Regarding backbiting (al-ghibah)

Abu Hurairah said:
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.

حَدَّثَنَا 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 " .

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

I said to the Prophet ﷺ: It is enough for you in Safiyyah that she is such and such (the other version than Musaddad's has:) meaning that she was short-statured. He replied; You have said a word which would change the sea if it were mixed in it. She said: I imitated a man before him (out of disgrace). He said: I do not like that I imitate anyone even if I should get such and such.

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ الأَقْمَرِ، عَنْ أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ قُلْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ حَسْبُكَ مِنْ صَفِيَّةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ غَيْرُ مُسَدَّدٍ تَعْنِي قَصِيرَةً . فَقَالَ " لَقَدْ قُلْتِ كَلِمَةً لَوْ مُزِجَتْ بِمَاءِ الْبَحْرِ لَمَزَجَتْهُ " . قَالَتْ وَحَكَيْتُ لَهُ إِنْسَانًا فَقَالَ " مَا أُحِبُّ أَنِّي حَكَيْتُ إِنْسَانًا وَأَنَّ لِي كَذَا وَكَذَا " .

Narrated Sa'id ibn Zayd:

The Prophet ﷺ said: The most prevalent kind of usury is going to lengths in talking unjustly against a Muslim's honour.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَوْفٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي حُسَيْنٍ، حَدَّثَنَا نَوْفَلُ بْنُ مُسَاحِقٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ " إِنَّ مِنْ أَرْبَى الرِّبَا الاِسْتِطَالَةَ فِي عِرْضِ الْمُسْلِمِ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ " .

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet ﷺ said: The gravest sin is going to lengths in talking unjustly against a Muslim's honour, and it is a major sin to abuse twice for abusing once.

حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُسَافِرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " إِنَّ مِنْ أَكْبَرِ الْكَبَائِرِ اسْتِطَالَةَ الْمَرْءِ فِي عِرْضِ رَجُلٍ مُسْلِمٍ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَمِنَ الْكَبَائِرِ السَّبَّتَانِ بِالسَّبَّةِ " .

Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

The Prophet ﷺ said: When I was taken up to heaven I passed by people who had nails of copper and were scratching their faces and their breasts. I said: Who are these people, Gabriel? He replied: They are those who were given to back biting and who aspersed people's honour.

Abu Dawud said: Yahya b. 'Uthman has also transmitted it from Baqiyyah, there is no mention of Anas in it.

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُصَفَّى، حَدَّثَنَا بَقِيَّةُ، وَأَبُو الْمُغِيرَةِ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا صَفْوَانُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي رَاشِدُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " لَمَّا عُرِجَ بِي مَرَرْتُ بِقَوْمٍ لَهُمْ أَظْفَارٌ مِنْ نُحَاسٍ يَخْمِشُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَصُدُورَهُمْ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَؤُلاَءِ يَا جِبْرِيلُ قَالَ هَؤُلاَءِ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ لُحُومَ النَّاسِ وَيَقَعُونَ فِي أَعْرَاضِهِمْ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ حَدَّثَنَاهُ يَحْيَى بْنُ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ بَقِيَّةَ لَيْسَ فِيهِ أَنَسٌ .

This tradition has also been transmitted by ‘Isa b. Abi ‘Isa al-sailahini from Abu al-Mughirah, as Ibn al-musaffa said.

حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ أَبِي عِيسَى السَّيْلَحِينِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي الْمُغِيرَةِ، كَمَا قَالَ ابْنُ الْمُصَفَّى .

Narrated AbuBarzah al-Aslami:

The Prophet ﷺ said: O community of people, who believed by their tongue, and belief did not enter their hearts, do not back-bite Muslims, and do not search for their faults, for if anyone searches for their faults, Allah will search for his fault, and if Allah searches for the fault of anyone, He disgraces him in his house.

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَسْوَدُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنْ أَبِي بَرْزَةَ الأَسْلَمِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " يَا مَعْشَرَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِلِسَانِهِ وَلَمْ يَدْخُلِ الإِيمَانُ قَلْبَهُ لاَ تَغْتَابُوا الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُوا عَوْرَاتِهِمْ فَإِنَّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ عَوْرَاتِهِمْ يَتَّبِعِ اللَّهُ عَوْرَتَهُ وَمَنْ يَتَّبِعِ اللَّهُ عَوْرَتَهُ يَفْضَحْهُ فِي بَيْتِهِ " .

Narrated Al-Mustawrid:

The Prophet ﷺ said: If anyone eats once at the cost of a Muslim's honour, Allah will give him a like amount of Jahannam to eat; if anyone clothes himself with a garment at the cost of a Muslim's honour, Allah will clothe him with like amount of Jahannam; and if anyone puts himself in a position of reputation and show Allah will disgrace him with a place of reputation and show on the Day of Resurrection.

حَدَّثَنَا حَيْوَةُ بْنُ شُرَيْحٍ الْمِصْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا بَقِيَّةُ، عَنِ ابْنِ ثَوْبَانَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ مَكْحُولٍ، عَنْ وَقَّاصِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ، عَنِ الْمُسْتَوْرِدِ، أَنَّهُ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ " مَنْ أَكَلَ بِرَجُلٍ مُسْلِمٍ أَكْلَةً فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُطْعِمُهُ مِثْلَهَا مِنْ جَهَنَّمَ وَمَنْ كُسِيَ ثَوْبًا بِرَجُلٍ مُسْلِمٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَكْسُوهُ مِثْلَهُ مِنْ جَهَنَّمَ وَمَنْ قَامَ بِرَجُلٍ مَقَامَ سُمْعَةٍ وَرِيَاءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُومُ بِهِ مَقَامَ سُمْعَةٍ وَرِيَاءٍ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ " .