✅Answer: To repent from backbiting, pay attention to the following narration, which is for repentance from all sins:

عَنْ أَمِیرِ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ أَنَّ قَائِلًا قَالَ بِحَضْرَتِهِ أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ فَقَالَ ثَکِلَتْکَ أُمُّکَ أَ تَدْرِی مَا الِاسْتِغْفَارُ الِاسْتِغْفَارُ دَرَجَةُ الْعِلِّیِّینَ وَ هُوَ اسْمٌ وَاقِعٌ عَلَی سِتَّةِ مَعَانٍ أَوَّلُهَا النَّدَمُ عَلَی مَا مَضَی وَ الثَّانِی الْعَزْمُ عَلَی تَرْکِ الْعَوْدِ إِلَیْهِ أَبَداً وَ الثَّالِثُ أَنْ تُؤَدِّیَ إِلَی الْمَخْلُوقِینَ حُقُوقَهُمْ حَتَّی تَلْقَی اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَمْلَسَ لَیْسَ عَلَیْکَ تَبِعَةٌ وَ الرَّابِعُ أَنْ تَعْمِدَ إِلَی کُلِّ فَرِیضَةٍ عَلَیْکَ ضَیَّعْتَهَا فَتُؤَدِّیَ حَقَّهَا وَ الْخَامِسُ أَنْ تَعْمِدَ إِلَی اللَّحْمِ الَّذِی نَبَتَ عَلَی السُّحْتِ فَتُذِیبَهُ بِالْأَحْزَانِ حَتَّی یَلْصَقَ الْجِلْدُ بِالْعَظْمِ وَ یَنْشَأَ بَیْنَهُمَا لَحْمٌ جَدِیدٌ وَ السَّادِسُ أَنْ تُذِیقَ الْجِسْمَ أَلَمَ الطَّاعَةِ کَمَا أَذَقْتَهُ حَلَاوَةَ الْمَعْصِیَةِ فَعِنْدَ ذَلِکَ تَقُولُ أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ

📚 Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 550

Translation: A person said in the presence of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him): 'I seek forgiveness from Allah.' The Imam said: 'May your mother mourn you, do you know what seeking forgiveness from Allah is? Seeking forgiveness (istighfar) from Allah is of the highest degree, and it is a name that signifies six meanings and purposes: First, remorse and regret for the past (actions). Second, a firm resolve and decision to never return to that sin. Third, to give the rights of the creatures back to them until you meet Allah while you are pure and clean and there is no consequence or right on your neck. Fourth, to perform the right of every obligation you have neglected. Fifth, to melt the flesh that has grown from unlawful things with sorrow until the skin sticks to the bone and new flesh grows between them. And sixth, to make your body taste the pain of obedience just as it tasted the sweetness of disobedience. At this point, you may say: 'I seek forgiveness from Allah.'

✅Note: The Commander of the Faithful said in the hadith 📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 8, p. 385: 'Indeed, abandoning sin is easier than seeking repentance.'

The difficulty of compensating for sin is clearly evident from the narration in Nahj al-Balaghah. Blessed are those who are pious and do not soil themselves with the sin of backbiting and others.

عَنْ أَبِی ذَرٍّ عَنِ النَّبِیِّ فِی وَصِیَّةٍ لَهُ قَالَ یَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ إِیَّاکَ وَ الْغِیبَةَ فَإِنَّ الْغِیبَةَ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الزِّنَا قُلْتُ وَ لِمَ ذَاکَ یَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ لِأَنَّ الرَّجُلَ یَزْنِی فَیَتُوبُ إِلَی اللَّهِ فَیَتُوبُ اللَّهُ عَلَیْهِ وَ الْغِیبَةُ لَا تُغْفَرُ حَتَّی یَغْفِرَهَا صَاحِبُهَا

📚 Amali of Shaykh Tusi, p. 537

Translation: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said to Abu Dharr: 'Avoid backbiting, for backbiting is more severe than adultery.' I said: 'Why, O Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'Because a person who commits adultery repents to Allah and Allah accepts his repentance, while backbiting is not forgiven until the other person forgives and pardons.'

✅It is seen how serious the sin of backbiting is and it is necessary for us not to get entangled in it. Because the forgiveness of our sin is dependent on the forgiveness of the person who was backbitten.

✅The two hadiths above were mentioned regarding repentance from the sin of backbiting, and for its expiation, which is separate from the topic of repentance from backbiting, pay attention to the following narration:

عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سُئِلَ النبي مَا کَفَّارَةُ الِاغْتِیَابِ قَالَ تَسْتَغْفِرُ الله لِمَنِ اغْتَبْتَهُ کَلمَا ذَکَرْتَهُ

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 357

Translation: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was asked: 'What is the expiation for backbiting?' He said: 'It is to seek forgiveness for the person you have backbitten whenever you remember him.'

✅Repentance from a sin is different from the expiation for a sin. Unfortunately, some have confused these two and thought that seeking forgiveness for the person who was backbitten is sufficient for its forgiveness, while repentance from sin is separate from the expiation for sin and both must be done.

✅One of the proverbs that the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) have said is 'kama tudin tudan,' meaning 'as you judge, you will be judged' 📚 Al-Mahasin, Vol. 1, p. 107

Therefore, it is recommended that all Shias and lovers of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) forgive and pardon all injustices, including the injustice of backbiting, so that, Inshallah, they may reciprocally forgive us and we may be saved from its great punishments. Just as the great companion of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), Yunus ibn Abd al-Rahman, forgave and pardoned all those who had a share in the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) from backbiting and so on (📚 Rijal al-Kashi, p. 488).

For this purpose, reciting the excellent supplication 39 of Sahifa Sajjadiyya is strongly recommended to all friends.