Gossip, Fabrication, and Tale-bearing

[Ismail Dalbani]

Bismillah Ar-RaHman Ar-RaHeem walHamdulillahi rabil ^alameen was-Salatu wassalam ^ala sayyidina muHammadin ashrafil musaleen wa Habeeb rabil ^alameen.

Thereafter, The wise person should be keen to protect his tongue from everything that is evil and among what is evil is: gossip, fabrication, and tale-bearing. These three matters are among the sins of the tongue

At-Tabaraniyy confirmed that one of the Companions addressed his tongue by saying what means: "O tongue, say what is good and you will gain, and keep silent about what is bad before you regret it. I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: 'Most of the human's sins are from his tongue.'"
 
Gossip is to mention a matter related to a Muslim in his absence in a way that he hates. If a Muslim person was short, and hated for that to be said about him, and someone  said in his absence, "so and so is short," then this is considered among the unlawful gossip that the Prophet prohibited.
 
Fabrication is mentioning untrue matters that a Muslim hates to be mentioned about him. It is more sinful than gossip.
 
The one who listens to the prohibited gossip has committed one of the sins of the ear. One must forbid people to gossip.
 
Tale-bearing is relating the words of one person to another with the intent of making trouble between them.
An example of this is relating inciting words to two people who like each other, with the intent of breaking them up or making them hate each other.

May Allah protect us and keep us steadfast. And Allah knows best.