Article Surah 90 · Ayah 9
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All the gifts which Allah, the Exalted, has granted to manwhether they are
physical and outward members, like the ears, eyes, hands and legs, or internal parts
and whether they are immaterial qualities such as psychological and spiritual
faculties, like the power of thought and imagination, which are related to the brain
or the feelings and sensations of the soul; in short, that which is related to the soul
and body of manare all ways and means of attaining perfection and not goals in
and of themselves. Not even their results and effects are the ultimate goal of man.
We should use the eyes to look at things which draw us closer to ultimate
perfection and to Allah. In the same way, we have to listen with our ears to things
which bring about human perfection and, in addition, use the rest of the members
of the bodyone of which is the tonguein the same way.
We have to say things which bring about our spiritual ascension and are pleasing to
Allah. We should use all the gifts of Allah with the purpose of gaining proximity to
Him and to attain human perfection and we have to know that they are not just
means of sporting and games such that we can use our faculties in whatever way
we fancy.
Man should not conceive the results and desires of members of the body like the
tongue as his ultimate goals because the original aim is something much higher
reason that the tongue has to be employed in the way of good and perfection. In a
hadith, Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) states:
is giving advice to the Muslims and awakening the
attain human perfection and proximity to Him, he has to use the tongue to derive
the best benefit, not to use it as a means of procuring misfortune. He has to speak
with wisdom and refrain from words which result in social and spiritual decline
if
man speaks without deliberation and does not take the fruits of his words into
‘a) states:
i (‘a) enumerates the ill effects of vain speech and the lack of
thought in regard to the fruits of the words of the hypocrites:
In contrast to a believer who:
Although we may generally know that we have to gain proximity to Allah by
means of the tongue, the subject of discussion revolves around the manner of
gaining this proximity. In this regard, it has to be explained that words and speech
sometimes fall in the category of worship of Allah, such as the words man utters at
the time of supplication and ritual prayer where the words are considered to be
either obligatory or recommended acts of worship.
However, in other uses of the tongue are means of making others know what he
has concealed within his heart and make them know his desires and intentions. In
making others know his desires, man should have divine intentions. He has to
know what issues and what speech is pleasing to Allah and this can result in him
becoming closer to Allah and can be a cause of gaining His reward in the hereafter.
It is in this case that a person attains divine wishes by means of using his tongue
and speaking.
In some instances, the advisability and desirability of words has to be distinguished
by the help of the divine law of Islam, otherwise a person himself does not know
the bounds and characteristics of desirable talk.
In a lot of instances one can discern the goodness of his speech by means of the
intellect and comprehend whether what he says is desirable, incumbent or
recommended. In case man has the intention of pleasing none but Allah, his words
are considered to be worship. An example is when one wants to defend an
oppressed man by means of his speech or exact justice on behalf of an oppressed
person by taking an oppressor to task.
dependent on the dictates of divine law. If no divine law had ever been inspired to
mankind, man would still have comprehended that defending the weak and
oppressed was incumbent and if one were able to defend the oppressed by means
of speaking, then that would be pleasing and gratifying to Allah. Even if one were
not able to fully comprehend the obligation of speaking out in defense of the weak
and oppressed, he would at least conceive its goodness and desirability.
We all know that it is very good and desirable to stroke the head of an orphan and
make him happy and that abating the sorrow and sadness of a believing brother is
s deeds are considered to be worship if he makes
the intention to please Allah. In contrast with these situations, in other instances we
may not realize the limits and cannot distinguish the realm of the permissibility of
certain actions and, like divine injunctions, the lawmaker has to explain them to us.
Even though the intellect may conceive the generalities, the characteristics,
conditions and limits of those instances are determined by divine law and they are
placed at our disposal by means of inference from the sources of Islamic
jurisprudence.
Therefore, in such instances we must follow divine injunctions. There are also
instances which we know are not pleasing to Allah. Acting upon such deeds is not
correct, man sins if he does these forbidden actions, he will be punished and
because these deeds are not pleasing to Allah, they cannot be discharged with the
intention of worship.
The wisdom of these instances is independently distinguished by the intellect and
there is no need to receive the injunctions from the divine legislator. Examples are
vexing other people by means of the tongue, lying, false accusation, and spoiling
relationships between two believers by means of what one says all of which are
detestable and hated by the intellect.
We conclude that we ourselves clearly conceive the goodness and badness of some
of our words and in other instances divine law explains the limits and requirements
of correct and proper speech.
Method of Deriving Benefit from the Tongue and Avoiding Troubles It
Causes
We have to bear in mind that the tongue is one of the greatest gifts of Allah and
one of His most delicate of creations. Even though its size is small, its devotion or
evil can be great because disbelief and faith are made apparent by means of it and
these two are the utmost limits of obedience and disobedience. It is for this reason
that effort has to be made to control the tongue because leaving it free can result in
a lot of harm.
