GUARDING THE TONGUE, SPEAKING KIND WORDS – (1)

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Abu Musa, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: They said, “O Messenger, of Allah, whose Islam is best?” The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ

One from whose tongue and hand Muslims are safe.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 11, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Abdullah bin Amr, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

الْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ وَالْمُهَاجِرُ مَنْ هَجَرَ مَا نَهَى اللَّهُ عَنْهُ

The Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand Muslims are safe. The emigrant is the one who abandons what Allah has forbidden.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 10, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, which deeds are best?” The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى مِيقَاتِهَا

Prayer on time.

I said, “Then what, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ

Good treatment of your parents.

I said, “Then what, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

أَنْ يَسْلَمَ النَّاسُ مِنْ لِسَانِكَ

That people are safe from your tongue.

Source: al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr 9687, Grade: Sahih

Al-Bara’, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: A bedouin came and he said, “O Prophet of Allah, teach me a deed that will admit me into Paradise.” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

لَئِنْ كُنْتَ أَقَصَرْتَ الْخُطْبَةَ لَقَدْ أَعْرَضْتَ الْمَسْأَلَةَ أَعْتِقِ النَّسَمَةَ وَفُكَّ الرَّقَبَةَ

Although you have expressed it in few words, the matter is broad. Emancipate an individual. Free a slave.

The man said, “Are they not the same?” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

لا عِتْقُ النَّسَمَةِ أَنْ تَعْتِقَ النَّسَمَةَ وَفَكُّ الرَّقَبَةِ أَنْ تُعِينَ عَلَى الرَّقَبَةِ وَالْمَنِيحَةُ الرَّغُوبُ وَالْفَيْءُ عَلَى ذِي الرَّحِمِ فَإِنْ لَمْ تُطِقْ ذَلِكَ فَأْمُرْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَانْهَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ فَإِنْ لَمْ تُطِقْ ذَلِكَ فَكُفَّ لِسَانَكَ إِلا مِنْ خَيْرٍ

No, emancipating an individual is that you emancipate him yourself, and freeing a slave is that you help someone else free him. Lend a healthy animal to be milked, and treat your relatives well. If you cannot do that, enjoin good and forbid evil. If you cannot do that, hold back your tongue except to say good words.

Source: al-Adab al-Mufrad 69, Grade: Sahih

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, what will save us?” The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ لِسَانَكَ وَلْيَسَعْكَ بَيْتُكَ وَابْكِ عَلَى خَطِيئَتِكَ

Control your tongue, let your house be enough for you, and weep for your sins.

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2406, Grade: Sahih

Thawban, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

طُوبَى لِمَنْ مَلَكَ لِسَانَهُ وَوَسِعَهُ بَيْتُهُ وَبَكَى عَلَى خَطِيئَتِهِ

Blessed is one who controls his tongue, whose house is spacious, and who weeps for his sins.

Source: al-Mu’jam al-Awsaṭ 2398, Grade: Hasan

Sahl ibn Sa’d, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

مَنْ يَضْمَنْ لِي مَا بَيْنَ لَحْيَيْهِ وَمَا بَيْنَ رِجْلَيْهِ أَضْمَنْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةَ

Whoever guarantees for me what is between his jaws and his legs, I can guarantee for him Paradise.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6109, Grade: Sahih

Abu Huraira, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

مَنْ وَقَاهُ اللَّهُ شَرَّ مَا بَيْنَ لَحْيَيْهِ وَشَرَّ مَا بَيْنَ رِجْلَيْهِ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ

Whomever Allah protects from the evil between his jaws and his legs, he will enter Paradise.

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2409, Grade: Sahih

‘Anbas ibn ‘Uqbah reported: Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, RadhiAllahu Anhu, said:

وَاللَّهِ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ غَيْرُهُ مَا عَلَى ظَهْرِ الْأَرْضِ شَيْءٌ أَحْوَجُ إِلَى طُولِ سِجْنٍ مِنْ لِسَانٍ

By Allah, besides whom there is no God, nothing on earth is in greater need of a lengthy prison sentence than the tongue.

