. Reported by At-Tirmidhy in the book of the slaughtered animals, chapter on dutifulness and preserving the ties of kinship reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Chapter on Hadiths reported on defending a Muslim's honor, Hadith: 1903, and said a good Hadith; and Al Albany graded it as authentic.

[2] [Reported by Ahmad - Hadith No: 26998 with authentic chain of narration].