A person remains safe from the calamities of the tongue once he controls it by
means of divine injunctions and laws. He must never leave it free to utter whatever
the heart desires but only that which is necessary for the worldly life and hereafter,
and he must try to hold his tongue in instances where he senses worldly danger or
danger in regard to the hereafter. The tongue is the biggest means of the devil for
deceiving and misleading man; it is for this reason that silence has been praised in
hadiths. As the Noble Prophet (S) states:
In another hadith, he states:
The tongue has to be controlled against defects such as lies, false accusation,
gossiping and other such things and made to utter decent and acceptable words so
that harm does not arise from it. Words have to be spoken where befitting and
problems resolved by means of speech, so that man might build a palace for
himself in paradise. Still, if a person, who is able to amass invaluable treasures,
amasses straw instead, he has made regrettable losses. This is the similitude of a
person who quits invocation of Allah and embarks upon deeds that do not earn him
any benefit. Even though his words do not constitute sin, because he has lost that
which is procured by invocation of Allah, he has incurred losses. Imam al-Sadiq
(‘a) quotes the Noble Prophet (S) in regard to the attributes of the saints [awliya’]
of Allah:
was invocation of Allah, they looked and their looking was taking lesson, they
spoke and their words were wisdom, they associated with the people and their
It is in view of the role of the tongue in bringing about either prosperity or
everlasting misfortune and even more important its function in edifying the
community or ravaging the ethical foundations of a society that Allah and His
saints [awliya’] have made a great deal of recommendations that people must
endeavor to control their tongues and, through awareness of correct social
etiquettes and Islamic conduct and by making the saints [awliya’] of Allah and
their speech and behavioral manners their role models, use their tongues to build
themselves and the society. It is for this reason that the best way to control the
tongue and use it is observing the speech etiquettes of the prophets and the saints
[awliya’] of Allah (‘a).
The prophets (‘a) used to show the best way of socializing with the people, an
example of which are the logical proofs and demonstrative arguments which they
likewise, discussions they had with the believers and the detailed ways of life
narrated from them.
If we delve deeply in the discussions the prophets (‘a) had with the polytheists and
the defiant, we cannot find anything insulting, offensive or humiliating that they
said to the infidels. Indeed, in spite of all the opposition, insults, mockery, derision
and ridicule that the unbelievers used to heap upon them, they always responded
with the best and most well-intentioned counsels and advice and always took their
leave with peace.
“The servants of the All-beneficent are those who walk humbly on the earth, and
when the ignorant address them, say, ‘Peace!’”
In spite of all the hurtful words, false accusations and derisions which the
polytheists would utter to the prophets (‘a
has not been recorded anywhere that the prophets (‘a) ever responded in kind. On
the contrary, they used to respond with decent talk, articulate logic and good
manners.
Truly, these great people conformed to the method of education that taught them
the best manner of speech and behavior and of these teachings is the following,
which Allah, the Exalted, ordered upon Moses and Aaron:
“Let the two of you go to Pharaoh. Indeed he has rebelled. Speak to him in a soft
manner; maybe he will take admonition or fear.”
One of the manners of speech of the prophets (‘a) is that they always considered
themselves as part and parcel of the people and used to talk with everyone
according to their own level of understanding, and this truth can be deduced from
the conversations which they had with different people as has been recorded in
history. A hadith
Prophet (S) stated:
Abstaining from Talkativeness and Excess in Humor and Joking
Our discussion concerns the defects and detriments of the tongue and there are
numerous hadiths recorded in this regard. Religious jurisprudents have assigned
certain topics of Islamic jurisprudence [fiqh] to the inviolable things [muharramat]
in regard to speech, including lies, gossiping, ridicule, tormenting a believer, as
well as vain and extravagant talk which has become known as lahw al-hadith
talk which separates man from Allah and diminishes the spirituality and divine
light of human nature (in books of ethics there are detailed discussions explaining
this matter).
The thing is that in some instances, the condemnation and unlawfulness of certain
deeds is clear to man; therefore, man harbors no doubts with regard to their
religious decrees in speech and deeds. However, sometimes certain words appear
to be permissible and man even imagines that they are advisable when they are in
reality forbidden or unadvisable. In such circumstances, the devil deceives us and
we fall into error, whether knowingly or unknowingly, and as a result say those
dubious and erroneous words. Sometimes, also man himself lacks enough attention
and deceives himself.
If man reflects upon doubtful things in regard to what is good, he usually perceives
the truth of the matter, but he unfortunately does not often pay careful attention to
these things because he acts out of whims and does not take care in his deeds. He
even makes excuses for himself and even calls his deeds good and justifies them as
well.
For example, a joking jester who wants to liven up a gathering and make other
people laugh makes excuses for himself that tonight is a festival and he only
intends to make people happy! On this pretext he embarks upon frivolous talk
which has no spiritual or worldly benefits whatsoever, and does not have any other
effects save wasting time and even hurting other people.
lahw (frivolousness) denotes everything which prevents man from
lahw al-hadith
and extravagant talk which causes man to deviate from what is right and makes
him preoccupiedlike old superstitious tales and stories which tempt man to do
indecent and obscene deedsmelodies and music can also be instances of lahw al-
hadith.
“And when they hear vain talk, they avoid it and say, ‘Our deeds belong to us,
and your deeds belong to you. Peace be upon you, we do not court the
ignorant’.”
Majma‘ al-Bayan
to Nasr ibn Harith. He was a businessman who used to travel to Iran where he
would learn the old tales of the Iranians and later relate them to the Quraysh. He
listen to his tales
We have to bear in mind that it is not only vain and comical talk which makes an
unhappy believer cheerful, but also relation of a suitable hadith with the
temperament of the heavy-hearted believer about the graces of Allah can thus
cheer him or her up and release them from sorrow and sadness. We do not
necessarily have to make a person happy by means of vain or comical talk.
There is no person who denies the goodness of making other people happy and
joyous, and this is a point which has repeatedly been recommended in Islamic
positive value and spiritual worthiness so as
pursuits.
