Author: Sheikh Abdul Salam bin Muhammad, may Allah protect him
Narration:
From Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“All the children of Adam are prone to error, and the best among those who err are those who frequently repent.”
(Narrated by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah; its chain of narration is strong).
Source:
Hasan [Tirmidhi 2499], [Ibn Majah 4251]. Al-Albani has classified it as Hasan in Sahih Tirmidhi. See also [Tuhfat al-Ashraf 340/1].
This hadith highlights that no human is free from error, as they are created weak:
“And mankind was created weak.”
[An-Nisa: 28]
This implies that some negligence may occur in fulfilling Allah's commands and avoiding prohibited matters. Allah does not intend for humans to be devoid of mistakes; rather, He requires them to turn back to Him in repentance and seek forgiveness. Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than a person who, having lost his mount in the wilderness and is waiting for death, suddenly finds his mount along with his belongings and joyfully exclaims: “O Allah, I am Your servant and You are my Lord.”
[Muslim, narrated by Anas]
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if you did not sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would bring forth a people who would commit sins and then seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would pardon them.”
[Muslim 2749, At-Tawbah / 2]
Elevation Through Repentance:
When a person commits a sin and then repents and seeks forgiveness, they achieve a rank of closeness to Allah that they could not attain without having committed a sin.
“These are they who Allah will replace their evil deeds with good deeds.”
[Al-Furqan: 70]
After eating from the forbidden tree, Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) achieved a higher status through repentance, and Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him) gained elevation by reciting “There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.” while in the belly of the fish. Their sins did not diminish their ranks due to their repentance and seeking forgiveness.
The Temptation of Sinful Speech:
Discussions about disobedience are often shared with pleasure in gatherings, highlighting encounters with lovers, tales of sin, and the actions of the disobedient, which misrepresent their conditions and customs. The vibrancy of gatherings, the crowding of cinemas, and the intrigue of stories and novels stem from the mention of these prohibited actions, which are categorically impermissible for Muslims.
Additionally, gossip, slander, conflicts, mockery, insults, foul language, bad speech, lies, disbelief, and breach of trust are all evils of the tongue. May Allah protect us from them.
The Importance of Silence:
Silence that leads to salvation entails refraining from haram (forbidden), makruh (discouraged), useless, and unbeneficial speech. The tongue is a great blessing from Allah as it is the means of expressing one's heart. It enables acts of faith and Islam, recitation and remembrance, enjoining good and forbidding evil, education, and pleasant conversation with family and friends. Therefore, complete silence or fasting from speech is impermissible in this Ummah.
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that once the Prophet (peace be upon him) was delivering a sermon and saw a man standing. He inquired about him, and the people informed him that this was Abu Israel, who had vowed to stand without sitting, not to seek shade, and not to speak while observing fasting. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Tell him to speak, to seek shade, to sit, but let him complete his fast.”
[Sahih Bukhari 6704]
This indicates that even if one has made a vow to remain silent, it is not permissible to fulfill such a vow.
Narration:
From Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“All the children of Adam are prone to error, and the best among those who err are those who frequently repent.”
(Narrated by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah; its chain of narration is strong).
Source:
Hasan [Tirmidhi 2499], [Ibn Majah 4251]. Al-Albani has classified it as Hasan in Sahih Tirmidhi. See also [Tuhfat al-Ashraf 340/1].
Benefits:
Acknowledgment of Human Weakness:This hadith highlights that no human is free from error, as they are created weak:
“And mankind was created weak.”
[An-Nisa: 28]
This implies that some negligence may occur in fulfilling Allah's commands and avoiding prohibited matters. Allah does not intend for humans to be devoid of mistakes; rather, He requires them to turn back to Him in repentance and seek forgiveness. Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than a person who, having lost his mount in the wilderness and is waiting for death, suddenly finds his mount along with his belongings and joyfully exclaims: “O Allah, I am Your servant and You are my Lord.”
[Muslim, narrated by Anas]
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if you did not sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would bring forth a people who would commit sins and then seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would pardon them.”
[Muslim 2749, At-Tawbah / 2]
Elevation Through Repentance:
When a person commits a sin and then repents and seeks forgiveness, they achieve a rank of closeness to Allah that they could not attain without having committed a sin.
“These are they who Allah will replace their evil deeds with good deeds.”
[Al-Furqan: 70]
After eating from the forbidden tree, Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) achieved a higher status through repentance, and Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him) gained elevation by reciting “There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.” while in the belly of the fish. Their sins did not diminish their ranks due to their repentance and seeking forgiveness.
The Temptation of Sinful Speech:
Discussions about disobedience are often shared with pleasure in gatherings, highlighting encounters with lovers, tales of sin, and the actions of the disobedient, which misrepresent their conditions and customs. The vibrancy of gatherings, the crowding of cinemas, and the intrigue of stories and novels stem from the mention of these prohibited actions, which are categorically impermissible for Muslims.
Additionally, gossip, slander, conflicts, mockery, insults, foul language, bad speech, lies, disbelief, and breach of trust are all evils of the tongue. May Allah protect us from them.
The Importance of Silence:
Silence that leads to salvation entails refraining from haram (forbidden), makruh (discouraged), useless, and unbeneficial speech. The tongue is a great blessing from Allah as it is the means of expressing one's heart. It enables acts of faith and Islam, recitation and remembrance, enjoining good and forbidding evil, education, and pleasant conversation with family and friends. Therefore, complete silence or fasting from speech is impermissible in this Ummah.
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that once the Prophet (peace be upon him) was delivering a sermon and saw a man standing. He inquired about him, and the people informed him that this was Abu Israel, who had vowed to stand without sitting, not to seek shade, and not to speak while observing fasting. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Tell him to speak, to seek shade, to sit, but let him complete his fast.”
[Sahih Bukhari 6704]
This indicates that even if one has made a vow to remain silent, it is not permissible to fulfill such a vow.
