Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,
[وَاتَّقُواْ
اللَّهَ]
(And have Taqwa of Allah), that is, regarding what He has commanded you and
forbidden for you. Fear Him and beware of Him,
[إِنَّ اللَّهَ
تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ]
(Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most
Merciful.) He forgives those who repent to Him, is merciful with those who go
back to Him and trust in Him. The majority of scholars have stated that
repentance for committing the sin of backbiting is that one refrains from
backbiting intending not to repeat it again. There is a difference of opinion if
whether feeling remorse is required in this case, and also if one should
apologize to those who he has backbitten. Some scholars stated that it is not
necessary for one to ask those whom he has backbitten to forgive him, because if
they knew what was said about them, they could be hurt more than if they were
not told about it. It is better, they said, that one should praise those whom he
has backbitten in audiences in which he has committed the act. It is also better
if one defends the injured party against any further backbiting, as much as one
can, as recompense for his earlier backbiting.
[يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ
إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى وَجَعَلْنَـكُمْ شُعُوباً وَقَبَآئِلَ
لِتَعَـرَفُواْ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عَندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَـكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ
عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ ]
(13. O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you
into nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily, the most
honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa. Verily, Allah
is All-Knowing, All-Aware.)
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