Imam al-Baqir (‘a) narrates that the Noble Prophet (S) stated:
Every person who makes a believer happy and joyous has made me happy and
In another hadith Imam al-Sajjad (‘a) narrates that the Noble Prophet (S) stated:
es of Allah, the Exalted and Honorable, is making the
Sometimes, a believer becomes sad because of worldly affairs and sometimes on
account of matters related to the hereafter. In any case, that sorrow and sadness
inhibits man from activities and work and brings his faculties and powers to a halt.
Therefore, he cannot make use of his capabilities and capacities because he has no
peace of mind and lacks joy. If he studies, nothing is retained in his memory, and
he lacks presence of heart during prayer.
In any case, he cannot concentrate on anything and he does not embark on doing
anything. In this case, we have to try to redeem him from that sorrow and sadness
and gladden him so that he may perform his acts of worship and other duties.
Making him happy is both desirable and an act of worship if done with the
intention to please Allah.
Sometimes, man deceives himself that the only way to make a believer happy and
joyous is to narrate useless tales, speak vain and futile words and tell funny jokes
to him forgetting that in that regard he can speak productive, logical and valuable
words and he can bring the believer out of sorrow and sadness by means of
reasonable talk. He can guide the believer and tell him that these sorrows and
distresses do not remedy problems and only harm the brain and inhibit him from
his work without benefiting him in any way.
A joker or jester starts telling funny jokes once he sees his friend sad, imagining
that he will make his friend happy, negligent of the fact that only a bit of joking is
advisable and excessive jesting is reproachable and blameworthy. Excessive jokes
cause man not to take himself and other people seriously and to imagine that
everything is for play and sport. Also, a lot of laughing gives rise to the spiritual
that even the Noble Prophet (S) used to joke, as he himself stated:
And in regard to the need to refrain from excessive laughter, he states:
With regard to what has been mentioned, we have to try not to let joking and
jesting go beyond advisable limits. Most often excessive jokes and funny stories
made on the pretext of making people happy result in hurting, derision and, Allah
forbid, false accusation and gossip about other human beings. Man is cheated and
deceived by the devil that making a believer happy is a recommendable act and
thereby perpetrates a sin like gossip. In addition to the fact that he himself becomes
contaminated by sin by committing indecent deeds, he impels his friend to become
tainted by sin by listening to gossip.
In any case, in a great number of situations the devil deceives man into committing
sin as a result of vainly imagining that he is doing good and decent deeds.
However, if man thinks well and uses caution, he conceives his mistake.
Sometimes though, a person does not perceive his mistakes no matter how
carefully he thinks because a human being is not necessarily perspicacious and
foresighted. In such circumstances, it is the duty of others to make him aware that
his deeds are not appropriate and he can do better deeds to make believers happy in
another form that is more appropriate and desirable.
The Diversity in Methods of Guidance
In order to make people aware of their displeasing acts, we cannot always derive
benefit from the same methods. For people that do not have much knowledge
about incumbent and forbidden things of religion and are not knowledgeable of
religious sources such hadith, the worldly and heavenly ill-
effects of sins such as gossip, lying and false accusation must be enumerated. They
have to understand that gossip is similar to eating the meat of a dead brother, and
other facts.
However, for people who are always preoccupied with the Book and the sunnah
and sciences of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), there is no need to enumerate the ill-effects of
these sins because they themselves are aware of them. However, they do have to be
reminded about instances in regard to which they have become negligent. They
have to be awakened and made aware that some talk, even if it is done with a good
intention, is un advisable and not pleasing to Allah and can result in harm.
Indeed, in some instances, deeds are two-sided or a
intention and motive which grants them the essence of decency or indecency.
Sometimes, a deed is considered to be good if it is done with a good intention
although the same deed can be considered to be a bad deed if it is done with a bad
intention because the value of every deed in the Islamic point of view is the
intention.
Often a person, unknowingly or out of negligence, does a bad deed with good
intentions and in this regard he receives a reward due to his good intention or at
least if he is not rewarded he is exempt from punishment. On the other hand, if he
carries out a good deed with a ignoble intention, he does not gain any reward and
he has not performed any worship and would most probably be punished for that
act because his deed was not done out of good intentions. Such instances can be
found in a lot of sayings.
Sometimes, discussion arises in a group in regard to a certain person and someone
from the group intends to talk about the good traits of that individual and, in order
to please that individual, he embarks upon flattering and improperly
complimenting that person. If the others ask why the person is flattering so and so,
he responds that he intends to be endowed with humility as a result of praising
other people.
Of course, one of the excellent qualities of man is that he should enumerate the
good qualities of other human beings and try to mention the virtues of other
peoplethis point has been recommended in the hadiths. By doing so, we increase
the repute and prestige of a believer and we also encourage others to do good deeds
and acquire good traits, but we have to observe the intention we employ when we
praise other people. Is our praise for the sake of honoring a believer, pleasing Allah
and bidding the good in the society or do we praise others in their presence and
absence so as to earn their pleasure and subsequent favors?
If we compliment a person with the intention of earning his pleasure and favors, he
may praise us in return and grant us favors in times of our need. In such
circumstances, we have done nothing but become deceived by the devilwe have
praised our friend in his absence so that he may praise us in our absence. It is in
these circumstances that knowledgeable and informed people are deceived by the
devil.
The devil impels ordinary and unlearned people who are not aware about divine
injunctions and laws to tell lies and gossip openly and commit well-known and
defined sins, but he deceives the scholars in another form. He makes them imagine
that if they embark upon reciprocal praise of one another, they have done
something good. This in reality is the result of the trickeries and deceptions of the
carnal soul.
