Assalaamu alaykum. I was just wondering: is something only backbiting if it is done with malice and hate, or can it be backbiting even if it is not done with malice and hate?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The Prophet defined backbiting as follows, “Saying something about your brother which he would dislike.”

So any mention of a Muslim that they dislike is considered backbiting. It is not a condition that this be said with malice and hate, and no scholar mentioned that this is a condition. Rather, just mentioning a person with what he dislikes, even if you do not hate him, is considered forbidden backbiting.

Allah knows best.