Upon the authority of Anas ibn Maalik who said that, the Messenger of Allaah ο·Ί said:
"When I was taken up to the heavens, I passed by a people who had nails of copper who were scratching their faces and chests. So I said, 'Who are they, O Jibreel?' He responded, 'They are the ones who eat the people's flesh (backbite) and transgress upon the honor of the people.'"
[This narration is authentic.]
Al Haafidh Ibn Katheer said in explanation of this: "And backbiting is prohibited by consensus. Nothing is exempted from this prohibition except whatever contains benefit, which is greater than its harm like (the science of), criticism, and appraisal Jarh wa Ta'deel), and advice, like his statement ο·Ί when his permission was sought by that sinful man who desired to enter upon him: "Grant him permission, but what a wretched brother of his tribe." Additionally, like his statement ο·Ί to Fatima bint Qays (radiallahu anha) when she received marriage proposals from Mu'aawiyyah and Abul-Jahm. He ο·Ί said, "As for Mu'aawiyyah, then he is a poor man having no property; and as for Abul-Jahm, then he does not remove his staff from his shoulder." Similarly whatever follows along these same lines (is an exception) and whatever transgresses beyond that is the subject of extreme prohibition."
I say that the exceptional situations surrounding backbiting are gathered together in the statement of the poet:
"π»ππππ ππ ππ πππ ππ ππππππππππ ππ πππ ππππππππππ: πͺππππππππππ, π°π
πππππππππ, πΎππππππ, πππ
πππ πππ πππ πΆπππππ πΊπππ, πππ
ππππ π°ππππππ, πππ
πππ πππ πΆππ πΎππ πΉπππππππ π―πππ ππ πΉπππππππ π¬πππ."These two lines of poetry are found in Subul as- Salaam [#1584]
Book: My Advice to the Women By the Shaykhah Umm 'Abdillaah al-Waadi'yyah
Translated by Abul Layth
Tarbiyyah Bookstore Publishing
P. 36, 37