Therefore, man has to be cautious and examine his heart whenever he wants to do
any deed in order to see what motive he has for doing that action. He has to reflect
a bit before doing anything and again after doing it. He should not let his tongue
loose and free to utter whatever he wishes without any reflection and thought,
because this is a quality of fools who do not control their tongues and say whatever
they desire.
‘a)
states:
The tongue of the wise man is behind his heart, and the heart of the fool is behind
In explanation of this prominent saying, the late Sayyid Radi states:
reflect and meditate in their hearts. In contrast, the ignorant gives precedence to
saying whatever he wishes before thinking and contemplating. Therefore, it is as
though the tongue of a wise man is behind his heart and the heart of an ignorant
Therefore, it is befitting that when talking, we have to initially ponder about why
we want to talk and what our motive is so that by the grace of Allah, we may
remain safe from the defects of the tongue, the deceptions of the carnal soul and
the devil. However, if we do not think or take precaution in our deeds and we talk
unwillingly fall prey to his deceptions and trickery.
Of course, these errors which result from negligence, haste, lack of thought and
reflection and not having the correct intention in doing deeds are not confined to
words and speech. Man also falls into these errors with regard to deriving benefit
from the other parts and limbs of the body but at present our discussion concerns
the defects and faults which arise from the tongue and are directed at man and
surely the deviations and errors of the tongue are numerous and the dangers which
arise from the tongue are more than those which result from the other parts of the
body. We must remember to seek the pleasure of Allah when we speak, and not
our own low and defiled motives.
In the first place, our speech must be pleasing to Allah and, in the second place, we
have to have the right incentive when speaking; that is to say, there has to be both
virtue in the deed and virtue in the doer. Both the mould and the framework of our
talk must be correct and the contents and the aim of that talk have to be correct. In
other words, the form as well as the meaning and purport have to be right.
Many times over Imam Khomeini, may Allah be pleased with him, and other
eminent scholars used to say: never does the devil tempt a religious scholar to
liquor drinking or any ugly deed which is unsuitable to his status because in that
case no repute remains for that religious scholar and he is never prepared to
tolerate such danger and loss for himself. However, the devil compels religious
scholars and the people of knowledge to deviations and slips which in their inner
essence are even worse than beer drinking.
He obliges the scholar to do deeds which do not have an ugly outward appearance
and no one reproaches him for doing that, but the damage and sin of that deed is
great and most often man himself does not even conceive the greatness of the sin
he has committed and to what level he has [spiritually] fallen!
For this reason, there is need to be cautious and embark upon controlling carnal
desires and restraining our tongues so that we do not utter whatever word we desire
and we must observe limits in our talk. We must not talk when there is no need to
speak.
A Perspective on the Effects of Speech and Other Deeds
We have to bear in mind that once we get engrossed in talking, controlling the
tongue becomes difficult. For this reason, we have to reflect about what we want to
say before talking so as not to go beyond limits. If we do not control our tongues,
when talk about a particular subject arises in a gathering and others laugh as a
result and thus encourage more, it is very hard for a person to stop.
Therefore, he jokes and jests in his frivolous talk and tries in every way, even by
means of gossip, to make the others laugh. In reality, an uncontrolled tongue is like
an unruly horse which is very difficult to control once its reins have been released.
For this reason, people have to try to first control their tongues and ponder upon
every sentence that they want to say. They must reflect upon whether what they
want to say is proper or improper and refrain from excessiveness and extremism.
The Noble Prophet (S) and the saints [awliya’] of Allah (‘a), in order to edify and
train people, used to warn them to be accountable for their deeds and not imagine
that they would not have to answer for them. We must not imagine that nothing at
all has taken place one hour after talking about whatever we fancy!
On the contrary, every word that is released from our mouths is recorded, and
every person will be held accountable as to why he says what he says and why he
had a particular intention. Paying heed to this issue helps a person control his
tongue; otherwise, the carnal soul is strong and does not easily surrender.
One of the ways by which the soul of a believer can be controlled is by making it
realize that Allah, the Exalted, is present everywhere, He listens to whatever we
say and He will question every one of us in regard to what we have said. The
Noble Prophet (S) has explained this in this way:
speaker. Therefore, the speaker has to fear Allah and be cautious about what he
If man pays heed to the fact that Allah is present whenever he talks and his words
do not remain hidden from Allah, he becomes cautious and does not utter anything
he wishes. In addition to that, piety brings about fear of Allah, helps man control
his conduct and does not allow his tongue to produce words without great caution.
Likewise, one of the ways the saints [awliya’] of Allah (‘a) would employ to train
their followers was to control their carnal desires through careful attentiveness to
their surroundings and in this way encourage their followers to refrain from
excessive or out of place talk so that they talk only according to need and
necessity.
They used to encourage them to speak less and if they could let the listener know
what they meant in two sentences, they should refrain from speaking a third
amr bi’l-ma‘ruf wa nahy ‘an al-munkar], they should
try to speak just enough to fulfill this aim and refrain from additional words; in this
regard, the Noble Prophet (S) states:
Sometimes when a person is busy talking in a gathering, he utters superfluous or
pointless words without attentionwords which have no benefit either for this
world or for the hereafter. He loses the irreplaceable capital of his life! Therefore,
it is necessary for man to speak according to need and abstain from useless or
superfluous words. In one hadith the Noble Prophet (S) states:
is decent, whose appearance is good, who spends his extra wealth in the way of
A believer is a person who first reflects
before talking, and he speaks if he determines it to be advisable; otherwise, he
keeps silent. However, the immoral and perverted one sets his tongue at complete
Indeed, excess in speech is one of the defects of the tongue which lowers the
personality and social status of man and can become a cause of regret for him in
the hereafter because once a person speaks without any control, whether he likes it
or not, in addition to wasting time in talkativeness and vanity, he also commits sins
of the tongue; therefore, he has wasted both the great capital of time and invited
the wrath and anger of Allah.
