Safeguarding the Tongue
Archived under Tazkiyyah .
I have recently been blessed to be able to attend a gathering at a sister's house and, mashaa`Allaah, there were many sisters present. As with many gatherings which have a large number of women, the atmosphere is chatty and buzzing with excitement. This gathering was no exception, however, we were blessed to have with us a knowledgeable sister in our presence which proved to be of benefit to us.
The sister (who I'll refer to as Umm Y.) delivered a short, yet concise reminder regarding the safeguarding of the tongue. I didn't record it as I didn't have my MP3 player with me, however, I did manage to retain much of what she said.
Umm Y. began by praising Allaah, thanking Him, and seeking refuge in Him from the evil of our souls and the evil of our actions. We were then reminded of this verse:
O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth. He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hell-fire and made to enter Paradise). [Soorah al-Ahzaab (33): 70-71]
Umm Y. then went on to tell us about the importance of protecting the tongue as commanded by the Prophet Muhammad (sallaahu 'alayhi wa sallaam):
"Whoever can guarantee (the chastity of) what is between his two jaw-bones and what is between his two legs (i.e. his tongue and his private parts), I guarantee Paradise for him." [Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree: volume 8, hadeeth 481]
... and how a simple statement can cause division between us.
We may say something in jest (which we feel to be funny) and the person we say it to may laugh it off with us, however, we cannot guarantee that the person will not go home to ponder over these small words. We cannot guarantee that the person is not hurt by that which we have said.
I myself have witnessed 'dissing battles' where sisters will apparently jokingly abuse one another - but do we not know that this so-called 'joke' may actually be a stab in the persons heart? This is the danger of jesting in such a manner. Not everyone is bold enough to tell you that they didn't like what you said to them, and that statement may remain in their hearts for many weeks, months or even years. It can too easily breed hatred towards you. Don't be surprised if that sister doesn't call you anymore... or if she reluctantly accepts your invitations - this is the danger our too-loose tongue poses!
We also need to recognise that lying while joking is prohibited - no matter how minor the lie is:
"Woe be on one who speaks and lies in order to make people laugh, woe be on him." [Abu Dawood vol: 3, no. 4972.]
... but too often this is also witnessed! We take such things so lightly, however, such things may be a cause for our dimise and loss in the hereafter - may Allaah protect us from this, aameen!
Remember, as we were reminded, that whenever we finish a gethering or are to depart from a gathering, we should say the following du'aa in order for Allaah to forgive any minor sins we committed therein:
RELATED ENTRIES: Gheebah: Backbiting & Do not Lie even in Joke!
~ Umm Junayd.
Your Thoughts
Wa 'alaikumus-salaam.
Although I've posted an entry i answer you your question, I want to you clarify what you meant by 'angel Jibril speaking to Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam).
Please shed some light on what you meant by this inshaa`Allaah.
Was-salaamu 'alaikum
~ Umm Junayd.
Wa-alaikum salam:
Well, I was thinking of the possible means that could have resulted in a 'we'... one of the logical means was if there were more than one person involved. However I have already ruled it out, after the explanation you provided.
Since you asked, the reason I made the allusion above was because of the following:
"Say: 'Whoever is an enemy of Gabriel!' For surely he has revealed it by Allah's grace to your heart, confirming what was (revealed) earlier and a guidance and good tidings to the believers" (2:97)
In addition, in 53:1 it is said that: ".... He does not speak of hiw own fancy. This is no other than an inspired revelation. He is taught by one who is mighty in power, and vigorous."
That 'one' referred to above Angel Jjibril. He played a crucial role in the revelations made to the Prophet (SAW) and others before him. Allah does not show Himself directly to his Prophets, but through His angels.
Thats what I meant.
Assalaamu 'alaikum.
When Allaah said: "... He does not speak of hiw own fancy...", He's referring to the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and not angel Jibreel ('alayhis-salaam).
There were those who used to say (and indeed still say that the Qur`aan is poetry from the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and that it's not the Words of Allaah. So, Allaah is rebukking them and telling them that he (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) does not speak from his desires, rather, all speech that he utters is a revelation and thus, his speech is the truth.
May Allaah shower His blessings upon him, aameen.
Was-salaamu 'alaikum
~ Umm Junayd.
If you want some more info, check the tafseer of that soorah: Tafseer Soorah an-Najm
Also... in the case of Prophet Moosaa and Ibraaheem ('alayhimas-salaam), He did 'show Himself' in the sense that He directly made Himself known.
I'm not entirely sure about other Prophets though.
(Ameen)
Wa-alaikum salam
You wouldn't believe, I had open in front of me the precise page of my English Qur'an where Allah showed himself to Musa (7:143 - 144) when I decided to come here to check out your response. What a beautiful coincidence, :-)
Thanx for the added info, I understand better now, and the link provided as well, I shall definitely check it out.
I just realized I made a mistake up there. The ayah I meant to refer to wasn't just 53:1 but 53:1-6, I apologize for that, ;)
I've been reading the Qur'an a lot lately. Who was it that said, "When in doubt, turn to the Qur'an for guidance?" I don't remember...anyway, I'm learning a lot. At the same time, I'm humbled by the realization that I could spend my lifetime studying it and still not fully grasp the entirety of its message.
Wa salam.
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Assalamualikum Sis,
I believe I'm in violation of one of the commenting guidelines since this isn't related to the original entry. Hope you'll forgive me for that. :-)
But I was reading the Quran just now, and I noticed in surah al-Baqarah, some ayat begin with the word "We..."
Now, I was wondering, if angel Jibril was speaking to Muhammed (SAW), I do not understand who the 'we' are... does it refer to Allah and his "helpers" or Allah alone?
I was hoping you could help shed some light on it for me. Thank you.
Wasalam.