Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
bayhaqi:21163[Chain 1] Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī b. Muḥammad al-Muqriʾ > al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad b. Isḥāq > Yūsuf b. Yaʿqūb > Abū al-Rabīʿ > Ismāʿīl b. Jaʿfar [Chain 2] Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ > Abū ʿAmr b. Ḥamdān > Abū Yaʿlá > Yaḥyá b. Ayyūb > Ismāʿīl b. Jaʿfar > al-ʿAlāʾ from his father > Abū Hurayrah ؓ > Rasūl

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: Messenger of Allah! What is back-biting? He replied: It is saying something about your brother which he would dislike. He was asked again: Tell me how the matter stands if what I say about my brother is true? He replied: If what you say of him is true, you have slandered him, and if what you say of him is not true, you have reviled him. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4874)   

البيهقي:٢١١٦٣أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمُقْرِئُ أنبأ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ ثنا يُوسُفُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ ثنا أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ أنبأ إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ ح وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو عَمْرِو بْنُ حَمْدَانَ أنبأ أَبُو يَعْلَى ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ ثنا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيبَةُ ؟ قَالُوا اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ قِيلَ أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ؟ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَيُّوبَ وَغَيْرِهِ

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, Tirmidhī, Aḥmad, Dārimī, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Suyūṭī
muslim:2589Yaḥyá b. Ayyūb And Qutaybah And Ibn Ḥujr > Ismāʿīl > al-ʿAlāʾ from his father > Abū Hurayrah

Do you know what is backbiting? They (the Companions) said: Allah and His Messenger know best. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Backbiting implies your talking about your brother in a manner which he does not like. It was said to him: What is your opinion about this that if I actually find (that failing) in my brother which I made a mention of? He said: If (that failing) is actually found (in him) what you assert, you in fact backbited him, and if that is not in him it is a slander.  

مسلم:٢٥٨٩حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ وَقُتَيْبَةُ وَابْنُ حُجْرٍ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيبَةُ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ قِيلَ أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ  

abudawud:4874ʿAbdullāh b. Maslamah al-Qaʿnabī > ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz / Ibn Muḥammad > al-ʿAlāʾ from his father > Abū Hurayrah

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: Messenger of Allah! What is back-biting? He replied: It is saying something about your brother which he would dislike. He was asked again: Tell me how the matter stands if what I say about my brother is true? He replied: If what you say of him is true, you have slandered him, and if what you say of him is not true, you have reviled him.  

أبو داود:٤٨٧٤حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ الْقَعْنَبِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ يَعْنِي ابْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّهُ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا الْغِيبَةُ قَالَ ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ قِيلَ أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ  

tirmidhi:1934Qutaybah > ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. Muḥammad > al-ʿAlāʾ b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman from his father > Abū Hurayrah

" 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."  

Abū ʿĪsá said that this Ḥadīth is Ḥasan-Ṣaḥīḥ.
الترمذي:١٩٣٤حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا الْغِيبَةُ قَالَ ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا أَقُولُ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي بَرْزَةَ وَابْنِ عُمَرَ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ
ahmad:8985ʿAffān > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Ibrāhīm > al-ʿAlāʾ from his father > Abū Hurayrah

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: Messenger of Allah! What is back-biting? He replied: It is saying something about your brother which he would dislike. He was asked again: Tell me how the matter stands if what I say about my brother is true? He replied: If what you say of him is true, you have slandered him, and if what you say of him is not true, you have reviled him. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4874)   

أحمد:٨٩٨٥حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَدَّثَنَا الْعَلَاءُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قِيلَ لَهُ مَا الْغِيبَةُ؟ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ قَالَ أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ؟ أَيْ رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِيكَ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ  

ahmad:9009ʿAffān > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Ibrāhīm > al-ʿAlāʾ b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman from his father > Abū Hurayrah

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: Messenger of Allah! What is back-biting? He replied: It is saying something about your brother which he would dislike. He was asked again: Tell me how the matter stands if what I say about my brother is true? He replied: If what you say of him is true, you have slandered him, and if what you say of him is not true, you have reviled him. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4874)   

أحمد:٩٠٠٩حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْعَلَاءُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قِيلَ لَهُ مَا الْغِيبَةُ؟ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ قَالَ أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ؟ أَيْ رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِيكَ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ  

ahmad:9901Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > al-ʿAlāʾ from his father > Abū Hurayrah

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: Messenger of Allah! What is back-biting? He replied: It is saying something about your brother which he would dislike. He was asked again: Tell me how the matter stands if what I say about my brother is true? He replied: If what you say of him is true, you have slandered him, and if what you say of him is not true, you have reviled him. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4874)   