The Need to Relate True Speech and Abstain from Spreading Rumors and
Hearsay
In continuation, the Noble Prophet (S) states:
One of the flaws of the tongue is that it should instantly narrate whatever it hears
without investigation and research in regard to its correctness. Even if a person has
no intention of telling a lie and only narrates what he hears without any additions
or subtractions, his speech is nonetheless considered to be a lie because he has no
certainty that what he says is correct or incorrect. For this reason, we have to
refrain from outright intentional lies, because they are offensive, and also abstain
from saying things we do not have certainty about.
We have to first of all inquire about what we hear and then only relate it once we
are sure about its truthfulness.
The Noble Prophet (S) states that if a person narrates everything he hears, he will
be considered a liar. In addition, sometimes we are not cautious in relating what we
hear and often add or subtract to what we have heard when relating it to other
people. We must be cautious not to recount everything we have heard when we
talk because everything should not be repeated, and even worse is that we
exaggerate and embellish what we hear when recounting it to the others!
With regard to the purport of falsehood which the Noble Prophet (S) has presented,
spreading rumors and gossip is beyond the shadow of doubt a clear manifestation
leaders of religion.
Whenever they rose up to guide mankind and to establish a sound and divine
satanic means including lies, gossip and false accusation in order to disperse the
people from the reformers and the divine leaders and consequently attain their evil
objectives and gains.
By carefully studying history, we realize that in the early days of Islam too the
enemies, in order to restrain the Muslims from supporting the Noble Prophet (S)
and frustrate their endurance in the way of religion, used to make use of false
rumors and gossip with the intention of creating fear and anxiety in their hearts. In
this regard Allah, the Exalted, states:
“When a report of safety or alarm comes to them, they immediately broadcast it,
but had they referred it to the Apostle or to those vested with authority among
them, those of them who investigate would have ascertained it…”
This blessed verse narrates the story of the minor [sughra] battle of Badr in which,
orders, the Muslims were losing the battle and consequently Allah aided the Noble
Prophet (S) so much so that he triumphed over the polytheists in spite of having
very few forces. Islam was saved from definite extermination.
The hypocrites, by enumerating the capacities of the enemy and recounting their
victory at the battle of Uhud, wanted to incite doubts and uncertainty in the hearts
of the Muslims and the companions of the Noble Prophet (S) and mislead the
believers by means of their rumor mongering. Their aim was nothing but
opposition with the Noble Prophet (S).
It can be understood from this verse that when a report of safety or alarm comes to
them, they immediately broadcast it that the hypocrites used to propagate fear and
the Muslims would spread their rumors. It was nothing but nonsense which was
being created by the infidels and their accomplices in order to create division and
hypocrisy among the believers, but the people of weak faith used to spread those
false rumors and did not understand that spreading such rumors would result in
weakness and vulnerability among the Muslims.
After the Muslims sustained losses during the battle of Uhud, the Noble Prophet
(S) constantly used to invite the people to take part in jihad against the infidels but
some people were working to prevent the believers from jihad and from helping
the Noble Prophet (S) and so they were spreading false rumors that the infidels had
gathered very large forces and great armies; Allah warned them that all the false
rumors and frightening of the Muslims were the work of the devil and the talk of
Satan which was being produced on the tongues of his friends. After that Allah
made it incumbent upon the believers not to fear such machinations and only to
fear Allah, the Exalted, if they had faith in Him.
country which has stood alone against all the hegemonic powers and is trying to
protect its independence and guard Islamic and revolutionary values with all its
being, there is a lot of rumor mongering and word-of-mouth relation of false
stories. In order to create a split in the unity of the people and to make them
pessimistic in regard to the goals and advances of the revolution, the hypocrites
and counterrevolutionaries create and spread false rumors.
Unfortunately, once ignorant people hear these false rumors, they recount them
with various motives. Perhaps they may not even have bad intentions in recounting
those rumors, but when they sit next to their friends after long conversations, they
have in any case narrated a number of false rumors.
Even if a person does not have any bad motives in narrating rumors, he has to
observe whether recounting them has any benefit or not; in addition, he has to
reflect as to whether that rumor has any basis or not. One should accept that it is
likely that the person that has narrated that story is mistaken or that someone else
has fed him with lies and false stories.
Therefore, before narrating any news, we have to carefully inquire whether it is
right or not and speak with such caution and thought that once someone else hears
our words, he becomes certain of its truth and says that there is no doubt in the
words of so and so and whatever he says is true and he never speaks without
deliberation.
A person should speak correctly and with deliberation so as to win the confidence
of others and attain a high and prominent reputation in the society as a result of
telling the truth. If a person aims at attaining a good reputation, he has to try to
so and so does not talk without contemplation and his words are correct and
truthful.
Such a position grants him both worldly and heavenly reward. In the worldly point
of view, the benefits of honesty and telling the truth are clear and in the heavenly
point of view it results in the pleasure of Allah and man being granted lofty
positions in heaven.
Therefore, we should not relate whatever we hear on the slightest pretext. If we
disregard narrations that people often make about what they hear, in which they
add or subtract something from it making uncalled-for changes, it is not even
interests to narrate what is right, because we might put the repute of a believer in
danger and this is forbidden [haram] and a cause
that, some rumors cause people of weak faith to lose hope and become pessimistic
about the Islamic system or the authorities.
