"Speak good or be silent."

Attari.Rafique · 7 اگست 2008

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Allahumma salli 'ala Sayyidina Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Sayyidina Muhammad.

Allahumma salli'ala Sayyidina Muhammadin'abdika wa nabiyyika wa rasulika n-nabiyyi L-ummiyyi wa'ala alihi wa sabihi wa sallim taslima,bi-qadri'adhmati dhatika fi-kulli waqtin wa-hin.

Beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, said, "Let he who truly believes in Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala and the Last Day, speak good or be silent." (Bukhari)

Speech is the main method of communication among human beings, it is how we convey our desires and emotions. Our speech reflects our "true" personalities, because the tongue is the vessel from which the contents of the heart pour forth. If a person's heart is good and pure, good will be reflected in their speech. But, if a persons' heart is corrupted and evil, this too will be reflected in their speech. The tongue, if used correctly can be a source of a major blessing, and if it is used incorrectly, it can be a source of evil and a cause for eternal punishment, "Sometimes a person says a thing which pleases Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, and in return Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala raises his status (rewards him); and sometimes a person says something which displeases Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, and it takes him to hell." (Bukhari)

Good speech is among the signs of true Imaan and it will be a source of success in the hereafter, as Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says, "The Believers are successful, those who in their prayer have Khushu' (fear of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) and those who refrain from vain speech." [23:1-3]

The Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, has also warned us regarding leaving our tongues unrestrained. Many of Muslims don't enter into conversations or discussions intending to commit major sins, yet very often even lawful talking leads to undesirable results. This is a common pitfall for many Muslims, especially those who indulge in idle and unnecessary talk.

The main consequence of vain and indecent speech is that it puts one under the threat of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala's punishment. Among the other consequences is that it corrupts and hardens the heart, it has been known to sever the ties of kinship and has also brought about the premature end to many friendships.

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, has given us the ability to perform both good and indecent speech. He has also put in man the fitrah to choose the former over the latter, His Pleasure from His Displeasure. Speech is a blessing from Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, we must show gratitude for this great blessing by using it for spreading the 'Salam,' reading the Qur'an/Darood Shareef, enjoining good, forbidding evil, sincerely advising our brothers and sisters in faith and in all other things that bring us closer to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala.

May we all try to act upon this advice ameen.