WEBVTT

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Riyadh al-Salihin

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From the words of the Master of the Messengers,

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peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

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Book of Prohibited Matters.

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Chapter: The Prohibition of Backbiting,

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and the Command to Guard the Tongue.

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Allah the Exalted says:

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“O ye who believe! Shun much suspicion; for lo! some suspicion is a crime. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Ye abhor that (so abhor the other)! And keep your duty (to Allah). Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful.” (49:12)

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“O ye who believe! Shun much suspicion; for lo! some suspicion is a crime. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Ye abhor that (so abhor the other)! And keep your duty (to Allah). Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful.” (49:12)

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"...and you detested it."

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“O ye who believe! Shun much suspicion; for lo! some suspicion is a crime. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Ye abhor that (so abhor the other)! And keep your duty (to Allah). Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful.” (49:12)

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And He, the Exalted, says:

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“(O man), follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge. Lo! the hearing and the sight and the heart - of each of these it will be asked.” (17:36)

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“(O man), follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge. Lo! the hearing and the sight and the heart - of each of these it will be asked.” (17:36)

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“(O man), follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge. Lo! the hearing and the sight and the heart - of each of these it will be asked.” (17:36)

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And He, the Exalted, says:

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“He uttereth no word but there is with him an observer ready.” (50:18)

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Know that it is incumbent upon every legally responsible person

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to guard his tongue from all speech,

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except for speech in which there is a clear benefit.

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When speech and silence are equal in terms of benefit,

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the Sunnah is to refrain from speaking,

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because permissible speech may lead

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to that which is forbidden or disliked,

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and this is common in practice.

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Nothing is equal to safety.

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On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,

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from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

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who said:

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“Then, when they have reached their term, take them back in kindness or part from them in kindness, and call to witness two just men among you, and keep your testimony upright for Allah. Whoso believeth in Allah and the Last Day is exhorted to act thus. And whosoever keepeth his duty to Allah, Allah will appoint a way out for him,” (65:2)

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"Let him speak good or remain silent."

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Agreed upon.

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This hadith is explicit

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that one should not speak

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unless the speech is good,

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which is that in which the benefit is apparent.

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Whenever one is in doubt regarding the benefit,

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one should not speak.

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On the authority of Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

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"I said, 'O Messenger of Allah,

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which of the Muslims is best?'

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He said:

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'The one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe.'"

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Agreed upon.

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From the benefits of the hadith:

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The prohibition of harming Muslims, whether by word or deed.

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For this reason, the tongue was mentioned

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to indicate speech,

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and the hand was mentioned

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to indicate action.

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Muslims have ranks,

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and the best of them is the one who withholds his evil

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from the servants of Allah,

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and from whom no harm reaches any of them.

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Withholding evil

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necessitates offering kindness and good

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to the Muslims.

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On the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

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The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

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"Whoever guarantees for me what is between his jaws and what is between his legs,

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I guarantee Paradise for him."

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Agreed upon.

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"Guarantees,"

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meaning he protects it and fulfills its right.

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"What is between his jaws,"

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the jaws are the two bones upon which the teeth grow,

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and the intent is the tongue.

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"What is between his legs,"

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meaning the private parts.

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From the benefits of the hadith:

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The obligation to guard the limbs and organs,

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and to use them in the obedience of Allah.

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The obligation to guard the tongue from speaking that which is not religiously permissible,

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and that which the speaker has no need of.

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The greatest trial for a person in this world

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is his tongue and his private parts.

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Whoever is protected from their evil

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is protected from the greatest evil.

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Staying away from sins

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is a cause for entering Paradise, after the mercy and grace of Allah the Exalted.

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On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,

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that he heard the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying:

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"Indeed, a servant may speak a word without reflecting upon it,

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for which he slips into the Fire further than the distance between the East and the West."

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Agreed upon.

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The meaning of "reflecting upon it" is:

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thinking whether it is good or not.

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"Slips into the Fire,"

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meaning he falls because of it into the Fire of Hell, we seek refuge in Allah.

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From the benefits of the hadith:

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The encouragement to guard the tongue.

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The encouragement to contemplate speech and reflect upon it,

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so that one does not speak unless there is a clear, overriding benefit in the statement;

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otherwise, one should refrain.

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A Muslim should not speak of that which he does not know to be good or evil.

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This hadith is explicit evidence for the principle of the consequences of actions,

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and that the person of fiqh is the one who considers the outcomes.

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On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,

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from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:

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"Indeed, a servant may speak a word that pleases Allah the Exalted,

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to which he pays no mind,

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yet Allah raises him by it in degrees.

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And indeed, a servant may speak a word that angers Allah the Exalted,

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to which he pays no mind,

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yet he falls by it into Hell."

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Narrated by al-Bukhari.

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"To which he pays no mind,"

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meaning he does not contemplate it in his mind,

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nor does he think about its consequence,

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nor does he think it will have any effect.

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"He falls by it,"

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meaning he descends into it, falling.

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Because the Fire has levels that go downward,

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so it is a descent and a fall.

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From the benefits of the hadith:

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Speech is either good or evil.

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Whatever is in the pleasure of Allah is good,

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and whatever is in His anger is evil.

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Paradise has levels,

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and the Fire has levels (descending).

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The encouragement to speak good,

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such as enjoining good or forbidding evil.

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“There is no good in much of their secret conferences save (in) him who enjoineth almsgiving and kindness and peace-making among the people. Whoso doeth that, seeking the good pleasure of Allah, We shall bestow on him a vast reward.” (4:114)

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And the severe warning against the opposite.