Therefore, we have to bear in mind some of the expediencies when narrating some
stories. We have to observe whether recounting some news has benefits or not.
One must ask whether the listener has the capacity to bear and take in the news or
not. Furthermore, one must ask whether he will take caution when narrating news
to other people. Does he recount news without additions and subtractions or does
he add to it much more than that which is true and narrate it to every person and as
and trust in the system and the leaders lessens?
In continuation of the hadith, the Noble Prophet (S) states:
This is another instructional explanation from the Noble Prophet (S) which
compels man to be more cautious of his words and to try to imprison the tongue in
order not to utter words without deliberation. Some of the scholars of ethics used to
state that Allah, the Exalted, has placed teeth in front of the tongue and he has
placed lips in front of the teeth in order to imprison the tongue behind them.
SOURCE:https://www.al-islam.org/provisions-journey-mishkat-volume-2-
muhammad-taqi-misbah-yazdi/lesson-31-tongue-means-guidance-or
Lesions of the Tongue
All praise to Allah lord of the realms, and his blessing and peace be upon
His prophet Mohammed and all his family and companions:
The tongue is one of the greatest blessings of Allah, small but does great deeds
and damage in the same time. Through the tongue, true faith unfolds and infidelity
emerges, its extent is endless like a vast arena. The interpreter of Hearts and
Thoughts, machine of speech and statement, the good it made carved on the tablets
of time and the evil it caused echoes through the eras. Whomever employs it
wisely and for the sake useful utterance, commencing his affairs, restraining it with
religious bond and placing it where it belongs is worthy of salvation. Whoever
liberates it not monitoring what it utters, the devil will be his guide misleading him
Moreover, all the human body parts affected by the tongue through its straightness
(any human) rises in the morning his body parts calls out to the tongue saying
ance, if you go steadfast so do
-Tirmizi an declaredHasan by
Al-Albani]
Concern of Islam with the Manner of speech
Islam gave an attentive care to the manner of speech and the way it functions, as
level of conversation judges its general standard and the extent that good virtues
fuse in it environment.
A person must ask himself before preaching others, is there any purpose of
talking?
If there is any sound reason to talk then be it, if not then silence is preferable where
Ibn Abbas May Allah be pleased with him said:
trivial for you and I am afraid that you would sin because of it. (2) Do not interact
in a topic that concerns you unless there is meaning and effect to what you are
going to say, you might be of concern but there is no effect to what you are saying
thus subjected to criticism. (3) Do not quarrel a man of patience or a foolish man,
the patient would hate you, and the foolish would harm you. (4) Mention your
brother in a manner you would like to be mentioned, and forgive him from what
you would like to be forgiven. (5) Act upon things knowing you will be rewarded
A Muslim cannot accomplish the five aforementioned qualities unless he restrains
his tongue and leads it firmly curbing it where silence needed, and seizing for
fruitful speech. As for who are led by their tongues they are lead astray.
Hazards of the Tongue
A Hadith worthy of contemplating narrated in the two Sahih books by Abu
Allah would utter a word that pleases Allah, not knowing it would, Allah would
elevate his rank for it. A servant (another) of Allah would utter a word that would
[Reported by Al-Bukhari]
50:18]
Transliteration: Ma yalfithu min qawlin illa ladayhi raqeebun AAateedun
that why people stumble on their nose in hellfire due to their ton
[Reported by Al-Tirmizi an authenticated by Al-Albani]
As a result, of the severity and magnitude of this issue, the companions may Allah
is Abu Bakr May Allah be pleased with him said, holding his
Ibn Burayda said,
good you will be rewarded or hold from evil you will be safe, other than that you
informed that nothing from all body parts would be exasperated or fury of the
said: , nothing is most deserving of long time
Words are your Captives
Words are you captive, unless it departs the mouth you would be their captive,
Man does not utter any word except that with him is an
Transliteration: Ma yalfithu min qawlin illa ladayhi raqeebun AAateedun
So if you wanted to know what lies in the hearts of beings, deduce it from the
heart whether he displayed or concealed it. The sin of uttering could contain Shirk
he greatest sins to Allah Almighty. Such as talking about
Allah without knowledge, this is the KIN of Shirk. Therefore the tongue is like a
dagger with two blades, for the wise it is an instrument of Good and kindness, a
ferry of salvation and success. To the snobby fool person it is a malicious scorpion,
sticking to the flesh of a prey wickedly stinging it.
From the Lesions of the Tongue
Lesion 1
Seeking Deity with Allah (Shirk):
The sin of uttering could contain
Lesion 2
Talking about Allah without knowledge:
Talking about Allah without knowledge is one of heaviest sins, rather its greater
Lesion 3
Slander:
Its citing others
flesh of his brother when d-Hujurat 49:12]
Transliteration: wala yaghtab baAAdukum baAAdan ayuhibbu
ahadukum an yakula lahma akheehi maytan fakarihtumoohu Slandering is of three
types:
Ghayba (Backbiting): if what you said about your brother is true behind his back.
Ifk (falsehood): transmitting backbiting made about your brother behind his back.
Buhtan (Defamation): Mentioning false features about your brother.
These are the categories of slandering, categorized by scholars, any statement that
is meant to dispraise either by words, gestures, a wink, signal or writing is a
slander.
