Is narrating stories that include mockery, found in ancient literature books, which mention names of people and describe them as foolish or stingy—considered backbiting, given that the authenticity of such reports is unknown?

Gheebah (backbiting) differs in two situations: The first is when the person mentioned negatively is known to those present. This is considered forbidden gheebah, whether the person is alive or deceased, because the sanctity of a Muslim is preserved even after their death, and the reasons for forbidding gheebah apply even to the deceased. The second is when the person mentioned negatively is not specifically identified or known to the listeners, or is a fictional character. In this case, it is not forbidden to mention them negatively, and this is not considered forbidden gheebah. Scholars have cited as evidence for this the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) regarding the story of Umm Zar', where women mentioned their husbands in ways they disliked, and it was not considered gheebah because their specific identities were not known. Thus, forbidden gheebah is to mention a specific individual.