Bulugh al-Maram 16 The Comprehensive Book كتاب الجامع 59

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. 1 . 1 – صحيح. رواه مسلم (2589).

Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated, ‘The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) asked, “Do you know what backbiting is?” They replied, `Allah and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) 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 (صلى الله عليه وسلم) 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.