عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللّهِ صَلَّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَمَّا عُرِجَ بي مَرَرْتُ بِقَوْمٍ لَهُمْ أظْفَارٌ مِنْ نُحَاسٍ يَخْمِشُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَصُدُورَهُمْ، فَقُلْتُ: مَنْ هَؤُلاءِ يَا جِبْرِيلُ؟ قَالَ: هَؤُلاءِ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ لُحُومَ النَّاسِ، وَيَقَعُونَ فِي أَعْرَاضِهِمْ» رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُودَ.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When I was taken up on the Night Journey, I passed by a people who had nails of copper with which they were clawing their faces and their chests. I said: Who are these, O Jibril? He said: These are those who used to eat the flesh of people and assail their honor." Reported by Abu Dawud.
الشرح · explanation
عرج بي: أي صعد بي إلى السماء ليلة الإسراء والمعراج. يخمشون وجوههم: يجرحونها. يأكلون لحوم الناس: أي يغتابون الناس، وشبهت الغيبة بأكل اللحم بجامع التلذذ في الأكل. ويقعون في أعراضهم: أي يتناولون أعراضهم بالكلام القبيح.
"I was taken up": that is, I was raised to the heavens on the night of the Isra and the Mi'raj. "Clawing their faces": wounding them. "They eat the flesh of people": that is, they backbite people; backbiting is likened to eating flesh because of the shared element of taking pleasure in eating. "And they assail their honor": that is, they attack their honor with foul speech.
الدروس · lessons
تشبيه المغتاب بآكل لحوم البشر والساقط في المهاوي السحيقة. الترهيبُ من الغِيبةِ، والتحذير الشديد من الوقوعِ في أعراضِ الناسِ.
Likening the backbiter to one who eats human flesh and falls into deep abysses. A stern warning against backbiting and against assailing people's honor.