Hadith #10
Arabic Text
وَبِهَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ وَاللَّفْظِ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قِيلَ لَهُ مَا الْغِيبَةُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ قَالَ أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ أَيْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ
قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِيكَ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ
Isnad Chain
وبهذا الإسناد واللفظ
رسول الله
English Translation
And with this chain of narration and wording, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, that it was said to him: 'What is backbiting (ghibah), O Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'Mentioning your brother in a way he dislikes.' It was said: 'What if what I say about my brother is true?' He said: 'If what you say is in him, you have backbitten him. And if it is not in him, you have slandered him.'
Quran References
Reference: Musnad Ahmad, Book 20, Hadith 10
Sunnah.com ref: Musnad Ahmad 8648
Islam.wiki ID: IWH-45038