Gheebah in Islaam, or backbiting refers to the saying of stuff about an an individual whislt they're ghaa'ib, ie not present.
However Islamically it refers to saying stuff about someone which is true behind their backs. [As-Suyooti, Zawaa'id ul-Jaami, authenticed by Shaykh Al-Albaanee in As-Saheehah]
It also means to say something about your brother/sister (ie muslim) something which he dislikes. [Muslim]
Many people don't understand gheebah; people accuse others on this forum too quick for commiting it, others think that what they're say isn't gheebah, due to the fact that they also say it to the persons face. However that might be the definition of backbiting in English, Gheebah in `arabic and in Islaam is different.
The Messenger of Allaah, sal-Allaahu `alayhi wasallam said,
"Do not gossip about the Muslims and do not expose their faults. Whoever exposes the faults of his brother, Allaah will expose his faults, and if Allaah exposes his faults it will be open for everyone to see, even if he hid in the innermost part of his house." [Sahih Sunan at-Tirmidhee]
Regarding Gheebah, Al-Qurtubee, rahimahullaah, said in his tafseer of Surah Al-Hujuraat,
"The scholars agree that it is a major sin, and that commiting this sin necessitates repentance to Allaah."
Gheebah is PERMITTED in certain circumstances...
See
this thread I had to create due to content of this one and some others.
Thread closed and numerous posts deleted.