Guarding the Tongue is Part of Iman
‫قال هللا تعالى‬
Allah swt says in Surah Qaf 49 v18: “Not a word does one utter,
except that there is an (angel) Watching, Ready to record it.”
Brothers in Islam: Abu Huraira (ra) reported that the Prophet of
Allah (pbuh) said: “Whosoever believes in Allah and the Last Day
then let him speak good or remain silent.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
This hadith is a clear proof that one should not talk, unless one’s
speech is good and beneficial to others. So if we gave doubts as
to whether or not our speech will be beneficial, then we should not
speak. Imam Ash-Shafi (ra) said: “When one desires to talk, then
it is upon him to think before he speaks. If there is good in what he
will say, then he should speak. And if he has doubt about that,
then he must not speak until he clears that doubt.”
Allah says in the beginning of Surah al-Muminoon 23:1-3, “Indeed
successful are the Believers, those who in their prayer have
Khushoo (modesty, humility, awareness of Allah) and those who
refrain from vain talk.”
Here Allah mentions that refraining from vain talk is a sign of the
successful believers. Allah also mentions refraining from vain talk
after he mentions al-Khushoo. This is because too much talk
makes the heart hard. It is not possible to reach the level of
Khushoo (modesty, humility, awareness of Allah)unless one
refrains from vain talk.
The Tongue Expresses what is in the Heart:
Brothers in Islam: If a person is good, it reflects in their speech.
Allah has made it very easy for the tongue to move and it is not
difficult to realize that a person’s tongue moves much more
compared to the limbs. So if a person is not careful about what he
says, even a remark can invalidate his actions. Abu Saeed AlKhudri (ra) reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “When the Son
of Adam wakes from his sleep, all of his body parts seek refuge
from his tongue, saying: ‘Fear Allah with regard to us, for indeed
we are part of you. So if you are correct, then we will be correct
and if you are corrupted, then we shall be corrupted.” (At-Tirmidhi)
And at the same time, the tongue is a great blessing from Allah.
The gratitude that we should show for this great blessing should
include, using it for the obedience to Allah, for reading the Qur’an,
for seeking Knowledge, to enjoin good and forbidding evil. The
prohibitions of the tongue are that you do not lie, abuse, use foul
language, backbite and slander.
Abu Musa Al-Ashari (ra) said: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah
Which of the Muslims is best?’ He (pbuh) said: ‘He whose tongue
and hand the Muslims are safe from.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim)
Sahal Ibn Saad (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)
said: “Whosoever can guarantee for me (that he will safeguard)
what is between his jaws (tongue) and what is between his legs
(private parts), I will guarantee for him Paradise.” (Al-Bukhari)
Abu Huraira (ra) reported that he heard the Prophet (pbuh) say:
“Indeed, the servant will speak a word, while being unaware of (its
consequences), and due to it, he will be cast into the Hellfire,
farther than the distance between the east and the west.” (AlBukhari & Muslim) The meaning of “while being unaware” is that
he does not stop to consider whether his speech is good or not.
Sufyaan Ibn ‘Abdullah (ra) reported that he asked: “O Messenger
of Allah (pbuh), tell me of a matter that I may cling tightly onto.’ He
(pbuh) said: ‘Say: I believe in Allah and then remain steadfast
(upon that).’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah (pbuh, what is the most
serious thing that I should fear for myself?’ So he (pbuh) took a
hold of his tongue and said: ‘This.’ (At-Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah).
Uqbah Ibn Aamir (ra) reported: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah
(pbuh), how does one attain salvation?’ He (pbuh) said: ‘Restrain
your tongue, remain in your home and weep over your sins.’ (AtTirmidhi)
Al-Hasan Al-Basri (ra) said, “Whoever does not guard the slips of
their tongue has not understood their Deen.”
Isa bin Uqbah (ra) said, that Abdullah Ibn Masood (ra) is reported
to have said, ‘By Him Who alone is worthy of worship on earth, no
sin deserves more severe and lengthier punishment than the sins
committed by the tongue’ (Ibn Kathir)
The earlier mentioned Qur'anic verses, ahadith of our noble
Prophet (pbuh) and advices by the scholars of Islam are a guide
for those searching for salvation against vain talk. So before we
talk, should we not ask ourselves....
Will my words please Allah?
Will my words bring me closer to Allah?
Do my words earn obedience to Allah?
If yes, then speak, otherwise one should keep quiet.
Brothers in Islam: Suggested cure for this disease of the tongue:
One: We should know that it is a major sin. In fact, a person may
make a single statement – not paying any heed to it – by which he
may slip into Hellfire.
Two: We must talk about things that are necessary to carry out the
worldly affairs within the limits of sharia.
Three: We should distance ourselves from those long useless
gatherings where nothing is done for hours except laughing and
chatting about silly and frivolous matters. Instead, we should
gather to remember Allah and cultivate good speech.
Four: We must glorify Allah in our hearts. If Allah says do not
make fun of one another, our reply should be nothing more than,
“We hear and we obey.”
Five: We should warn others of the sin of insulting other people
and making fun of them, telling lies, slandering. Let us not allow
ourselves to be as a silent Shaitan listening to others being
insulted. Let us speak up and say it clearly that this is not
something loved by Allah and His Messenger. Proclaim that if
Allah and His Messenger hate it, then so do you.
Six: If you feel that you just have to insult someone, ask Allah to
protect you from the Shaitan and this satanic act. As Allah swt
says in surah Al-Araaf 7:v200: “And if an evil suggestion comes to
you from Shaitan, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is Hearing
and Knowing”.
Seven: And of course, if anyone of us should fall into this sin, we
should be swift in turning back to Allah in repentance. Say, O
Allah, I ask You to forgive me and I return to You. Allah (swt) says
in surah Al-Hujrat 49:v11:” And whoever does not repent – then it
is those who are the wrongdoers”.
‫أيها المؤمنون‬: In conclusion it is by shunning idle-talk that intelligence
is perfected. Keeping quiet is better than uttering falsehood. The
worst of all people is the one who is biased in his speech,
deviated in his tongue and mischievous in his utterances.
The worst of all speech is that which goes against the Book of
Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (pbuh). The worst speech
is also that which is disgusting in nature and abhorrent to the ear.
The good word is rewarded and the evil word is punished. Allah
lays example in surah Ibrahim 14:v24-26: “See you not how Allah
sets forth a parable? A goodly word as a goodly tree, whose root
is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the sky (i.e. very high).
Giving its fruit at all times, by the Leave of its Lord, and Allah sets
forth parables for mankind in order that they may remember. And
the parable of an evil word is that of an evil tree uprooted from the
surface of earth having no stability.”
Therefore, brothers in Islam let us pray to Allah swt to protect us
against sins of our tongues, ameen.