Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْعَلَاءَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيَابَةُ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ لَهُ يَعْنِي قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ.
English Translation
Muhammad ibn Ja'far told us, Shu'bah told us, he said: I heard al-Ala' narrating from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: "Do you know what backbiting is?" They said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "It is your mentioning of your brother in a way he dislikes." It was said: "What do you think if what I say is true of my brother?" He said: "If what you say is true of him, then you have backbitten him, and if what you say is not true of him, then you have slandered him."