Allah Almighty has bestowed countless blessings upon humans, among which the tongue is a great blessing. The tongue is the interpreter of hearts and minds; its correct use is a means of earning reward, and its misuse is a warning of punishment. This is why the Prophetic traditions have declared “reforming the tongue” as necessary.
The status of a believer:
❀ The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فليقل خيرا أوليصمت
Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should either speak good or remain silent. The speech of the believers is excellent and impactful, and they always avoid frivolities.
❀ The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
من حسن اسلام المرء تركه مالا يعنيه
Abandoning idle talk is a sign of the goodness of a person’s Islam.
The Best Muslim:
Sayyiduna Abu Musa رضي الله تعالى عنه says that I asked, O Messenger of Allah! Who among the Muslims is the best? You صلى الله عليه وسلم said: من سلم المسلمون من لسانه ويده One whose tongue and hand other Muslims are safe from.
It is said that the sting of the tongue causes a deeper wound than an iron spear, therefore to become the best Muslim, controlling one’s tongue and respecting the dignity of other Muslims is very important.
❀ It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha رضي الله تعالى عنها that one day I asked the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم (about his other wife Sayyida Safiya رضي الله تعالى عنها): Is such and such about Safiya sufficient for you? Some narrators said that Sayyida Aisha رضي الله تعالى عنها meant that she was short in stature, so the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said to Sayyida Aisha رضي الله تعالى عنها: لقد قلت كلمة لومج بها البحر لمزجته You have said something that if mixed in the water of the ocean, it would change its taste.
❀ The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
إن دماء كم وأموالكم و أعراضكم بينكم حرام۔۔۔۔ الخ
Meaning, for a Muslim, the blood, wealth, and honor of another Muslim are inviolable.
Guarantee of Paradise:
❀ The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
من يضمن لي مابين لحييه ومابين رجليه أضمن له الجنة
“Whoever guarantees me the protection of his tongue and his private parts, I guarantee Paradise for him.”
Just as Paradise is promised for protecting the tongue and private parts, there is also a strong warning for those who are negligent in protecting these two,
❀ The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
أتدرون ما أكثر ما يدخل الناس النار ؟ الأجوفان: الفم و الفرج
“Do you know what will cause most people to enter Hell? It is these two hollow things, the tongue and the private parts.”
Dangers of the tongue:
❀ Sayyiduna Sufyan bin Abdullah رضي الله تعالى عنه states that I said, “O Messenger of Allah! Tell me something that I can hold firmly.” He صلى الله عليه وسلم said قلم ابي الله ثم استقم “Say, ‘My Lord is Allah,’ and then hold firmly to it.” I asked, “O Messenger of Allah! What is the most dangerous thing that you fear from me?” فأخذ بلسان نفسه ثم قال هذا He صلى الله عليه وسلم held his tongue and then said: “It is this (the tongue).”
❀ Once, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, in response to Mu’adh رضي الله تعالى عنه‘s inquiry, explained in detail about prayer, zakat, fasting, Hajj to the House of Allah, and jihad: At the end, he said: ألا أخبرك بملاك ذلك كله؟ “Shall I not tell you of something upon which all of these depend?” I said: بلي يا رسول الله “Yes, O Messenger of Allah, why not?” He ﷺ held his blessed tongue and said: كف عليك هذا “Guard it.” I asked, “Will we be held accountable for the speech we utter with our tongues?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “May your mother be bereft of you! What else is the tongue except a cultivated field, the fruits of which are speech that causes people to be thrown headlong into Hell?”
It is understood that the misuse of the tongue can ruin a person’s deeds (prayer, fasting, zakat, Hajj, jihad, etc.) and instead of leading to Paradise, it can become fuel for Hell. أعاذنا الله منها
First measure… then speak:
One should always keep contemplation and reflection in mind during conversation because a slight imbalance of the tongue can cause a person to face the pains and sufferings of this world and the Hereafter.
✿ The command of Allah Almighty is:
مَا يَلْفِظُ مِنْ قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ
Translation: “Whenever a person utters a word, there is a watcher by him.” Meaning every word of a person is recorded.
❀ The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“A person says something without thinking, and because of that, he falls into Hell farther than the distance between the east and the west.”
❀ The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“When a person wakes up in the morning, all his limbs plead to the tongue and say اتق الله فينا You should fear Allah regarding us. Indeed, our condition is connected to you; if you remain upright, we will remain upright, and if you become crooked, we will also become crooked.”
Meaning first comes harsh speech and cursing, then fights and quarrels occur, and the body has to endure the consequences. That is why all the limbs plead before the tongue. From these two ahadith, it becomes very clear that improper use of the tongue causes loss in both worlds.
Salvation in Silence:
❀ The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
من صمت فقد نجا
“Whoever remains silent is saved.”
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❀ He further said:
لا تكثروا الكلام بغير ذكر الله فإن كثرة الكلام بغير ذكر الله تعالي قسوة للقلب! وإن أبعد الناس من الله القلب القاسي
Do not speak much except in the remembrance of Allah, because excessive speech other than the remembrance of Allah hardens the heart, and among people, the one who is farthest from Allah is the hard-hearted person.
◈ Imam Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
“It should be known that it is appropriate for every accountable person to guard his tongue from all kinds of speech, and only speak that which has a clear benefit. And where speaking and remaining silent are equal in terms of benefit, then remaining silent is Sunnah. Because sometimes even permissible speech leads to something forbidden or disliked, and this happens commonly. There is nothing equal to safety.”