أحمد:٩٩٠١حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْعَلَاءَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيَابَةُ؟ قَالَ قَالُوا اللهُ 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 مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْبَهَتَّهُ  

darimi:2756Nuʿaym b. Ḥammād > ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. Muḥammad > al-ʿAlāʾ from his father > Abū Hurayrah

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: Messenger of Allah! What is back-biting? He replied: It is saying something about your brother which he would dislike. He was asked again: Tell me how the matter stands if what I say about my brother is true? He replied: If what you say of him is true, you have slandered him, and if what you say of him is not true, you have reviled him. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4874)   

الدارمي:٢٧٥٦أَخْبَرَنَا نُعَيْمُ بْنُ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قِيلَ لَهُ مَا الْغِيبَةُ؟ قَالَ «ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ» قِيلَ وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ؟ قَالَ «فَإِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ»  

ذِكْرُ الْإِخْبَارِ عَنِ الْفَصْلِ بَيْنَ الْغِيبَةِ وَالْبُهْتَانِ

ibnhibban:5758ʿUmar b. Muḥammad al-Hamdānī > Bundār > Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > al-ʿAlāʾ from his father > Abū Hurayrah

Do you know what is backbiting? They (the Companions) said: Allah and His Messenger know best. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Backbiting implies your talking about your brother in a manner which he does not like. It was said to him: What is your opinion about this that if I actually find (that failing) in my brother which I made a mention of? He said: If (that failing) is actually found (in him) what you assert, you in fact backbited him, and if that is not in him it is a slander. (Using translation from Muslim 2589)   

ابن حبّان:٥٧٥٨أَخْبَرَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بُنْدَارٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيبَةُ؟ » قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ «أَنْ تَذْكُرَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا فِيهِ» قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا ذَكَرْتُ؟ قَالَ «إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا ذَكَرْتَ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مَا ذَكَرْتَ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ»  

ذِكْرُ الْإِخْبَارِ عَمَّا يَجِبُ عَلَى الْمَرْءِ مِنْ صِيَانَةِ أَخِيهِ الْمُسْلِمِ بِتَحَفُّظِ لِسَانِهِ عَنِ الْوَقِيعَةِ فِيهِ

ibnhibban:5759al-Faḍl b. al-Ḥubāb al-Jumaḥī > Mūsá b. Ismāʿīl > Ismāʿīl b. Jaʿfar > al-ʿAlāʾ from his father > Abū Hurayrah

Do you know what is backbiting? They (the Companions) said: Allah and His Messenger know best. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Backbiting implies your talking about your brother in a manner which he does not like. It was said to him: What is your opinion about this that if I actually find (that failing) in my brother which I made a mention of? He said: If (that failing) is actually found (in him) what you assert, you in fact backbited him, and if that is not in him it is a slander. (Using translation from Muslim 2589)  

ابن حبّان:٥٧٥٩أَخْبَرَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ الْحُبَابِ الْجُمَحِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ «أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيبَةُ»؟ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ «ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ» قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ؟ قَالَ «فَإِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ»  

قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: {وَلَا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا} [الحجرات: 12]

nasai-kubra:11454ʿAlī b. Ḥujr > Ismāʿīl > al-ʿAlāʾ from his father > Abū Hurayrah

Do you know what is backbiting? They (the Companions) said: Allah and His Messenger know best. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Backbiting implies your talking about your brother in a manner which he does not like. It was said to him: What is your opinion about this that if I actually find (that failing) in my brother which I made a mention of? He said: If (that failing) is actually found (in him) what you assert, you in fact backbited him, and if that is not in him it is a slander. (Using translation from Muslim 2589)  

الكبرى للنسائي:١١٤٥٤أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ حَدَّثَنَا الْعَلَاءُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ «أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيبَةُ» قَالُوا اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ «ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ» قِيلَ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ؟ قَالَ «إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ»  

suyuti:345a

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: Messenger of Allah! What is back-biting? He replied: It is saying something about your brother which he would dislike. He was asked again: Tell me how the matter stands if what I say about my brother is true? He replied: If what you say of him is true, you have slandered him, and if what you say of him is not true, you have reviled him. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4874)   

السيوطي:٣٤٥a

"أَتدرُون ما الغِيبةُ؟ ذِكرُكَ أخاك بما يكرَهُ، قيل: أَفَرَأيتَ إن كانَ في أخىِ ما أقول؟ قالَ إنْ كانَ فيه ما تقَولُ فقد اغْتَبْتَهُ، وإن لم يَكُنْ فقد بَهَتَّهُ.  

[حم] أحمد [م] مسلم [د] أبو داود [ت] الترمذي عن أبى هريرة