Jami' at-Tirmidhi Chapters on Righteousness And Maintaining Good Relations With Relatives

Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1934

Chapter: What Has Been Related About Backbiting

Authentic 4 scholars’ grades Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1934

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ

مَا الْغِيبَةُ قَالَ ‏"‏ ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا أَقُولُ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ ‏"

Abu Hurairah narrated that it was said:

" O Messenger of Allah! What is backbiting?" He said : " Mentioning your brother with that which he does not like." He said " What if what I said about him is so?" He said: "If what you said about him is so, then you have backbitten him, and if it is not as you said, then you have slandered him."

Reported by At-Tirmidhi (No. 1934), Muslim (No. 2589), Abu Dawud (No. 4874), Ahmad (No. 6849, 8625, 8648, 9522) and Ad-Darimi (No. 2598).

An explanation exists for another version of this hadith: Sahih Muslim 2589

Classical commentary

Al-Mubarakfuri — Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi

قَوْلُهُ : ( قَالَ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا الْغِيبَةُ ؟ ) بِكَسْرِ الْغَيْنِ الْمُعْجَمَةِ ( قَالَ ذِكْرُك ) أَيْ أَيُّهَا الْمُخَاطَبُ خِطَابًا عَامًّا ( أَخَاك ) أَيْ الْمُسْلِمَ ( بِمَا يَكْرَهُ ) أَيْ بِمَا لَوْ سَمِعَهُ لَكَرِهَهُ. قَالَ النَّوَوِيُّ : اِعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْغِيبَةَ مِنْ أَقْبَحِ الْقَبَائِحِ وَأَكْثَرِهَا اِنْتِشَارًا فِي النَّاسِ حَتَّى لَا يَسْلَمَ مِنْهَا إِلَّا الْقَلِيلُ مِنْ النَّاسِ , وَذِكْرُك أَخَاك بِمَا يَكْرَهُ عَامٌّ سَوَاءً كَانَ فِي بَدَنِهِ أَوْ دِينِهِ , أَوْ دُنْيَاهُ , أَوْ نَفْسِهِ , أَوْ خُلُقِهِ , أَوْ مَالِهِ , أَوْ وَلَدِهِ , أَوْ وَالِدِهِ , أَوْ زَوْجِهِ , أَوْ خَادِمِهِ , أَوْ ثَوْبِهِ أَوْ مَشْيِهِ وَحَرَكَتِهِ , وَبَشَاشَتِهِ وَعُبُوسَتِهِ…

Scholar	Grade	Applies to	Work
Al-Albanid. 1420 AH	AuthenticSahih	The hadith	No. 1934
Zubair Ali Zaid. 1435 AH	AuthenticSahih	The hadith	No. 1934
Ahmad Shakird. 1377 AH	AuthenticSahih	The hadith	No. 1934
Bashar Awwad Ma'ruf	AuthenticHasan Sahih	The hadith	No. 1934

Other versions

Authentic Sahih Muslim 2589

Do you know what backbiting is?" They said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "It is to say of your brother what he dislikes

"Do you know what backbiting is?" They said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "It is to say of your brother what he dislikes." It was said: "What do you think if what I say of my brother is true?" He said: "If what you say of him is true, you have backbitten him; and if not, you have…

إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah Explained

Authentic Sunan Abu Dawud 4874

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…

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 by Abu Hurayrah

Not graded Musnad Ahmad 6849