What does classical Islam say about speech in the age of social media?
The Prophet's ﷺ warnings on speech — backbiting, tale-bearing, idle talk — land with fresh weight in the age of social media. The classical rulings update themselves.
10 passages from 5 books in the library
Classical Islamic ethics of speech apply directly to social media: the same warnings al-Ghazali gave against backbiting, gossip, and idle talk now land on what we post and share. In his Evils of the Tongue, he counts gossip among the tongue's grave afflictions, citing the Qur'anic rebuke of "a slanderer going about with gossip." His remedy is twofold — reflecting on the consequences until one fears them, and forming the habit of restraint so the tongue recoils from lies. He notes that even silence in remembrance is better than moving the tongue to backbite a Muslim.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 5 books by Imam al-Ghazali — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"fully. The 16th affliction is gossip. Allah Almighty says, A slanderer going about with gossip, and then"
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"the tongue from backbiting. Know that the remedy for all evil traits is found in the combination of"
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"the reports about backbiting, he will restrain his tongue from it, fearing such consequences."
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"investigate its cause, and the remedy for restraining the tongue from backbiting is twofold,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"all. Rather, I say, even seeking forgiveness with the tongue is a good deed, since moving the tongue"
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"with his tongue, when he hears a lie from another, his tongue automatically recalls its habit and"
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"with it from heedlessness is better than moving the tongue at that time in backbiting a Muslim"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"Greed sharpens your tongue. She spoke truly, for the tongue utters before the wealthy what it does"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"They should reflect on their tongue, acknowledging its exposure to backbiting, lying, self-praise,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"or engaging in jest, frivolity, play, backbiting, gossip, falsehoods, and similar matters that"
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