In our times Muslims are corrupted to believe that exposing female’s hair or being clean shaven or consuming alcoholic drinks or improper sexual relations are truly the major sins of this religion and terrific amounts of our energies dedicated to hype and practice these aspects of our religion with little thought and understanding of what was said by the Prophet peace be upon him!

At this specific point of time, the root of most evil amongst the Muslims and the very reason for their perpetual devastation is the words they choose to utter!

When the Muslim is supposed to speak he or she stays silent, when the Muslim is supposed to be silent, speaks!

Millions are killed and displaced because of the criminal speech of few of us!

The Prophet said: (In Hell) Is there anything else that causes the people to fall on their faces, except the harvest of their tongues?

Our spiritual voyage has two extremes:

Of good:

22:24. And they are guided towards the best of the speech, and/while guided towards the path of the Al-Hamid (Most Praiseworthy, Allah)!

وَهُدُوا إِلَى الطَّيِّبِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ وَهُدُوا إِلَى صِرَاطِ الْحَمِيدِ

Of evil:

The most evil amongst my people the evil scholars, said the Prophet.

This is the person who speaks of Allah and the religion and is most criminal in his speech, since he speaks for worldly gains (salaried) and fame(tenured).
الجامع الصغير – لجلال الدين السيوطي
المجلد الرابع >> باب: حرف الشين
4864- شرار أمتي [لفظ رواية البزار: “شرار الناس”]ـ شرار العلماء في الناس
التخريج (مفصلا): البزار عن معاذ
تصحيح السيوطي: حسن

And byproduct of these evil scholars, towards the end of times: when there is much talk and good deeds are scant!
كنز العمال – للمتقي الهندي
المجلد الرابع عشر >> الإكمال من أشراط الساعة الكبرى
38564- من اقتراب الساعة أن ترفع الأشرار وتوضع الاخيار ويفتح القول ويحبس العمل، ويقرأ في القوم المثناة ليس فيه أحد ينكرها، قيل: وما المثناة؟ قال: ما كتب سوى كتاب الله.
(طب – عن ابن عمرو)

Practical Guide to Cure the Excess of Speech

Know that improper speech is an ailment, like any other, as the cure of illness requires medical knowledge and actions, the cure of one’s tongue requires knowledge and action. One without the other will not remedy the ailing  disorder.

Knowledge: know that the foulest part of you is your tongue, not your sexual organ or nudity or consumption of alcohol, simply the worst you could do is speak foul words!

Knowledge: know that Allah taught you speech

55:4. IT/He (Allah) taught him (human being) articulation of speech

عَلَّمَهُ الْبَيَانَ

Allah taught you to write by pen

96:4 who has taught [man] the use of the pen

الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ

If you corrupt your speech or your pen, then you have offended Allah who neared you in closest proximity when you learned speech and writing.

Knowledge: know that the very good and beautiful end of the spiritual path is beautified speech:

22:24. And they are guided towards the best of the speech, and/while guided towards the path of the Hamid (Most Praiseworthy, Allah)!

وَهُدُوا إِلَى الطَّيِّبِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ وَهُدُوا إِلَى صِرَاطِ الْحَمِيدِ

Azizam (My Dearest) you will not reach the end of the path by much prayers or warfare or charity or knowledge or acceptance of people or wearing some cloth on your head or growth of facial hair, but by beautification of your speech.

Knowledge: The most noble form of Islam is that of silence and proper use of language:

Most noble of Islam is to safeguard people from your tongue, said the Prophet.
فيض القدير، شرح الجامع الصغير، الإصدار 2.15 – للإمامِ المناوي
الجـزء الأول >> حرف الهمزة.

1066 – (أشرف الإيمان) أي من أرفع خصال الإيمان، وكذا يقال فيما بعده (أن يأمنك الناس) أي يأمن منك الناس المعصومون على دمائهم وأموالهم ونسائهم وأعراضهم، فلا تتعرض لهم بمكروه يخالف الشرع، وكل المسلم على المسلم حرام (وأشراف الإسلام أن يسلم الناس من لسانك) فلا تطلقه بما يضرهم (ويدك) فلا تبسطهما بما يؤذيهم (وأشرف الهجرة أن تهجر السيئات) أي تترك فعلها لأن ذلك هو الجهاد الأكبر، فإذا جاهد المكلف نفسه وأذلها وأكرهها على ترك ما ركز فيها وجبلت عليه من إتيان المعاصي حتى انقادت ومرنها على ذلك حتى اطمأنت وصارت بعد ما كانت أمارة مطمئنة تاركة باختيارها للسيئات داعية إلى لزوم الطاعات فقد حصل على رتبة هي أشرف من الهجرة الظاهرة التي هي الانتقال من دار الكفر إلى دار السلام

Action: Per saying of the Prophet, the silence is associated to the kindness for the guest and good behaviour with the neighbour:

Who believes in Allah and the the Hereafter, to say good or be silent, and not to annoy his neighbour and to be generous to his guest, said  the Prophet peace be upon him.

