Aa’ishah said:
“I said to the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: ‘Such and such of Safiyyah is sufficient for you.’ (She meant to say that she was a woman with a short stature). He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “You have indeed uttered a word which would pollute the sea if it were mixed in it.”
Al-Mubaarakpoori said: “Meaning, if this word of backbiting was a substance that can be mixed with the water of the sea, it would have polluted it despite its large amount (i.e. the water). If this is the case when mixed with some-thing this huge, then how would the case be if it is mixed with man’s deeds that are much less than the size of the sea?”