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Fatwa CenterHearing a Speech Unintentionally Is Not Backbiting
Question
Salaam,If you overhear a conversation without intending to hear it, is that haram? For example, the people are talking so loudly that you can't help but just hear them. Do you have to do anything to ensure you don't hear them in this situation?jazakAllahKhair
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
The authentic Sunnah forbids listening to someone who says a statement and hates others to listen to him.
Ibn ‘Abbas 
narrated that the Prophet said: “If anyone listens to other people’s talk when they do not want him to hear it, or they try to avoid him, then molten lead will be poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection.” [Al-Bukhari]
But if it is something that the speaker does not dislike others to listen to it, as is the case with those who speak out loud in the presence of people, then if he listens to it, he is not included in the threat that is mentioned in the Hadeeth. This is a fortiori if one has heard it accidentally without actually listening to it.
The difference between hearing and listening, as clarified by Ibn Taymiyyah 
is: “What is forbidden is listening and not hearing. If a person hears Kufr (disbelief), lying, backbiting, singing, and music unintentionally; rather, he only heard that as he was passing by, then he is not sinful, by the agreement of all the Muslims...”
The Muslim should in any case stay away from what does not concern him and in which there is no benefit from it.
The Prophet said: “Among the good traits of a Muslim is avoiding that which does not concern him.” [At-Tirmithi]
For more benefit on hearing backbiting or any other speech unintentionally, please refer to Fatwa 353779.
Allah knows best.
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