حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ الْعَلَائِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا الْغِيبَةُ قَالَ ذِکْرُکَ أَخَاکَ بِمَا يَکْرَهُ قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ کَانَ فِيهِ مَا أَقُولُ قَالَ إِنْ کَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَکُنْ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ قَالَ وَفِي الْبَاب عَنْ أَبِي بَرْزَةَ وَابْنِ عُمَرَ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَی هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ
جامع ترمذی · Hadith 1934
Abu Hurairah narrated that it was said: O Messenger of Allah! What is backbiting? He said : Mentioning your brother with that which he does not like. He said What if what I said about him is so? He said: If what you said about him is so, then you have backbitten him, and if it is not as you said, then you have slandered him.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020