The Reward for Defending your Brother's Honor

Asma bint Yazid (Radi Allahu anha) narrated the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa
salam) said:
"Whoever defends his brother's flesh against being backbitten, then it is his
right from Allah to free him from the Fire."

Collected by Ahmed (6/461) , At-Tabarani (24/ 176) Al-Albani graded this hadith as being ranked Sahih.

" Whoever defends his brother's flesh against being backbitten" This
refers to a person who disproves of the person eating his brother's flesh,
regardless if he's saying the truth or lying in his absence. In general, it's
obligatory to reject backbiting.

" then it is his right from Allah to free him from the Fire." A person
earns this because he is protecting his brother's honor from being degraded. It
is a must for the individual who hears bad-mouthing speech to protect his
brother's honor. He must do this with his tongue, and if he is unable, then he
must do it with his heart, by leaving the location the unkind remarks are being
said. That location is considered a place of evil.

Al-Ghazali said, "It isnt enough to point to the person ordering him to be quiet
by any kind of body language. Rather, it is must for him to clearly defend his
brother's flesh as the hadith mentions. "

As-San'anee said, "This is the most difficult kind of task on the slave. Very few
people fulfill this duty, and no one is safe except the person who avoids
people and sitting with them. (Tanweer Sharhul Jam'I As-Saghir by Muhammad ibn Ismail As-
San'anee (1182H) printed by Darus Salam 1
st
edition 1433)

Translated by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle
Doha, Qatar 1435/ 4/1