General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab)
43/40. Chapter:
Regarding backbiting (al-ghibah)
Sunan Abi Dawud
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ الأَقْمَرِ، عَنْ أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ قُلْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَسْبُكَ مِنْ صَفِيَّةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ غَيْرُ مُسَدَّدٍ تَعْنِي قَصِيرَةً . فَقَالَ " لَقَدْ قُلْتِ كَلِمَةً لَوْ مُزِجَتْ بِمَاءِ الْبَحْرِ لَمَزَجَتْهُ " . قَالَتْ وَحَكَيْتُ لَهُ إِنْسَانًا فَقَالَ " مَا أُحِبُّ أَنِّي حَكَيْتُ إِنْسَانًا وَأَنَّ لِي كَذَا وَكَذَا " .
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: I said to the Prophet (ﷺ): It is enough for you in Safiyyah that she is such and such (the other version than Musaddad's has:) meaning that she was short-statured. He replied; You have said a word which would change the sea if it were mixed in it. She said: I imitated a man before him (out of disgrace). He said: I do not like that I imitate anyone even if I should get such and such.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 4875In-book reference : Book 43, Hadith 103English translation : Book 42, Hadith 4857