عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيبَةُ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ لَهُ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do you know what backbiting is? The companions said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is mentioning about your brother something which he dislikes, which is actually present in him. A man asked: What if what I say about my brother is actually found in him? He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: If what you say is present in him, then you have backbitten him, and if those faults are not in him, then you have slandered him.