Sunan an-Nasa'i 4108
سنن النسائي#4108Sahihأَخْبَرَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلاَنَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالَ، سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الْمَلِكِ بْنَ عُمَيْرٍ، يُحَدِّثُهُ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " سِبَابُ الْمُسْلِمِ فُسُوقٌ وَقِتَالُهُ كُفْرٌ " .
It was narrated from 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Abdullah, from his father, that:The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "Defaming a Muslim is evildoing and fighting him is Kufr
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: 37:143