حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ الْقَعْنَبِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ يَعْنِي ابْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ الْعَلَائِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّهُ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا الْغِيبَةُ قَالَ ذِکْرُکَ أَخَاکَ بِمَا يَکْرَهُ قِيلَ أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ کَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ قَالَ إِنْ کَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَکُنْ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 4874
Abu Hurairah said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: Messenger of Allah! What is back-biting? He replied: it is saying something about your brother which he would dislike. He was asked again: Tell me how the matter stands if what I say about my brother is true? He replied: if what you say of him is true, you have slandered him is true you have slandered him, and if what you say of him is not true, you have reviled him.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020