The most important part of the body is the heart, as has been mentioned by our noble Prophet Muhammed (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam), “Indeed there is a piece of flesh in your body that, if it is sound, then the whole body will be sound, and if it is corrupt then the whole body will be corrupt. Indeed it is the heart.” (Sahih al-Bukhari [1/49] & Sahih al-Muslim [1599])
The heart is thus the port where all actions stem, whether good or evil. If the heart is good then the actions will be sound and if the heart is corrupt then the actions will be bad. The heart is the place where Allah Ta’ala scans, as the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam ) says, “Allah does not look at your bodies nor your faces but he scans your heart and actions.” (Sahih al-Muslim [4/6221])
As for the heart, Allah has commanded us to love Him and His Messenger, to love the righteous people, to love that which Allah loves and to hate all which Allah hates. The tongue acts accordingly, because…the tongue expresses what is in the heart.
If a person is good, it reflects in their speech. Allah has made it very easy for the tongue to move, infact a person’s tongue moves much more in comparison to his limbs. So if a person is not careful about what he says, even a single saying of his can invalidate his actions. It is for this reason that the whole body warns the tongue saying, “Fear Allah concerning us, for we are (dependant) upon you. If you are upright then we will be upright and if you are corrupt then we will be corrupt.” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi (1912), Mishkaat (4838) and Riyaadh as-Saleheen (2/1521)
And at the same time, the tongue is a great blessing from Allah. If we look at the animals, who are unable to speak, we realize the importance of this great tool of communication.
The gratitude that we can should show for this great blessing can include using the tongue for Allah’s obedience, reading the Qur’aan, seeking beneficial knowledge, enjoining good and forbidding evil. The prohibitions of the tongue are that you do not lie, abuse, use foul language, backbite and slander.
Allah says in the begining of Soorah al-Mumineen, {Indeed successful are the Believers, those who in their prayer have Khushoo’ (fear of Allah) and those who refrain from vain talk.} (Soorah Mumineen: 1-3)
Here Allah mentions that refraining from vain talk is a sign of the successful believers. Allah Ta’ala also mentions refraining from vain talk after he mentions al-Khushoo’. This is because too much talk makes the heart hard. In truth, it is not possible to reach the level of Khushoo’ (fear of Allah) unless one refrains from vain talk.
Imaam an-Nawawee (rahimahullah) mentions,
“Know it is incumbent upon all to guard their tongues from most speech, except a word that has some benefit in it….” – (Kitaabul-Adhkaar)
And for those who take heed there is a constant reminder in the verse, {Not a word is said except that there is a watcher by him ready to record it.} (Soorah Qaf (50):18)
The Messenger of Allah, Muhammed (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or keep silent.”
Imaam ash-Shafiee (rahimahullah) said,
“If you wish to speak then it is upon you to think before you speak. If you think there is good in it then speak and if not then do not speak.”
The earlier mentioned Qur’aanic verses, aHaadeeth (Prophetic Narrations) of our noble Prophet and advice by the Scholars of Islaam all stand as a guide for those searching for pure speech and salvation from vain talk.
Therefore, before we talk, we must ask ourselves:
– Will this saying of mine please Allah?
– Will this saying of mine bring me closer to Allah?
– Does this saying earn with it obedience to Allah?
If yes, then speak, otherwise one should remain silent.
Guarding The Tongue From All Disobedience
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said, “Guard your tongue, stay in your homes and weep over your sins.” (Related by Ibn Mubarak in az-Zuhd (no.134), Musnad Ahmed bin Hambal (5/259), Sunan at-Tirmidhi (2531) and authenticated by al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah (no.890)
Also the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said, “Most of the sins of the children of Aadam are from the tongue.” (At-Tabaraanee (3/87/1-2). Authenticated by al-Haafidh al-Mundhiri in al-Targheeb (4/8)
The Prophet (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said, “Allah has forbidden for you,
And Allah has hated for you,
Abu Moosa al-Asharee (radiAllahu’ anhu) said, “O Messenger of Allah, which of the Muslims are better?”
The Messenger of Allah said, “Those who do not harm the Muslims with their tongues and hands.” (Saheeh al-Bukhari (1/10) and Saheeh al-Muslim (1/64)
Sahl ibn Sa’ad (radiAllahu’ anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah said, “Whoever guards what is between his jaws and legs, I shall guarantee him paradise.” (Saheeh al-Bukhari (8/481). A similar narration can be found in Muwatta of Imam Malik (56/11) and Sunan at-Tirmidhi)
Most of the Residents and Inmates of the Hellfire
When the Companion of the Prophet, Mu’adh ibn Jabal (radhiAllahu’anhu) asked the Prophet (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) regarding that which would entitle him to enter Paradise and save him from the hell-fire, he (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) mentioned the pillars of Islam and informed Mu’aadh of the importance of the night prayers and of Jihaad. He (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) then said, “Should I not inform you of the sheet anchor of all this?”, and then took hold of his tongue and said, “Exercise restraint on it.” Mu’adh (radiAllahu’ anhu) enquired, “O Messenger of Allah, will we be held responsible for what we say with it!?”
Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah said, “Mu’adh, will anything else besides (irresponsible) talk cause the people to be thrown in the Hell-Fire upon their faces?” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi and Riyaadh as-Saaliheen (2/1522)
Therefore, a Muslim must beware and learn to imprison the tongue from vain talk, for the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said, “Every saying of the children of Aadam is cursed, except for the enjoining good and forbidding the evil or for the remembrance of Allah.” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi)
And “The world and all that it contains is cursed, except for the remembrance of Allah and what supports it, and a scholar and a student.” (Sunan Ibn Majah (no.4112) and and authenticated by Sheikh al-Albani in Saheehul-Jaami’ (no.3414)
Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu’ anhu) from the Prophet (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) that, “From the good Islaam of a man, is that he leaves that which does not benefit him.” (Musnad Ahmed bin Hambal (4/132), Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Sunan Ibn Majah, al-Baihaqi in Shu’ab al-Imaan)
Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) mentioned in his Musnad on the authority of Anas (radiAllahu ‘anhu) who relates that the Prophet (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said “The eemaan of Allah’s servant will not be upright until his heart is upright and his heart will not be upright until his tongue is upright.” (Also mentioned in al-Mundhiri (3/234) and al-Iraqee in al-Ihya (8/1539)
One Word! ! SubhaanAllaah.
Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu’ anhu) also reported that the Prophet (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said, “Indeed a servant may say a word from which Allah’s pleasure is gained and the servant does not realize it, Allah will raise him up levels. Indeed a servant may say a word from which Allah’s displeasure is gained and he does not realize it, Allah will put him in Jahanam due to it.” (Saheeh al-Bukhari (8/485), Al-Muwatta (56/6) and in Saheehul-Jaami’ of al-Albaani)
Imaam Ahmed (rahimahullaah) along with at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasaai and Ibn Majah record a Hadeeth on the authority of the Sahabee, Fujani (radiAllahu’ anhu) who said, “O Messenger of Allah tell me something that I may be firm upon?”. He (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) answered, “Say, My Lord is Allah and then be upright concerning it.”
He (Fujani) asked, “What is the thing that you fear for most.” The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) took hold of his tongue and said, “This!” (Musnad Ahmed bin Hambal, Sunan an-Nasaai, Sunan Ibn Majah and Sunan at-Tirmidhi)
Backbiting (Gheebah)
Allah says in the Qur’aan, {Do not backbite each other, would any of you wish to eat the flesh of your dead brother, no rather you hate it!!} (Soorah Hujarat :12)
The Messenger of Allah once asked his Companions, “Do you know what is backbiting?” They said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said, “To mention about your brother that which he hates.”
They said, “What if that which we say about our brother is true?” He (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said, “If there is in him what you say about him then that is backbiting, and if you say of him that which is not true then you have slandered him.” (Saheeh al-Muslim (4/6265), Sunan Abu Dawood (3/4856) and al-Muwatta (56/10)
The Prophet (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) vigorously opposed all aspects of backbiting, even when it appeared in his own family. For example, once a woman visited ‘Aa’ishah (radiAllahu’ anha) and when the woman got up to leave, ‘Aa’ishah (radiAllahu’ anha) made a sign with her hand indicating to the Prophet (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) that the woman was short of stature. The Prophet immediately chastised her, saying, “You have backbitten!” and in another narration, “You have said a saying that if mixed with the sea it would change its color.” (Mentioned in Ibn Jareer in Tafseer al-Qur’aan al-Adheem, vol.4, p.328 (30) and Sunan Abu Dawood (3/4857)
Abu Bakra (radiAllahu’ anhu) reports that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said, in his khutbah (sermon) on the day of Nahr, “Indeed the blood, property and honor are sacred to you, like the sacredness of this day (‘arafah), like the sacredness of this place, like the sacredness of this month; Have I conveyed the message?” (Saheeh al-Bukhari (1/105) and Saheeh al-Muslim (2/2803) This is only a part of a lengthy narration.)
And by Allah he (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) has conveyed the message, hence we must guard the right of our fellow Believers.
