Hadith on Gossip: Best servants remind of Allah, worst spread rumors

‘Abdur Rahman ibn Ghanm reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The best servants of Allah are those who remind you of Allah when they are seen. The worst servants of Allah are those who carry gossip, sowing discord between loved ones and wishing misery upon the innocent.”

Source: Musnad Aḥmad 17998

Grade: Hasan li ghayrihi (fair due to external evidence) according to Al-Arna’ut

Imam al-San’ani commented, “Those who wish ‘misery’ upon the innocent, that is, hardship, corruption, destruction, sin, error, fault, and temptation—all of these meanings have been transmitted for the word ‘misery’ (‘anat). The hadith may encompass all of them, meaning: those who seek to afflict innocent people with matters that cause them hardship while they are free of blame for them.”

Source: al-Tanwīr Sharḥ al-Jāmi’ al-Ṣaghīr 5/531

عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ غَنْمٍ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خِيَارُ عِبَادِ اللهِ الَّذِينَ إِذَا رُءُوا ذُكِرَ اللهُ وَشِرَارُ عِبَادِ اللهِ الْمَشَّاءُونَ بِالنَّمِيمَةِ الْمُفَرِّقُونَ بَيْنَ الْأَحِبَّةِ الْبَاغُونَ الْبُرَآءَ الْعَنَتَ

17998 مسند أحمد بن حنبل

29/521 المحدث شعيب الأرناؤوط خلاصة حكم المحدث حسن بشواهد في تخريج المسند

قال الصنعاني الباغون البرآء العنت أي المشقة والفساد والهلاك والإثم والغلظ والخطأ والزنا كل ذلك قد جاء والحديث يحتملها كلها أي الذين يبغونهم ما شق عليهم مما هم براء منه

5/531 التنوير شرح الجامع الصغير

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Abu Amina Elias
Abu Amina Elias (Justin Parrott) is an academic librarian, researcher, and translator specializing in the Quran, Hadith, and their commentaries. He is a former instructor of Islamic Creed for Mishkah University.
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