SLANDER AND BACKBITING

In islam slander and backbiting are heinous crime both spiritual and temporal. The Quran compares the backbiting to the abhorrent act of eating the the flesh of ones dead brother, and the prophet (SAW) indicated that you may end up carrying the full weight of the sins of your brother by simply speaking of those sins behind his back (especially if not meant for correction).
Slander on the other hand is blatant falsehood and casting of aspersions on someone's act or intentions. It is so serious that there is a stipulated penalty for it in Islamic jurisprudence.

ELECTRONIC SLANDER AND BACKBITING

Although many are aware of the vice of slander and backbiting and we pray Allah continues to guide us in avoiding these acts. A far more dangerous strand of this act now exist with far more devastating consequence which even the most ascetic scholar is not protected from nor shielded against, let alone mere mortals like me and you: it is the -
Retweet
Forwarding
Sharing
Posting etc.
of falsehood, lies and unsubstantiated viewpoints on social media.
Everyone now has at least one form identity or the other in the cyber space via social media and these identities sometimes are even more influential than the person himself. We use these identities or handles to discuss, express, question and even promote ideas online.

A shout at the top of your voice on a balcony may reach a few tens or hundreds of people, but a tweet in the dead of the night from a handle can reach millions, some times billions of people - that is the power of social media and with more power comes more responsibility/obligations.
Sharing of falsehood on someone or group of persons on FB is slander on a titanic scale with titanic consequences. A whatsApp chat of a colleague on a subject matter he wouldn't approve (and not meant as any form of correction) is backbiting. Forwarding and Sharing "breaking news" on someone or a company which are unsubstantiated is slanderous and dangerous considering if it turns out to be false it is slander and if true it will be backbiting.

WAY OUT
I think I have done enough writing and would use the Quran and the Sunnah to give advice so that everyone can internalise the text individually. You may relate speech to posts, share, forwards in the following.

“It is enough lying for a man to speak of everything that he hears.” (Hadith - Muslim)

“O you who believe! If a Faasiq (liar — evil person) comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done” (Quran - Hujrat)

Ramadan Mubarak to all.

Masha Allah,may our fast build within us the strength to keep going in life despite the obstacles.And through that strength may we find the resilience to rise above our pain,May we be blessed with good health and posperity and May Allah's blessings Always shine upon us and our family.