قَالَ لِي أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ( صلوات الله عليه ) مَنْ ذَكَرَ رَجُلًا مِنْ خَلْفِهِ بِمَا هُوَ فِيهِ مِمَّا عَرَفَهُ النَّاسُ لَمْ يَغْتَبْهُ وَ مَنْ ذَكَرَهُ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ بِمَا هُوَ فِيهِ مِمَّا لَا يَعْرِفُهُ النَّاسُ اغْتَابَهُ وَ مَنْ ذَكَرَهُ بِمَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ فَقَدْ بَهَتَهُ .
Translation
Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad bin Muhammad, from Al Abbas Bin Aamir, from Aban, from a man we do not know except as Yahya Al Azraq who said, ‘Abu Al-Hassan<sup>asws</sup> said to me: ‘The one who mentions a man from behind him with what is (to be found) in him from what the people know of, has not backbitten him; and the one who mentioned him from behind him with what (is to be found) in him from what the people do not know of, has backbitten him; and the one who mentioned him with what is not (to be found) in him, so he has ‘بَهَتَهُ’ (<span class="iTxt">Bohata’</span> –slandered) him’.
Compiled by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni
Source
License: Free for educational and research use (Thaqalayn Data API)
Provided for research and educational purposes. Original source: Thaqalayn Project. Open License.