Guarding the Tongue in Islam
The Tongue: A Blessing or a Curse?
The tongue is one of the great
blessings Allah Almighty has granted to mankind. Through it, he communicates
with others, expresses himself and his needs, worships Allah Almighty by
remembering Him, spreads goodness among people, proclaims the word of truth,
and calls to the religion of Allah. At the same time, it may turn into a curse
when used for falsehood, diverting from the path of Allah, or attacking the
righteous and innocent through backbiting and gossip. It is like a record that
one fills with either good or evil, and man is fully responsible for it by his
own will, choosing either the path of light and truth, or the path of
misguidance and darkness.
So how can our tongues become a
mount that carries us to Paradise, especially in today’s age of social media?
The Dangers of the Tongue
Islamic Sharia has given the
tongue great importance due to its extreme danger in determining the destiny of
a Muslim. By it, one rises to the highest ranks or descends to the lowest
depths of Hellfire.
Ibn Al-Qayyim said regarding the
danger of the tongue: “As for idle talk, it opens for the servant doors of
evil—all of which are gateways for Shaitan. Abstaining from idle speech blocks
all of these doors. How many wars have been triggered by a single word!”
The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said to Mu`adh: “Will anything but the harvests
of their tongues overthrow men in hell on their faces (or, on their nostrils)?” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)
Among the widest gateways of Shaitan
are speech and sight. Man, except few, never tires of speaking. Allah Almighty
says, “Man does not utter any word except that with
him is an observer prepared [to record].” (Qaf 50:18)
and, “And do not pursue that of which you have no
knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one]
will be questioned.” (Al-Isra’ 17:36) He also says, “On a Day when their tongues, their hands and their feet
will bear witness against them as to what they used to do.” (Al-Nur 24:24)
Sahl bin Sa`d narrated that the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever can
guarantee (the chastity of) what is between his two jaw-bones and what is
between his two legs (i.e. his tongue and his private parts), I guarantee
Paradise for him.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
Abu Hurairah also narrated that
the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “A man
utters a word pleasing to Allah without considering it of any significance for
which Allah exalts his ranks (in Jannah); another one speaks a word displeasing
to Allah without considering it of any importance, and for this reason he will
sink down into Hell.” (Reported
by Al-Bukhari)
Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said: Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: “When the son of Adam
gets up in the morning, all the limbs humble themselves before the tongue and
say: ‘Fear Allah for our sake because we are
with you: (i.e., we will be rewarded or punished as a result of what you do) if
you are straight, we will be straight; and if you are crooked, we will become
crooked.’” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)
Abu Hurairah also narrated that
the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “He who
believes in Allah and the Last Day, must speak good or remain silent.”
(Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Abu Musa said: The Messenger of
Allah (peace be upon him) was asked: “Which of
the Muslims is the most virtuous?” He said: “The one whom the Muslims are safe
from his tongue and his hand.” (Reported
by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
The Afflictions of the Tongue
The tongue has many afflictions
that can lead to destruction. These are varied, with many manifestations,
particularly on social media platforms today.
1.
Backbiting: It is one of the greatest causes of
destroying relationships and communities, and one of the gravest harms against
a Muslim. Allah Almighty says, “And do not backbite
one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead?
You would detest it.” (Al-Ḥujurat 49:12) The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The whole of
the Muslim is sacred to his fellow Muslim, his blood, his wealth and his honor.”
(Reported by Muslim)
A Muslim may even write a public
post mocking or violating people’s honor, unaware that it is one of the major sins. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, as
narrated by Anas Ibn Malik: “When I was taken up
to heaven I passed by people who had nails of copper and were scratching their
faces and their breasts. I said: Who are these people, Gabriel? He replied:
They are those who were given to back biting and who aspersed people's honor.” (Reported
by Abu Dawud)
Abu Barzah Al-Aslami narrated
that the Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: “O
community of people, who believed by their tongue, and belief did not enter
their hearts, do not back-bite Muslims, and do not search for their faults, for
if anyone searches for their faults, Allah will search for his fault, and if
Allah searches for the fault of anyone, He disgraces him in his house.” (Reported by Abu Dawud)
2.
Gossip is even worse than backbiting. The gossipmonger is a
person who carries evil in his heart and spreads it among people, causing
enmity between them and corrupting the Muslim society. Therefore, their
punishment is, as told by the Prophet (peace be upon him): “The tale-bearer shall not enter Paradise.” (Agreed upon)
Ibn `Abbas narrated: The Prophet (peace
be upon him) once passed by two graves and said, “They
(the deceased persons in those graves) are being tortured not for a great thing
to avoid.” And then added, “Yes, (they are being punished for a big sin), for
one of them used to go about with calumnies while the other never saved himself
from being soiled with his urine.” (Agreed
upon)
Asma’ bint Yazid reported that
the Prophet, (peace be upon him) said, “Shall I
tell you who is the best of you?” “Yes,” they replied. He said, “Those who
remind you of Allah when you see them.” He went on to say, “Shall I tell you
who is the worst of you?” “Yes,” they replied. He said, “Those who go about
slandering, causing mischief between friends in order to separate them, and
desiring to lead the innocent into wrong action.” (Al-Adab Al-Mufrad by Al-Bukhari)
3.
Insults and Cursing: The Prophet (peace be upon him)
forbade Muslims from using their tongues to insult, curse, or abuse others. Ibn `Umar narrated that the Messenger of
Allah said: “The believer is not one who curses
others.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)
Ibn Mas`ud related that the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) also said: “The
believer is not a slanderer, nor does he curse others, and nor is he immoral or
shameless.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)
Abu Darda’ also narrated: I heard Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) as
saying: “The invoker of curse would neither be
witness nor intercessor on the Day of Resurrection.” (Reported by
Muslim)
4.
Lying: Another dangerous affliction is lying. Many
become skilled in fabricating lies
on social media, not realizing that a single lie may be among the major sins.
Others post merely for attention or likes, without intending any good—wasting
words and risking accountability.
Silence or Good Speech
Silence, when at
the right time, is a sign of wisdom and reflection. Speech is not a necessity
at all times. Silence may be more beneficial and safer for the tongue, unless
speech serves the call to Allah or upholds truth. Allah Almighty says, “And speak to people good [words].” (Al-Baqarah 2:83) Ibn
Mas`ud said: “By Him besides Whom there is no god, nothing deserves a long
imprisonment more than the tongue.” Some of the Companions would even put a
stone in their mouths to avoid excessive speech.
For Further Reading:
- Restoring Morality into Society
- Treating People with Justice or Grace?
- Allah's Remembrance in the Age of Social Media
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