Lesion 4
Lying:
In a hadith reported by Al-Bukhari, the Prophet mentioned what he saw from the
away, he was a liar and he used to tell lies, and the people would report those lies
on his authority till they spread all over the world. So, he will be punished like that
wdness, and lewdness leads to hell. A
[Reported by Muslim]
Lesion 5
Defamation:
And those who accuse chaste women and then do not
produce four witnesses - lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them
-Nur 24:4]
Transliteration: Waallatheena yarmoona almuhsanati thumma lam yatoo
biarbaAAati shuhadaa faijlidoohum thamaneena jaldatan wala taqbaloo lahum
shahadatan abadan waolaika humu alfasiqoona
This type of Lesion is almost practiced by everyone except who is fortunate by the
will of Allah as the most fall in the trap. Defamation of the believers by their
chaste, their religion, or accusing them with false claims are heavy sins and
considered as a Major Sin.
Lesion 6
Perjury:
testify to falsehood, and when they pass near ill s
[Al-Furqan 25:72]
Transliteration: Waallatheena la yashhadoona alzzoora waitha marroo biallaghwi
marroo kiraman
-
-Baqara
2:283]
Transliteration: wala taktumoo alshshahadata waman yaktumha fainnahu athimun
qalbuhu waAllahu bima taAAmaloona AAaleemun
Lesion 7
Insult, cursing and ridiculing the believers:
elieved, let not a people ridicule [another]
people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other]
women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and
do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of
disobedience after [one's] faith. And whoever does not repent - then it is those who
-Hujurat: 11]
Transliteration: Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la yaskhar qawmun min qawmin
AAasa an yakoonoo khayran minhum wala nisaon min nisain AAasa an yakunna
khayran minhunna wala talmizoo anfusakum wala tanabazoo bialalqabi bisa alismu
alfusooqu baAAda aleemani waman lam yatub faolaika humu alththalimoona
Lesion 8
Making an Oath in the name of other than Allah:
Swearing with things other than Allah like trust, integrity, oneself, father, children,
than Allah has -Albani]
-Albani]
Lesion 9
Falsehood and holding the truth:
Ibn Qayim may Allah have mercy on him said
the lesion of silence, both could be greater in sin than the other in its timing.
Holding back the truth, not saying it, this person considered a dumb devil,
disobedient to Allah, hypocrite bootlicker not fearing that it would affect him. Who
utters falsehood is a speaking devil that disobeys Allah. Most people are deviant in
their speech and silence, so they are swinging between these two lesions. People of
the middle path are the people of the righteous path, keeping silent from falsehood
and spoke with what would benefit them in th
Lesion 10
Cursing:
Narated by Abu Al-
-
Narated by Abu Al-
rshiper of Allah) curses something, this curse rises to
the heavens(skies) to find the doors of the heavens closed in its way, then it
descends to earth to find its door also closed, roaming to the right and the left not
finding a place to settle it will settle to the person cursed if he is worthy of it, if not
classified as Hassan (Good) by Al-Albani]
Jokes
s Joking. Where a person
makes up a story with no root in real life, mocking other nationalities, lineage and
countries all for the sake of making people laugh while it is not true. This is
impermissible because it consisted of slander and lying for all the aforementioned
individuals in these jokes.
Al-Tirmizi and classified as Hassan (good) by Al-Albani] (Al Wayl; is a valley in
hell).
Accustom yourself to pleasant speech
speaks he only utters good. The pleasant and pure words respected by friends and
foes and have good impact on people. With friends, it maintains intimacy and
strengthens the bonds of friendship, a safeguard against the traps of the devil trying
to plant hatred am
that which is best. Indeed, Satan induces [dissension] among them. Indeed Satan is
-
Transliteration: Waqul liAAibadee yaqooloo allatee hiya ahsanu inna alshshaytana
yanzaghu baynahum inna alshshaytana kana lilinsani AAaduwwan mubeenan
Tender speech with enemies calms down their dispute and breaks their sharp
attitude or halts the evil and its development.
by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him
Transliteration: Wala tastawee alhasanatu wala alssayyiatu idfaAA biallatee hiya
ahsanu faitha allathee baynaka wabaynahu AAadawatun kaannahu waliyyun
hameemun
Beware of staining the Scholars with mischief
One of the most dangerous mischief widely spread these days, even amongst the
people labeled as pious, misfortunate chitchat that results in slandering the people
of knowledge. Leading to a greater drawback, slitting confidence in the people of
knowledge and causing repulsive environment between the knowledgeable
carrying news and talks without awareness or verification.
Lastly
We have to know that behind every word uttered a responsibility lies beneath, thus
acknowledging the effect and realize how to deal with it. Many a time a tiny
improper word, that could lead to cutting ties.
Many a time a harsh word said breaking up a whole family.
Many a time a misleading word that leads whom utters it out of the folds of Islam.
We Ask Allah refuge from that.
On the other hand,
Many A time a tender word said saving a life.
Many a time a pleasant word said that would help hold family ties.
Many A time a sincere word said leads who utter it to paradise.
We ask Allah to be amongst the dwellers of paradise. For the importance of the
hereafter must utter good or hold hi
If people put this hadeeth in context and cleared their intention in accordance with
it, they would overcome a number of tragedies. In more than an occasion a rude
not thought of word could spoil the intimacy between people, penetrating like a
poisoned arrow, separating what was united and spoil the good.
