The first one...

The first one, which is famous among the fuqaha ’, is: هُوَ ذِكْرُ الإنْسَانِ حَالَ غَيْبِهِ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ نِسْبَتَهُ إلَيْهِ مِمَّا يُعَدُّ نُقْصَاناً فِي العُرْفِ بِقَصْدِ الإنْتِقَاصِ والذَّمِّ. It is the mention of a person in his absence, ascribing to him something whose ascription he rinds detestable and which is generally considered as harmful (to one’s reputation), with the intention of impairing (his reputation) and disparaging him.

The second one is: التَّنْبِيهُ عَلى مَا يَكْرَهُ نِسْبَتَهُ إلَيْهِ. Informing about something whose ascription to one is regarded as detestable by him. The second definition is more general than the first one, if dhikr (in the first definition) be taken to mean oral mention, as it is generally understood to mean, for tanbih has a wider meaning and includes speech, writing, narration and other forms of communication.

But if dhikr were taken to mean something wider than oral speech, as it does literally signify, the two definitions become similar. The traditions also suggest these two definitions, such as the one recorded in al-Shaykh al-Tusi’s Amali ( Majalis ) and narrated on the authority of Abu Basir: فِي وَصِيَّةِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ لأبِي ذَرٍّ رِضْوَانُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ وَفِيهِ: قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، مَا الغِيبَةُ؟ قَالَ: ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ.

قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، فَإنْ كَانَ فِيهِ الَّذِي يُذْكَرُ بِهِ؟ قَالَ: إعْلَمْ أنَّكَ إذَا ذَكَرْتَهُ بِمَا هُوَ فِيهِ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ، وَإذَا ذَكَرْتَهُ بِمَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ.

In (the tradition about) the counsel that the Messenger of Allah (S) gave to Abu Dharr (R), Abu Dharr is narrated to have said: I said: “O Messenger of Allah, what is ghibah?” He replied: “(It is) to mention of your brother that which he detests.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, what if that which is mentioned of him should actually be in him?” He replied: “Know that when you mention that which is in him, you have committed his ghibah, and when you mention that which is not in him, then you have slandered him.”[^2] In a famous tradition of the Prophet (S) it is reported: هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا الغِيبَةُ؟ فَقَالوا: اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أعْلَمُ.