Ruling on those who speak ill of the Muslim rulers and the scholars
Question:
This one (the questioner) says: How should our stance be towards those who speak ill of the (Muslim) rulers and the scholars. And if they are from our (Muslim) brothers, is it enough to only abandon (boycott) them, or is it obligatory upon us to report them (to the authorities)?
Answer:
They (these people) are of two types. Either they are Khawarij and are spreading the ideology of the Khawarij, hence you have to be aware of them and (also) warn against them. Be aware of them and warn against them. Or they are people who backbite and slander others; that they are not Khawarij but instead people who backbite and slander others. They eat the flesh of the people, and Allah is the One with whom refuge is sought. And backbiting is something very evil as he (the Prophet), may the peace and blessings be upon him, said when he explained His (Allah’s) statement, the Exalted: “and neither backbite one another” [Al-Hujurat (49):12]
so he (the Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him said): “Backbiting (Gheebah) is saying something about your brother that he dislikes.” He (one of those present) then said: “Oh Messenger of Allah, what if, what I say about my brother is true?” He (the Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him) replied: ”If what you say about him is true then you have backbitten him, and if what you say about him is untrue, then you have slandered him” meaning you have lied on him.
So therefore the backbiter is nothing but sinful; either he is a liar or he is a backbiter who eats the flesh of the people. And eating the flesh of the scholars and the Muslim rulers is (even) more severe, due to what results from that from disunity and evil suspicion towards the Muslim rulers and the scholars. Thus what follows on from that is evil suspicion and division between the Muslims. So therefore these people don’t go beyond being either Khawarij or people who backbite and slander others. Subsequently it is not permissible to sit with them except out of giving advice to them, so that they may perhaps leave that what they are doing.