Islam Considers Slander A Grave Sin

IQNA – Buhtan or Slander, which means making a false spoken statement damaging to a person’s reputation, is considered to be a grave sin in Islam.

According to ethics scholars, it means falsely attributing an improper behavior or statement or an inappropriate state to a person. 

Buhtan is an inappropriate action that is sometimes referred to as a branch of backbiting.

In Arabic, Buhtan originally means getting astonished or astonishing someone. It is use to describe the action of saying things about a person that are not true and cause astonishment. Sometimes the three words Butan, Tuhmat and Iftira are used to refer to the same thing, although they are different both lexically and terminologically. Buhtan means falsely attributing something to someone, while Iftira means making up lies and Tuhmat means expressing suspicion.

There are many Hadiths warning against Buhtan. It has been narrated from Abuzar Ghaffari who asked the Holy Prophet (PBUH) what Ghibah (backbiting) is. The Prophet (PBUH) said it means talking about an imperfection in your brother in faith that he does not like to be talked about. Abuzar asked what if the person actually has that imperfection. The Prophet (PBUH) said if he has that imperfection you have committed Ghibah and if he doesn’t have it you have committed Buhtan.

Buhtan is of two types. Sometimes an improper behavior is falsely attributed to a person in his absence. This type of Buhtan involves two grave sins: lying and backbiting. Another type of Butan is when one falsely attributes something to a person in his presence. This king f Buhtan involves lying.

Buhtan is among the sins of the tongue that is prohibited in Islam. God says in Verse 58 of Surah Al-Ahzab: “Those who hurt believing men and believing women undeservedly, shall bear the guilt of slander and a major sin.”

This verse refers to Buhtan as a manifest and major sin. In various Hadiths, Buhtan is described as a sin that will lead the person to the fire of hell. According to a Hadith from the Holy Prophet (PBUH), anyone who falsely attributes something to a believing man or woman, God will place him on a pile of fire until he comes out of what he has said.