Source: al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr 8745, Grade: Sahih

Abu Musa, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

مَنْ حَفِظَ مَا بَيْنَ فُقْمَيْهِ وَفَرْجَهُ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ

Whoever guards what is between his jaws and guards his chastity, he will enter Paradise.

Source: Musnad Aḥmad 19065, Grade: Sahih

Abu Rafi’, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

مَنْ حَفِظَ مَا بَيْنَ فُقْمَيْهِ وَفَخِذَيْهِ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ

Whoever guards what is between his jaws and his thighs, he will enter Paradise.

Source: al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr 914, Grade: Jayyid

Sufyan ibn Abdullah, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me of a matter I can depend upon?” The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

قُلْ رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْ

Say: My Lord is Allah. Then, remain upright.

I said, “O Messenger of Allah, what do you fear most for me?” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, pointed to his tongue and then he said:

هَذَا

This.

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2410, Grade: Sahih

Al-Harith ibn Hisham, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: He said, “Tell me of a matter I can hold firmly.” The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, pointed to his tongue and he said:

امْلِكْ هَذَا

Control this.

Source: al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr 3348, Grade: Sahih

Anas ibn Malik, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

لَا يَسْتَقِيمُ إِيمَانُ عَبْدٍ حَتَّى يَسْتَقِيمَ قَلْبُهُ وَلَا يَسْتَقِيمُ قَلْبُهُ حَتَّى يَسْتَقِيمَ لِسَانُهُ وَلَا يَدْخُلُ رَجُلٌ الْجَنَّةَ لَا يَأْمَنُ جَارُهُ بَوَائِقَهُ

The faith of a servant is not upright until his heart is upright, and his heart is not upright until his tongue is upright. A man will not enter Paradise if his neighbor is not secure from his evil.

Source: Musnad Aḥmad 12636, Grade: Hasan

Mu’adh ibn Jabal, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me of a deed that will admit me into Paradise and keep me away from the Hellfire.” The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْ عَظِيمٍ وَإِنَّهُ لَيَسِيرٌ عَلَى مَنْ يَسَّرَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ تَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكْ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَتُقِيمُ الصَّلَاةَ وَتُؤْتِي الزَّكَاةَ وَتَصُومُ رَمَضَانَ وَتَحُجُّ الْبَيْتَ

You have asked about an enormous matter, yet it is easy upon those for whom Allah makes it easy. Worship Allah and do not associate anything with him, establish the prayer, give the charity, fast the month of Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the House. 

Then, the Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

أَلَا أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ الْخَيْرِ الصَّوْمُ جُنَّةٌ وَالصَّدَقَةُ تُطْفِئُ الْخَطِيئَةَ كَمَا يُطْفِئُ الْمَاءُ النَّارَ وَصَلَاةُ الرَّجُلِ مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ

Shall I not tell you about the gates of goodness? Fasting is a shield, charity extinguishes sins as water extinguishes fire, and the prayer of a man in the late night.

Then, the Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, recited the verse:

تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنْ الْمَضَاجِعِ حَتَّى بَلَغَ يَعْمَلُونَ

They arise from their beds and supplicate to their Lord in fear and hope. They spend from what We have provided them, for no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort as reward for what they used to do. (32:16)

Then, the Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

أَلَا أُخْبِرُكَ بِرَأْسِ الْأَمْرِ كُلِّهِ وَعَمُودِهِ وَذِرْوَةِ سَنَامِهِ

Shall I not tell you about the head of the matter and its peak?

I said, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

رَأْسُ الْأَمْرِ الْإِسْلَامُ وَعَمُودُهُ الصَّلَاةُ وَذِرْوَةُ سَنَامِهِ الْجِهَادُ

The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is prayer, and jihad is its peak.

Then the Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

أَلَا أُخْبِرُكَ بِمَلَاكِ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ

Shall I not tell you how to achieve all of this?

