Bulugh al-Maram #1693
كتاب الجامع
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ - رضى الله عنه - أَنَّ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -قَالَ: "أَتَدْرُونَ مَا اَلْغِيبَةُ?
قَالُوا: اَللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ.
قَالَ: ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ.
قِيلَ: أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ?
قَالَ: إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ اِغْتَبْتَهُ, وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ" أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ.
Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated, ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked, “Do you know what backbiting is?” They replied, `Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) know best.’ He said, “It is saying something about your brother which he dislikes.” Someone asked, ‘Supposing that what I said about my brother was true?’ and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“If what you say about him is true you have backbitten him and if it is not true you have slandered him.” Related by Muslim.