الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَلَمِينَ
وَالصَّلَوٰةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى خَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّنَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَعُوذُ
بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَنِ الرَّجِيمِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
The Importance of Guarding the Tongue
Attar's Supplication:
O Allah Almighty! Whoever reads or
listens to this booklet "The Importance of Guarding the Tongue"
protect them from the sins committed through the tongue and from all other
sins. Make them among Your beloved servants and forgive them and their parents
without accountability.
امِينُ
بِجَاهِ خَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّنَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ
The Virtue of Sending Salat Upon the Prophet
The Final Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم said: "O people!
Indeed, on the Day of Judgment, the person who will attain the quickest
deliverance from its terrors and reckoning will be the one who sent abundant
Salat upon me during his worldly life."²
صَلُّوا
عَلَى الْحَبِيبِ صَلَّى
اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّد
References
¹
This article has been taken from pages 67–80 of the book Etiquettes of
Conversation by Ameer Ahl al-Sunnah, Allama Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadiri
دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُهُمُ الْعَالِيَة.
²
Al-Firdaws bi Ma'thur al-Khitab, vol. 5, p. 277, Hadith: 8175.
Complaining to Allah Almighty About the Tongue’s Sharpness
The
second Calipha of the Muslims, Sayyiduna Umar Faruq-e-Azam رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ, saw the first Caliph of the Muslims,
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ,
holding his blessed tongue and pulling it. He asked, "O Deputy of the
Messenger! What are you doing?"
He
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ replied, "This
has led me to places of destruction (i.e., ruin)," and the Noble Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم said: "There is
no limb in the body that does not complain to Allah Almighty about the
sharpness of the tongue."³
Do not let us out through your tongue
Did you see? Even a forgiven Companion such as
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ greatly feared the harms of the tongue.
Indeed, there is ample admonition in this for us, because we often utter
whatever comes into our minds. Imam Muhammad al-Ghazali رَحْمَةُ
اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ writes: "There are many words that say to the person who
is about to utter them: 'Do not let us come out through your tongue.'"⁴
References
³
Ihya' al-'Ulum, vol. 3, p. 135; Ihya' al-'Ulum (Urdu), vol. 3, p. 335.
⁴
Minhaj al-'Abidin (Urdu), p. 145; Minhaj al-'Abidin, p. 66.
The Tongue Deserves to Remain Restrained
It is said in Arabic:
مَا شَيْءٌ أَحَقُّ بِطُولِ السِّجْنِ مِنَ اللَّسَانِ
"There is nothing more deserving of
prolonged imprisonment than the tongue."⁵
Guarding the Tongue Brings Steadfastness in Worship
One of seven worshippers submitted before Sayyiduna
Yunus عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: "The steadfastness that those people
attain in worship who devote themselves completely to it is the result of
thoroughly guarding their tongues." Then the worshipper submitted:
"In your view, nothing should be more beloved than guarding the tongue,
because it is the means of keeping the heart free from all kinds of whisperings."⁶
صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيبِ صَلَّى
اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّد
Punishing himself for a Needless Remark (Incident)
Sayyiduna Malik bin Daygham رَحْمَةُ
اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ narrates: "My respected father told me that Sayyiduna
Qaysi رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ came to our home after Asr and asked about
my father. We replied, 'He is sleeping.' He رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ
عَلَيْهِ said, 'Is he sleeping after Asr? At this time? Is this a time
for sleeping?' He then departed. We sent a man after him to say, 'Please come
back. I will wake him up for you.' That man returned after Maghrib, so we asked
him, 'Did you convey the message to him?' He replied, 'He was so occupied with
himself that he paid no attention to what I said. I saw him entering the
graveyard while reproaching himself and saying, "A person may sleep
whenever he wishes. Why did you say, 'What kind of time is this for sleeping?'
You should not have asked such a needless question. Now I make a covenant with
Allah Almighty, and I will never break it, that I will not allow you to sleep
for a full year." When I heard this, I left him and returned."⁷
سُبْحَانَ اللَّه! On the one hand, this was the practice of
our pious predecessors; on the other, we look at our own condition. We can
hardly find relief from unnecessary objections, pointless criticism, and
needless questions. If only there were some ways for our tongues to be
restrained!
References
⁵
Minhaj al-'Abidin (Urdu), p. 210; Minhaj al-'Abidin, p. 96.
⁶
Minhaj al-'Abidin (Urdu), p. 210; Minhaj al-'Abidin, pp. 96–97.
⁷
Allah Walon Ki Batain, vol. 6, pp. 269–270.
He Could Bear the Fast of Intense
Heat, But...
Sayyiduna Yunus bin Ubayd رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ
عَلَيْهِ, out of humility, said: "My nafs can endure the hardship
of fasting in the intense heat of Basrah, but it does not possess the strength
to refrain from even a single word of futile speech."⁸
The Tongue Deserves Even Greater Protection
O lovers of the Prophet! Indeed, failing to protect
one's private parts from sins is also a grave sin, unlawful, and a cause of
entering Hell. Truly, there is goodness in speaking good words and evil in
speaking evil words. The tongue may entangle even great people on the Day of
Judgment. Therefore, safeguarding it is of utmost importance.
The Tabi'i saint, Sayyiduna Abu Hazim رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ, said: "A believer should protect his
tongue even more than he protects his private parts."⁹
صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيبِ صَلَّى
اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّد
References
⁸
Minhaj al-'Abidin (Urdu), p. 141; Minhaj al-'Abidin, p. 64.
⁹
Hilyat al-Awliya, vol. 3, p. 267, Saying no. 3909; Allah Walon Ki Batain, vol.
3, p. 331.
One Cause of Constriction in
Sustenance
Sayyiduna Malik bin Dinar رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ
عَلَيْهِ said: "When you find hardness in your heart, weakness in
your body, and constriction in your sustenance, then know that you have
certainly uttered some futile speech."¹⁰
صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيبِ صَلَّى
اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّد
Allah Almighty Hears Every Word
Sayyiduna Bishr Hafi رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ
عَلَيْهِ spoke very little and would say to his companions:
"Reflect upon what you are having written into your records of deeds, for
they will be presented before your Noble Lord. Woe to the one who engages in
evil speech! If you were dictating something to a friend and had vulgar words
written into it, this would be considered shamelessness towards him. Then what
will be your condition with Allah Almighty?"¹¹
References
¹⁰
Minhaj al-'Abidin (Urdu), p. 142; Minhaj al-'Abidin, p. 65.
¹¹
Tanbih al-Mughtarrin, p. 190.
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