Tale-Carrying (Nameemah)
Allah says in the Qur’aan, {Woe to every slanderer and backbiter.} (Soorah Humazah:1)
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said, “The Gossip-monger will not enter paradise.”(Saheeh al-Bukhari (8/82), Saheeh al-Muslim (1/187) and Musnad Ahmed bin Hanbal)
The Messenger (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) passed by two graves and said, “They are being punished. As regards one of them then he used to go around gossip-mongering and as regards the other then he was not careful while urinating.” (Saheeh al-Bukhari (1/215) and Saheeh al-Muslim (1/575)
On the authority of Saeed ibn Zayid that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said, “Indeed the lowest form of usury is to prolong the speech about the honor of a Muslim without justice.” (Sunan Abu Dawood (3/4858)
Overcoming the evil habit of backbiting
Firstly, as Imaam an-Nawawee (rahimahullaah) stated, one should remember the punishment of Allah. One must remember that Allah is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. He is the One, aware of every saying, at every time. If one remembers this, it is only natural that one will be modest and shy and will prevent him from speaking about someone else in an ill-manner. We need to realize that when one of us is hurt, when something wrong is said about the creation, then Allah is the All-Seeing and All-Hearing.
Secondly, we should reflect on the Qur’aanic verse, {Do not backbite each other, would any of you wish to eat the flesh of your dead brother, no rather you hate it!!} [Soorah Hujarat :12]
And we surely hate even the thought of it.
Thirdly, fear that your own faults would be revealed, as the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said,“O you who believe with your tongues, yet eeman (faith) has not entered your hearts. Do not backbite the Muslims, nor follow their faults. For he who follows others faults then Allah will declare (disclose) his faults and he whom Allah reveals his faults, then Allah disgraces him in his own house.” (Sunan Abu Dawood (3/4862) and and authenticated by Sheikh al-Albani in Saheeh Jaami’ Sagheer)
Fourthly, take the advice of the pious scholars of Islaam, among them ….
Umar ibn Khattab (radiAllahu’ anhu) who said,
“Be caution in remembering people (in an evil manner) for it is an illness and be in the remembrance of Allah for it is a medicine.”
A man came to al-Hasan al-Basri (rahimahullaah) and said that he had heard that al-Hasan al-Basri had backbitten him. Upon this he (rahimahullaah) said,
“Who are you that I may give you my rewards?”
Fifth, and the most important thing to keep in mind is that there is a great reward to refrain from backbiting, as the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said, “Whoever protects the honor of his brother in his absence, Allah will protect his face from the Fire on the Day of Judgment.” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi and and authenticated by Sheikh al-Albani in Saheeh Sunan at-Tirmidhi (2/1575)
Exceptions to Backbiting
There are a few exceptions to backbiting which the scholars have clarified.
Among them are,
- Oppression: If one has been harmed or one’s property has been unlawfully taken away by another, and this person goes to the ruler or judge in order to seek justice, this is not backbiting.
- Changing the Munkar (abomination): If one finds a person involved in evil actions or innovations, and one is unable to correct his Munkar. It is allowed to seek the help of a more knowledgeable person, even if it mean defining the Munkar of the evil-doer or innovator.
- Seeking a Fatwah (religious verdict): For example, there is a dispute between a husband and his wife, and if either of them seek the advice of a religious scholar, then this situation is exempt from backbiting.
- Warning a Muslim from evil: For example, if a fellow Muslim is going to do a business with an dishonest person or if a Muslim is unaware that the person to whom he is marrying his daughter to, is an unreligious person; then to advice and guide him is exempt from backbiting.
- Advising against innovators and sinners: If a innovator is openly involved in spreading his innovative beliefs or a sinner remorselessly declares his sin and is thus being a bad example for others; then warning others against him is allowed. But if he commits a sin secretly and as such harms just himself, to openly declare his sins is still strictly prohibited.
Remember
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said, “Do not nurse a grudge (against a Muslim) and do not outbid him for raising the price and do not nurse aversion (strong dislike) or enmity and do not enter into a transaction when others have entered into that transaction and be as fellow-brothers and servants of Allah. A Muslim is the brother of another, he neither betrays (or deceives him), nor humiliates him, nor looks down upon him. Piety is here (and while saying so) he pointed towards his chest three times. All things of a Muslims are inviolable for his brother in faith, his blood, his wealth and his honor.” (Saheeh al-Muslim (4/6219), part of the wording being that of Sunan Abu Dawood (3/4864)
He (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) also said, “No (Muslim) man will desert a man who is a Muslim in a place where his respect may be violated and his honor aspersed without Allah deserting him in a place where he wishes help; and no (Muslim) man who will help a Muslim in a place where is honor may be aspersed and his respect violated without Allah helping him in a place where he wishes his help.” (Sunan Abu Dawood (3/4866) and and authenticated by Sheikh al-Albani in Saheeh Jaami’ Sagheer)