I said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, pointed to his tongue and he said:

كُفَّ عَلَيْكَ هَذَا

Restrain this.

I said, “O Prophet of Allah, will what we say be held against us?” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ يَا مُعَاذُ وَهَلْ يَكُبُّ النَّاسَ فِي النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ أَوْ عَلَى مَنَاخِرِهِمْ إِلَّا حَصَائِدُ أَلْسِنَتِهِمْ

May your mother be bereaved of you, O Mu’adh! Is there anything that topples people onto their faces in the Hellfire but the harvest of their tongues?

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2616, Grade: Sahih

Aswad ibn Asram, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, instruct me.” The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

هَلْ تَمْلِكُ لِسَانَكَ

Can you control your tongue?

I said, “But what do I control if I cannot control my tongue?” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

فَهَلْ تَمْلِكُ يَدَكَ

Can you control your hands?

I said, “But what do I control if I cannot control my hands?” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

فَلا تَقُلْ بِلِسَانِكَ إِلا مَعْرُوفًا وَلا تَبْسُطْ يَدَكَ إِلا إِلَى خَيْرٍ

Do not say anything on your tongue except what is right, and do not stretch out your hand except to do good.

Source: Shu’ab al-Imān 2867, Grade: Sahih

Abu Dharr, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, instruct me.” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

أَوْصَيْكَ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَإِنَّهُ أَزْيَنُ لأَمْرِكَ كُلِّهِ

I advise you to be mindful of Allah Almighty, for it will beautify all of your affairs.

I said, “Tell me more.” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

عَلَيْكَ بِتِلاوَةِ الْقُرْآنِ وَذِكْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَإِنَّهُ ذِكْرٌ لَكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَنُورٌ لَكَ فِي الأَرْضِ

You must recite the Quran and remember Allah Almighty, for you will be mentioned in heaven and you will have light upon earth.

I said, “Tell me more.” The Prophet,SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

عَلَيْكَ بِطُولِ الصَّمْتِ فَإِنَّهُ مَطْرَدَةٌ لِلشَّيْطَانِ وَعَوْنٌ لَكَ عَلَى أَمْرِ دِينِكَ

You must observe long periods of silence, for it will drive away Satan and help you in the matter of your religion.

I said, “Tell me more.” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

إِيَّاكَ وَكَثْرَةَ الضَّحِكِ فَإِنَّهُ يُمِيتُ الْقَلْبَ وَيَذْهَبُ بِنُورِ الْوَجْهِ

Beware of too much laughter, for it will deaden the heart and take away the light on your face.

I said, “Tell me more.” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

قُلِ الْحَقَّ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُرًّا

Speak the truth, even if it is bitter.

I said, “Tell me more.” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

لا تَخَفْ فِي اللَّهِ لَوْمَةَ لائِمٍ

Do not fear the blame of any critic in the matter of Allah.

Source: Shu’ab al-Imān 4582, Grade: Sahih li ghayrihi

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: A man came to the Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, and he said, “O Messenger of Allah, instruct me.” The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:

عَلَيْكَ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا جِمَاعُ كُلِّ خَيْرٍ وَعَلَيْكَ بِالْجِهَادِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا رَهْبَانِيَّةُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَعَلَيْكَ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَتِلاوَةِ كِتَابِهِ فَإِنَّهُ نُورٌ لَكَ فِي الأَرْضِ وَذِكْرٌ لَكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَاخْزُنْ لِسَانَكَ إِلا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّكَ بِذَلِكَ تَغْلِبُ الشَّيْطَانَ

You must fear Allah, as it is the sum of all good. You must wage jihad in the way of Allah, as it is the monasticism of the Muslims. You must remember Allah and recite his book, as it will be a light for you on earth and your mention in the heavens. You must hold your tongue except for what is good, as by it you will defeat Satan.

Source: al-Mu’jam al-Ṣaghīr 947, Grade: Sahih li ghayrihi