Ghibah (Arabic: الغيبة ghībah) is backbiting as understood in Islam.
It is generally regarded as a major sin in Islam and compared in the Qur'an to 'the abomination of eating the flesh of a dead brother'.
Verse 12 of Surah Al-Hujurat says: Believers, beware of many ideas.
And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.The hadith defines backbiting and generally advises muslims not to do it about other muslims and not to publicize and keep secrets (كتمان الاسرار, kitma'n al-asra'r) of others.
[2] Yahya Ibn Ayyub, Qutaybah and Ibn Hujar (R.A.) ..... Abu Hurairah (R.A.) narrated that the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: Do you know what backbiting is?
Itban bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) said in his long Hadith cited in the Chapter entitled 'Hope' reported: When the Prophet (ﷺ) stood up to offer As-Salat (the prayer) he asked, "Where is Malik bin Ad-Dukhshum?"
Do you not know that he said: La ilaha illallah (there is no true god except Allah),' seeking His Pleasure.
On the authority of Zayd Ibn Aslam, "In the time of the Messenger of God, when a man confessed that he had committed adultery (Zina), the Messenger of God asked for a whip.
If anyone commits such an abominable crime, let him keep it secret, for if anyone discloses it, We will execute the law of Allah's Book by inflicting upon him the prescribed punishment.
He said that during the time of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) some people were arrested on the basis of revelations.
Now that the revelation has stopped, I will judge you based on the kind of 'Amal that will be revealed before us.
And whoever exposes evil deeds before Us, We will not grant them security and will not recognize them as truthful; Although he says that his heart is good.
Based on the mentioned second verse and some reliable hadiths[3] Islamic jurists including Al-Nawawi in his book Gardens of the Righteous have declared backbiting in 6 cases to be valid -