Muwatta Malik 1820
موطأ مالك#1820Sahihحَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ صَيَّادٍ، أَنَّ الْمُطَّلِبَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ حَنْطَبَ الْمَخْزُومِيَّ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَجُلاً سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا الْغِيبَةُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَنْ تَذْكُرَ مِنَ الْمَرْءِ مَا يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يَسْمَعَ " . قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ حَقًّا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِذَا قُلْتَ بَاطِلاً فَذَلِكَ الْبُهْتَانُ " .
Malik related to me from al-Walid ibn Abdullah ibn Sayyad that al-Muttalib ibn Abdullah ibn Hantab al-Makhzumi informed him that a man asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "What is backbiting?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "It is to mention about a man what he does not want to hear." He said, "Messenger of Allah! Even if it is true?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If you utter something false, then it is slander
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
In-book reference: 56:10