Hadith 30:28
Muhammad ibn Ja'far narrated to us, Shu'bah narrated to us, he said: I heard al-'Ala' narrating from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: "Do you know what backbiting (al-ghibah) is?" They said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "Your mentioning your brother with what he dislikes." He said: "What if what I say about my brother is in him?" He said: "If what you say is in him, then you have backbitten him, and if what you say is not in him, then you have slandered him."
حدثنا محمد بن جعفر، حدثنا شعبة، قال: سمعت العلاء، يحدث، عن أبيه، عن أبي هريرة، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: " هل تدرون ما الغيابة؟ " قالوا: الله ورسوله أعلم، قال: " ذكرك أخاك بما ليس فيه "، قال: أرأيت إن كان في أخي ما أقول له؟ يعني، قال: " إن كان فيه ما تقول، فقد اغتبته، وإن لم يكن فيه ما تقول، فقد بهته "