Hadith #11
Arabic Text
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
Isnad Chain
محمد بن جعفر
شعبة
العلاء يحدث
أبيه
أبو هريرة
النبي
English Translation
It was narrated from Abu Hurayra (رضي الله عنه) — via Muhammad ibn Ja'far, from Shu'ba, who heard al-'Ala' narrating from his father — from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: 'Do you know what backbiting [al-ghiba] is?' They said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'It is your mentioning your brother [in his absence] with something that is not in him [i.e., something he lacks].' Someone said: 'What if what I say about my brother is actually true?' He said: 'If what you say is in him, then you have backbitten him. And if it is not in him, then you have slandered him [fabricated a false accusation].'
Quran References
Reference: Musnad Ahmad, Book 17, Hadith 11
Sunnah.com ref: Musnad Ahmad 6849
Islam.wiki ID: IWH-43239