We are school students and we love our teachers very much. It happens that we joke sometimes by imitating the way they walk and talk. Is this considered a form of backbiting even if we do not intend to mock them? حكاية قول شخص أو فعله في غيبته

All praise is due to Allah alone, and may the Salah and Salam of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and his companions.

To answer your question, we say while seeking the success from Allah:

If there is a benefit from narrating the statement or description of someone in their absence, then it is allowed. It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: It is as if I can see the Prophet (may the Salah and Salam of Allah be upon him) telling us the story of one of the Prophets whose people beat him and made him bleed, and he was wiping the blood from his face and saying, “O Allah, forgive my people for they do not know.” Reported by al-Bukhari (3477) and Muslim (1792) It was also narrated that some companions (may Allah be pleased with them) described the way the Prophet (may the Salah and Salam of Allah be upon him) recited surah al-Fath as reported by al-Bukhari (7541)

However, if the purpose from imitating or describing people is to make people laugh, then it is not allowed because it is considered a form of mockery and harm. Allah, the Most High, said (interpretation of the meaning): {O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them} [Quran 49:11] and the Prophet (may the Salah and Salam of Allah be upon him) said: “A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands.” Reported by al-Bukhari (10) and Muslim (40) and there are some scholars who stated that narrating the story of someone is a backbiting as mentioned by the author of al-Zawajir ‘An Iqtiraf al-Kawabir (2/34) and Kshaf al-Qina’ (6/423) because they considered it included in the hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may the Salah and Salam of Allah be upon him) said to his companions: “Do you know what is backbiting?” They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: “It is to mention your brother with what he dislikes.” Reported by Muslim (2589)

Your brother,

Prof. Khaled al-Musleh

30/12/1425H.