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On the authority of Abu 'Abd al-Rahman,

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Bilal ibn al-Harith al-Muzani, may Allah be pleased with him,

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that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

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"Indeed, a man may speak a word

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that pleases Allah the Exalted,

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not thinking it would reach what it reached,

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yet Allah records for him His pleasure by it

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until the day he meets Him.

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And indeed, a man may speak

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a word that angers Allah,

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not thinking it would reach what it reached,

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yet Allah records for him His anger by it

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until the day he meets Him."

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Narrated by Malik in al-Muwatta' and al-Tirmidhi.

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From the benefits of the hadith: A Muslim must contemplate and reflect upon every word and deed,

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for one might be in a state of impatience and discontent, thinking it is supplication and humility.

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Severe heedlessness regarding the anger of the Almighty leads one into the Fire, and what an evil destination.

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The prohibition of flattering rulers with speech to please them in a way that angers Allah,

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or beautifying falsehood for them, such as shedding blood or oppressing a Muslim.

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The hadith is evidence that belittling a sin and regarding a transgression as minor leads to destruction.

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On the authority of Sufyan ibn 'Abd Allah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

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"I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, tell me something I can hold fast to.'

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He said, 'Say: My Lord is Allah, then remain upright.'

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I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, what is the thing you fear most for me?'

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He took hold of his own tongue and said, 'This.'" Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

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From the benefits of the hadith: The eagerness of the Companions to learn good through comprehensive speech regarding the matter of Islam,

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which is sufficient and requires nothing else.

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The speech of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, explains the Book of Allah,

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and it is easy and facilitated, not needing anything else, just as nothing else is needed for it.

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The statement of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in the narration of Muslim:

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"Say: I believe in Allah, then remain upright."

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And in the narration of al-Tirmidhi:

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"Say: I believe in Allah, then remain upright."

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It is taken from His, the Exalted's, saying:

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"Indeed, those who have said, 'Our Lord is Allah' and then remained upright,

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the angels will descend upon them,

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[saying], 'Do not fear and do not grieve.'"

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“Lo! those who say: Our Lord is Allah, and afterward are upright, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which ye are promised.” (41:30)

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And His, the Almighty's, saying:

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"Indeed, those who have said, 'Our Lord is Allah' and then remained upright,

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there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve."

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Uprightness (Istiqamah) is knowledge and action.

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Uprightness is achieved by the oneness of Allah the Exalted,

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and not deviating from it,

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or turning to other than Him.

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It includes sincerity in knowledge and action.

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On the authority of Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:

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The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

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"Do not speak much without the remembrance of Allah,

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for much speech without the remembrance of Allah the Exalted hardens the heart.

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And indeed, the furthest of people from Allah

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is the hard-hearted one."

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Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

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Hardness of the heart,

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meaning its coarseness and lack of being affected by admonitions.

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From the benefits of the hadith:

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Much speech in that which has no benefit

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is a cause for the hardening of the heart and distance from the mercy of Allah the Exalted.

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On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

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The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

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"Whoever Allah protects from the evil of what is between his jaws and the evil of what is between his legs,

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will enter Paradise."

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Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

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On the authority of 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

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"I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, what is salvation?'

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He said, 'Restrain your tongue,

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let your house suffice you,

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and weep over your sins.'"

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Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

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"Restrain your tongue,"

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meaning guard it.

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"Let your house suffice you,"

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meaning busy yourself with what is required of you in your house,

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which is the obedience of your Lord.

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"And weep over your sins,"

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meaning feel remorse for your sin while weeping.

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From the benefits of the hadith:

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The eagerness of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them,

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to know the path of salvation,

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and to learn good.

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The answer of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

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was in a wise manner,

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for the question was about the reality of salvation,

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and the answer was about its cause,

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Because it is the most important.

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The servant of Allah ought to

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guard his tongue against the harvests of his speech,

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which cast people upon their faces

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into the Fire of Hell.

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Occupying oneself with the obedience of Allah

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protects a person from being preoccupied with others,

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or turning one's attention toward His creation,

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or having one's heart attached to a cause that will eventually be severed.

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It is recommended to withdraw from mixing with people

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if there is a greater benefit in doing so.

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Remorse for a sin

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is a motivation for repentance and seeking forgiveness.

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Whoever is preoccupied with his own sins

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will find no time to be preoccupied with the faults of others.

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Therefore,

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he preserves his tongue

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except for the remembrance of Allah, supplication,

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or seeking forgiveness.

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On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him,

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from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:

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"When the son of Adam wakes up in the morning,

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all his limbs humble themselves before the tongue,

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saying:

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'Fear Allah regarding us,

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for we are dependent upon you;

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if you are upright, we are upright,

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and if you deviate, we deviate.'"

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Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

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The meaning of "humble themselves before the tongue"

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is that they submit and yield to it.

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Among the benefits of this hadith:

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The importance of guarding the tongue for a person's well-being,

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for it is the interpreter of the heart and its expression,

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and its representative.

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Whatever crosses the heart

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appears upon the tongue.

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Therefore, it has been said:

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"A person is defined by his two smallest parts:

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his heart and his tongue."

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A human being is an integrated whole;

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if one of his limbs errs,

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all the limbs are affected,

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as it exposes them to the wrath and punishment of Allah.

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The servant of Allah ought to

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keep himself away from the sources of destruction,

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and follow a path of salvation

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by fearing Allah, the Exalted, in private and in public.

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Riyad al-Salihin.