This hadith is a warning from the Prophet ﷺ about the seriousness of backbiting (ghibah). It teaches that:
Speaking badly about someone behind their back is a very dangerous sin—sometimes even more harmful than major sins like adultery in certain aspects.
The hadith you’re referring to is often quoted in this form:
> “Backbiting (ghibah) is worse than adultery (zina).”
The companions asked: “How is backbiting worse than adultery?”
The Prophet ﷺ said: “A man may commit adultery and then repent, and Allah may forgive him. But the one who backbites will not be forgiven until the person he spoke about forgives him.”
Meaning of the Hadith:
This hadith does not mean adultery is a small sin—zina is one of the gravest major sins in Islam. Rather, it highlights how dangerous and often underestimated backbiting is.
1. Backbiting violates people’s rights.
Adultery is a sin between you and Allah (if it doesn’t involve oppression).
Backbiting is a sin against another person.
In Islam, sins against people (ḥuqūq al-‘ibād) are more serious in one sense because:
Allah may forgive His own rights,
But people must forgive you themselves.
👉 So if you backbite someone, your repentance is incomplete until:
You stop,
Feel regret,
And the person forgives you (or you make amends).
2. Backbiting is easy and widespread.
Many people would never commit adultery,
But fall into backbiting daily without thinking.
Examples:
Talking about someone’s faults behind their back,
Mocking, gossiping, or exposing weaknesses.
Because it’s so common, it becomes spiritually more destructive over time.
3. It destroys honor and relationships.
Backbiting:
Damages reputations,
Breaks trust,
Spreads hatred in society.
Islam places great importance on protecting people’s dignity.
The Qur’an says:
> “Do not backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother?”
(Surah Al-Hujurat 49:12).
4. Repentance is harder
For adultery:
You can repent directly to Allah sincerely.
For backbiting:
You need:
Allah’s forgiveness and
The victim’s forgiveness.
This makes it harder to fully erase.
Important Clarification:
Scholars explain:
This hadith is about the difficulty of forgiveness, not that backbiting is always “greater” than adultery in absolute terms.
Both are major sins (kabā’ir) and must be avoided.
Lessons We Learn:
Guard your tongue as much as your actions.
Think before speaking about others.
If you slip:
Make du‘a for the person,
Speak good about them,
Seek forgiveness sincerely.
Simple Rule to Remember.
> “If they would be hurt hearing it, don’t say it behind them.”
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Lessons from Hadith