Mu'jam Kabir Tabarani 17273 — Once we were riding with the Prophet ﷺ

Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Once we were riding with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when his (peace and blessings be upon him) mount went ahead, then my mount caught up with his (peace and blessings be upon him) mount, until I felt that his (peace and blessings be upon him) mount had recognised the steps of my mount, until my knee began to knock against his (peace and blessings be upon him) knee. I said: O Messenger of Allah, I want to ask you again and again, but the place of this verse holds me back: "O you who believe, do not ask about things which, if they were made plain to you, would distress you" [Al-Ma'idah: 101]. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What is it, O Mu'adh?" I said: The deed that will admit me into Paradise and keep me away from the Fire. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You have asked about something tremendous, and yet it is easy: testifying that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer, giving the zakah, performing Hajj to the House, and fasting Ramadan." Then he said: "Shall I not tell you of the head of this matter, its pillar and its peak? It is jihad." Then he said: "Fasting is a shield, and charity wipes out sins." Then he said: "Shall I not tell you of what has more control over people than all of that?" Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) took hold of his tongue and placed it between two of his fingers. I said: O Messenger of Allah, is everything we say written against us? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "May your mother lose you! Is there anything that throws people on their noses into the Fire other than the harvests of their tongues? You remain safe as long as you are silent, but when you speak, it is written either for you or against you."