Malik related to me from al-Walid ibn Abdullah ibn Sayyad that al-Muttalib ibn Abdullah ibn Hantab al-Makhzumi informed him that a man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ "What is backbiting?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "It is to mention about a man what he does not want to hear." He said, "Messenger of Allah! Even if it is true?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If you utter something false, then it is slander."
أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَجُلاً سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا الْغِيبَةُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ تَذْكُرَ مِنَ الْمَرْءِ مَا يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يَسْمَعَ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ حَقًّا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا قُلْتَ بَاطِلاً فَذَلِكَ الْبُهْتَانُ