Tuesday, July 21, 2026

The Tongue: Guard Your Tongue Before It Guards Against You | Part 2

 الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَلَمِينَ وَالصَّلَوٰةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى خَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّنَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَنِ الرَّجِيمِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

What If you Had to Pay for Futile Speech?

Sayyiduna Malik bin Dinar رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ said: "If the angels who record your deeds demanded payment from you every day for the pages upon which they write your actions, then, in order to save money, you would abandon many of your futile words. Yet despite knowing that these records, filled with your unnecessary speech, will be presented before your Noble Lord, why do you not restrain yourself from such talk?"¹²

The Angels Record Every Word

When dignified and respected people are present, or when one has to appear before worldly authorities and people of influence, the tongue is often carefully controlled. Yet despite knowing that the honourable angels are recording every word, people still engage in shameless and indecent speech. How do foul words and abuse find their way onto the tongue? Sayyiduna Imam Hasan Basri رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ said: "It is astonishing that the Kiraman Katibin (the noble recording angels) are with a person, his tongue is their pen, and his saliva is their ink, yet he still engages in futile and indecent speech."¹³

References

¹² Ibn 'Asakir, vol. 56, p. 418.

¹³ Tanbih al-Mughtarrin, p. 190.

An Incident Regarding Futile Speech

Sayyiduna Abu Ubayd رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ narrates: "We visited Sayyiduna Muhammad bin Suqah رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ and he said: 'Shall I not tell you something that benefited me and may also benefit you?' Once, Sayyiduna Ata bin Abi Rabah رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ said: 'O nephew! Those who came before you disliked futile speech. They regarded all conversation as futile except for the recitation of the Holy Qur'an, commanding good, forbidding evil, and necessary speech. Do you deny these statements of Allah Almighty?'

As Allah Almighty states:

وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ ﴿١٠﴾ كِرَامًا كَاتِبِينَ ﴿١١﴾

And surely, there are guardians appointed over you, honourable scribes.¹⁴

And in another place:

عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌ ﴿١٧﴾ مَا يَلْفِظُ مِنْ قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ ﴿١٨﴾

When the two scribe angels record; one seated to the right and one to the left. He does not utter a word except that there is a guardian angel ready near him.¹⁵

Then he said: 'Will none of you feel ashamed when his record of deeds for the entire day is opened before him, and he finds that most of it contains matters that were of no benefit to his religion nor to his worldly affairs?'"¹⁶

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيبِ      صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّد

References

¹⁴ Al-Quran, Surah Al-Infitar, verses 10-11; translation from Kanz al-'Irfan.

¹⁵ Al-Quran, Surah Al-Qaf, verses 17-18; translation from Kanz al-'Irfan.

¹⁶ Allah Walon Ki Batain, vol. 3, p. 440.

A Farooqi Bouquet of Seven Madani Pearls

1.       The second Caliph of the Muslims, Sayyiduna Umar Faruq-e-Azam رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ, said:

2.       The one who refrains from futile speech is granted wisdom and insight.

3.       The one who refrains from futile gazing—such as looking around without need or unnecessarily viewing various things and scenes—is granted humility and softness of the heart.

4.       The one who abandons unnecessary eating, or eating merely for pleasure, is granted sweetness in worship.

5.       The one who refrains from excessive laughter is blessed with dignity and awe.

6.       The one who avoids joking and mockery is granted the light of faith.

7.       The one who protects himself from the love of the world is granted love for the Hereafter.

8.       The one who refrains from searching for the faults of others is granted the ability to correct his own faults.¹⁷

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيبِ      صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّد

References

 

¹⁷ Al-Munabbihat, pp. 89–90, adapted.

The Reckoning for Futile Speech Will Be Lengthy

It has been said:

إِيَّاكَ وَالْفُضُولَ فَإِنَّ حِسَابَهُ يَطُولُ

"Beware of futile speech, for its reckoning will be lengthy."¹⁸

Speak Not, and you will be Safe from Affliction

Another pious elder رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ said:

اِحْفَظْ لِسَانَكَ لَا تَقُولُ فَتُبْتَلَىٰ إِنَّ الْبَلَاءَ مُوَكَّلٌ بِالْمَنْطِقِ

"Protect your tongue. Do not speak unnecessarily lest you be afflicted, for tribulations are attached to speech."¹⁹

A Person's Intelligence Is Recognised Through His Speech

Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mubarak رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ said:

اَلَا احْفَظُ لِسَانَكَ إِنَّ اللَّسَانَ      سَرِيعٌ إِلَى الْمَرْءِ فِي قَتْلِهِ

وَإِنَّ اللَّسَانَ دَلِيلُ الْفُؤَادِ          يَدُلُّ الرِّجَالَ عَلَىٰ عَقْلِهِ

1.       Protect your tongue, for this small limb can very quickly lead a person to destruction.

References

¹⁸ Minhaj al-'Abidin (Urdu), p. 147; Minhaj al-'Abidin, p. 67.

¹⁹ Minhaj al-'Abidin, p. 66.

 

2.       Indeed, the tongue is an indicator of what lies within the heart and reveals a person's level of intelligence.²⁰

Advice for one who Engages in Marketplace Talk

Shaykh Afdal al-Din رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ once heard a person engaging in vulgar and marketplace-style speech, so he said: “O brother! Allah Almighty created a servant's ears and tongue so that he may hear good and speak good. They were created so that one may listen to the Holy Qur'an, the blessed Ahadith, the Adhan, the Imam's Takbir al-Tahrimah, and the advice of those who counsel him. The tongue and ears were not created for joking, backbiting, slander, lying, tale-carrying, and useless talk. O brother! Refrain from using your ears and tongue without purpose, for this is pure loss. And if, due to the sharpness of your tongue, a sinful statement slips out, then immediately repent and seek forgiveness.”²¹

Dawat-e-Islami made her a Woman of Salah

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّه, the Dawat-e-Islami's religious environment is beneficial not only for Islamic brothers but also for Islamic sisters. A Muslim sister from Daska (Punjab), like many ordinary girls, used to follow impermissible fashions and neglect Salah. Later, she began attending a religious madrasah managed by her maternal uncle. One day, some Islamic sisters associated with Dawat-e-Islami came to invite Islamic sisters to the weekly Sunnah-inspired gathering. As a result, at the insistence of a friend, she attended an Islamic sisterhood gathering. There, she listened to a Sunnah-inspired Bayan, and the collective emotional Du'a touched her heart deeply. She repented of her sins. After becoming attached to the religious environment of Dawat-e-Islami, she also completed the 12-Day Madani Kaam Course for Islamic Sisters (now known as the Deeni Kaam Course). She received such blessings through Dawat-e-Islami that, in addition to performing her obligatory Salah, she also began offering voluntary prayers. She now has the passion to undertake extensive religious work in her village and says that, as long as she lives, she will remain associated with the religious movement of the lovers of the Prophet, Dawat-e-Islami.

References

²⁰ Minhaj al-'Abidin (Urdu), p. 144; Minhaj al-'Abidin, p. 66.

²¹ Al-Minan al-Kubra, p. 547.

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