Some cases where it is permissible to Backbite

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "I do not think that so-and-so understands anything of our Faith."

[Al-Bukhari]

Al-Bukhari said: Al- Laith bin Sa'd, who is one of the narrators of this Hadith, said: The two men mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ in this Hadith were hypocrites (i.e., they revealed Faith and concealed disbelief).

وعنها قالت: قال رسول الله ﷺ: "ما أظن فلانًا وفلانًا يعرفان من ديننا شيئًا" ((رواه البخاري)). قال الليث بن سعد أحد رواة هذا الحديث: هذان الرجلان كانا من المنافقين.

Fatimah bint Qais (May Allah be pleased with her) said:
I came to the Prophet ﷺ and said to him: "Muawiyah and Abul-Jahm sent me a proposal of marriage." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Muawiyah is destitute and he has no property, and Abul-Jahm is very hard on women."

[Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن فاطمة بنت قيس رضي الله عنها قالت: أتيت النبي ﷺ، فقلت: إن أبا الجهم ومعاوية خطباني؟ فقال رسول الله ﷺ:"أما معاوية، فصعلوك لا مال له ، وأما أبوالجهم، فلا يضع العصا عن عاتقه" ((متفق عليه)) . وفي رواية لمسلم : "وأما أبو الجهم فضراب للنساء" وهو تفسير لرواية: " لا يضع العصا عن عاتقه" وقيل: معناه: كثير الأسفار.

Zaid bin Al-Arqam (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
We set out on a journey along with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and we faced many hardships. 'Abdullah bin Ubaiy (the chief of the hypocrites at Al- Madinah) said to his friends: "Do not spend on those who are with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until they desert him." He also said: "If we return to Al-Madinah, the more honourable (meaning himself, i.e., Abdullah bin Ubaiy) will drive out therefrom the meaner (meaning Messenger of Allah ﷺ)." I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and informed him about that and he sent someone to 'Abdullah bin Ubaiy. He asked him whether he had said that or not. Abdullah took an oath that he had not done anything of that sort and said that it was Zaid who carried a false tale to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Zaid said: I was so much perturbed because of this until this Verse was revealed verifying my statement:

"When the hypocrites come to you (O Muhammad ﷺ), they say: 'We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah.' Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars indeed." (63:1) Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called the hypocrites in order to seek forgiveness for them from Allah, but they turned away their heads.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن زيد بن أرقم رضي الله عنه قال: خرجنا مع رسول الله ﷺ في سفر أصاب الناس فيه شدة، فقال عبد الله بن أبي: لا تنفقوا على من عند رسول الله حتى ينفضوا وقال: لئن رجعنا إلى المدينة ليخرجن الأعز منها الأذل فأتيت رسول الله ﷺ، فأخبرته بذلك، فأرسل إلى عبد الله بن أبي ، فاجتهد يمينه: ما فعل، فقالوا: كذب زيد رسول الله ﷺ فوقع في نفسي مما قالوا شدة حتى أنزل الله تعالى تصديقي {إذا جاءك المنافقون} ثم دعاهم النبي ﷺ، ليستغفر لهم فلووا رءوسهم. ((متفق عليه)) .

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said:
Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, said to the Prophet ﷺ: Abu Sufyan is a niggardly man and does not give me and my children adequate provisions for maintenance unless I take something from his possession without his knowledge. The Prophet ﷺ said to her, "Take from his possessions on a reasonable basis that much which may suffice for you and your children."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: قالت هند امرأة أبي سفيان للنبي ﷺ : إن أبا سفيان رجل شحيح وليس يعطيني ما يكفيني وولدي إلا ما أخذت منه، وهو لا يعلم؟ قال: "خذي ما يكفيك وولدك بالمعروف" ((متفق عليه)) .