By association, not by inference, we cognize the importance of silence and association to the other two important said forms of conduct. Therefore for the persons intending to tie their tongue, practices of kindness to the  guest and neighbour are of paramount importance.

صحيح البخاري، الإصدار 2.03 – للإمام البخاري
الجزء الرابع >> 84 – كتاب الرقاق. >> 23 – باب: حفظ اللسان.
6110 – حدثني عبد العزيز بن عبد الله: حدثنا إبراهيم بن سعد، عن ابن شهاب، عن أبي سلمة، عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال:
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: (من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فليقل خيراً أو ليصمت، ومن كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فلا يؤذ جاره، ومن كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فليكرم ضيفه).

Action: Silence and deep focus on studying and researching the Divine Gifts Allah has bestowed upon us in the nature and cosmos that are abound. Again by association:

وَخَشَعَت الْأَصْوَاتُ لِلرَّحْمَنِ فَلَا تَسْمَعُ إِلَّا هَمْسًا

20:108. and all sounds will be hushed before the Al-Rahman (Most Gracious), and thou wilt hear nothing but a faint sough in the air.

The Divine Name Al-Rahman was used in this verse, who is the giver of Divine Gifts, gifts from speech to life to this planet to the cosmos and etc. The verse tells us that when humanity appears in presence of Al-Rahman, everyone maintains silence, and therefore by association when we are in presence of Al-Rahman’s gifts of creativity and engineering, vicariously we maintain silence to study to research to cognize the vast artful engineering that surrounds us, for that is the only passage towards Al-Rahman. Thus silence to observe the nature and focused thoughts to understand these gifts.

Action: Talk about what is your business, if some subject matter is not your business avoid talking. For example, talk about your own woman and children, stop talking about other people’s women and children. Talk about your own affairs, not your neighbour’s affairs. Talk about correcting your own foul deeds, halt talking about your neighbours’ and friends’ foul deeds.

Action: If you are talking and suddenly a pleasure appears in your heart of what magnificent words rolling off your tongue, halt and maintain silence and bow out in shame! For that was your Nafs confusing you and misguiding you with pleasures of your own speech.

Action: Avoid using Facebook and any such criminal establishments. Avoid talking non-sense about all matters, specially about your religion. If you go to a bar and drink and  fornicate every night, is better for you than login to Facebook and talk ignorant words about Islam with total strangers, day in day out!

Action: Use the digital equipment e.g. MP3 players and headphones to listen to learned lectures, audio books, sounds of nature, melodic and pleasant sounds of non-offensive music, to avoid using your tongue. So when you feel the urge to backbite or talk nonsense or excessive petty talk, put on the headphones and listen to something better, thus tie your tongue by avoidance!

Action: Silence about what you do not do! Only speak about what you actually do, and do so repeatedly:

61:3 Most loathsome is it in the sight of God that you say what you do not do!

كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ

If you do not spend time on nightly worships then do not talk about worship. If you enjoy the improper conduct with women then do not preach chastity.

One might be weak and cannot maintain proper relationship with women (as an example), but is a generous donor, so then talk about generosity and charity and leave chastity to silence.

One might be a good worshiper and very spiritual but suffers from ailment of alcoholism, then talk about worships and do not talk about Shariah.

Remark1: Silence of Mind, to silence the thoughts of anger towards others, plan aggression or offense to hurt others, envious thoughts, covetous thoughts and schemes.

Remark 2: Silence of Heart, to silence to dampen the anxious flip-flop of the heart when it is not content with one’s provision or destiny. Feeling injured and left out while others are prospering otherwise:

89:15. But as for man,  whenever his Sustainer tries him by ITs/His generosity and by letting him enjoy a life of ease, he says, “My Sustainer has been [justly] generous towards me”;

فَأَمَّا الْإِنسَانُ إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَنَعَّمَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَكْرَمَنِ

89:16. whereas, whenever IT/He tries him by straitening his means of livelihood, he says, “My Sustainer has disgraced me!”

وَأَمَّا إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَهَانَنِ

To silence, even the prayers, asking what Allah bestowed on others. Except when it comes to knowledge, to be verbose and constantly asking for increase of one’s knowledge:

20:114. And say: My Lord increase me in knowledge

وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

Remark 3: The most important Jihad is that of speaking against a unjust Imam or ruler! Even a religious ruler:
The most beloved Jihad for Allah is a true/just word said to a tyrannical Imam (Religious leader) or Sultan (Governor), said the Prophet in two versions of the same Hadith.

So speak against the religious Imam who corrupts our youth and sends them to certain death and sits at home enjoying his daily life!

© Dara O Shayda 2015