Do Old Chats That Contain Backbiting and Slandering Have to be Deleted? – Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
About two years ago, I used to backbite and say some untrue things through chatting to my friends about my family and that they are bad, But this is not true, and they don’t deserve this, and my family is really good, I feel very guilty, and I already said some good things about my family in front of my friends in order to repent, Do I have to delete the chats that contain this backbiting and slandering? And do I also have to tell my friend to delete them too?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
Yes, it is good to delete all the chat messages from your social media and request your friend too. The most important matter is to have regret doing any sinful action and to make a firm intention not to sin again.
Regret is Part of Sound Repentance
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Regret is part of repentance.” [Ibn Maja]
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction in sha Allah.
Related Answers
What Does One Do After Having Sent Explicit Images on a Chat? – (seekersguidance.org)
Purification of the Heart for Youth: Diseases of the Heart and Their Cure – YouTube
A Reader on Tawba (Repentance) – SeekersGuidance
Prayer of Repentance: Salat al-Tawba – SeekersGuidance
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersAcademy (seekersguidance.org)?
I pray this helps with your question.
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied within UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan and Turkey.
He started his early education in UK. He went onto complete hifz of Qur’an in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in UK where he studied the secular and Alimiyyah sciences. He then travelled to Karachi, Pakistan.
He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Qur’an, Tajwid, Fiqh and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He was teaching at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences.
He currently resides in UK with his wife. His personal interest is love of books and gardening.