SOURCE:https://en.islamway.net/article/11885/lesions-of-the-tongue
The Need to Hold the Tongue and Censure Its Defects
useless. O Abu Dharr! Do not be a fault-finder, bootlicker, flatterer or
argumentative person. Abu Dharr! Man is remote from Allah for as long as he is
The Reciprocal Effects of Deeds or Annulment [Ihbat] and Proscription
[Takfir]
In these explanations, the Noble Prophet (S) explains the importance of watching
over the tongue in a different manner. The reason for this is that man ought not to
leave his tongue free to say whatever his heart desires but he has to hold his tongue
and reflect over what he says. Because talking is very easy and sometimes minor
motivations become a cause for too much talking or speaking ill of other people,
the prominent religious scholars have tried by the use of different expressions and
various methods to advise us to take care and not let our tongues reign freely.
s (S) expression that anyone that does not guard
his tongue has squandered his deeds and leaves no good works to his account.
Perhaps, the point of this expression is that the tongue leaves calamitous effects in
the heart and soul of man and breeds mischief as well as depravity which
hadith
sometimes man does a certain deed but later on he does another act that changes
the quality of his previous deed and leaves such an effect on it that it wipes it out.
ihbat wa takfir]. Annulment [habt]
means good deeds becoming ineffective; that is to say the bad deeds of man annul
his good deeds and make them useless and ineffective while proscription [or
excommunication] [takfir] denotes compensation of sins in such a way that good
and decent deeds make up for the breach of previous deeds. And, because the root
of all our deeds is belief and disbelief, the most delicate instance of annulment and
proscription [or excommunication] is faith and infidelity.
Faith and decent deeds which man acquires after sinning and perpetrating indecent
deeds compensate for previous infidelity and bad deeds and like a very bright light,
wipe out previous darkness, but the opposite is also true. Disbelief and indecent
ts of previous faith and good
harvested yield, they burn everything suddenly. In other words, faith is like a very
luminous light which brightens the heart and irradiates the psyche and eliminates
darkness and infidelity.
As long as the psyche of man is in this material abodethe world of changes and
transformationsit is always on the verge of brightness and darkness as well as
increase and decrease of the light and darkness, until it wears the garment of the
transient abode and when the opportunity for the choice of belief and disbelief is
closed to him there will be no chance left for him no matter how much he hopes to
return to the world once again and embark upon ridding himself of the darkness:
“When death comes to one of them, he says, ‘My Lord! Take me back, that I may
act righteously in what I have left behind.’ ‘By no means! These are mere words
that he says.’ And ahead of them is a barrier until the day they will be
resurrected.”1
influence between faith and infidelity and there are many verses denoting this
issue, amongst them:
“And whoever has faith in Allah and acts righteously, He shall absolve him of
his misdeeds.”2
Elsewhere, it states:
“And whoever of you turns away from his religion and dies faithless—they are
the ones whose works have failed in this world and the hereafter. They shall be
the inmates of the Fire, and they shall remain in it forever.”3
The relationship between faith and infidelity exists between good deeds and bad
deeds but not in a general sense and not in such a way that whenever a good deed
that
whenever a bad deed is recorded, a previous good and decent deed is blotted out;
however, in regard to deeds we have to believe in a detailed exposition in this
sense that some good deedsif they are done in an acceptable and worthy
mannerwipe out the effects of previous bad deeds. For example, repentance
causes sins to be forgiven if it is done correctly:
“Whoever commits evil or wrongs himself and then pleads to Allah for
forgiveness, will find Allah All-forgiving, All-merciful.”4
Elsewhere, it also states:
“And those who, when they commit an indecent act or wrong themselves,
remember Allah, and plead for [Allah’s] forgiveness for their sins—and who
forgives sins except Allah?—and who do not persist in what they have committed
while they know.”5
Therefore, repentance is like a ray of light which shines on a dark spot and makes
it bright. It is not true though that every good deed wipes out the effects of every
sin. For this reason, it is possible for a believer to initially taste divine retribution
before finally finding his way to eternal paradise.
The soul of man has various aspects and every group of good and bad deeds is
related to one of its cases, for example the good deeds which are related t
bright that it permeates the other aspects of the soul too, or the sin is so polluting
that it contaminates the other aspects of the soul, too. For instance, in regard to
“Maintain the prayer at the two ends of the day and during the early hours of the
night. Indeed good deeds efface misdeeds.”6
Some of the sins such as bad conduct in regard to parents and drinking alcohol are
a hindrance to the admittance of worship. In regard to the ill effects of drinking
alcohol, the Noble Prophet (S) states:
save that on the Day of Resurrection I will make him drink boiling water
equivalent to the amount of alc7
It is worth mentioning that good and bad deeds sometimes have effects with regard
to joys and sorrows or bestowal and negation of graces in this very world,
cause
of long life and repulsion of calamities and afflictions. On the contrary, lack of
respect to other people (especially teachers and mentors) can result in deprivation
of graces.
Yes, sometimes good deeds make up for previous bad deeds and sometimes bad
deeds wipe out prior good actions. For as long as man is in this world, these
influences exist between our endeavors. Allegorically, the heart or soul of man is
like a room which is sometimes dark and becomes bright once light shines in it
sometimes the room is bright and becomes dark once the light is switched off.
Therefore, for as long as man lives in this world, he is exposed to these changes
and transformations and it is not true that if man does a good deed the effects
thereof remain forever, but it is possible for those good deeds to go to waste as the
result of doing inappropriate deeds.
Therefore, the mutual effects of deeds upon one another is a general principle on
the basis of which some sins wipe out the effects of some previous good deeds or
even become a hindrance for the admittance of good deeds which will be done in
the future. It has been recorded in the hadiths that some sins prevent the acceptance
and admittance of good deeds and prayers even for up to forty days:
Allah does not accept the prayers and fasting of a person who
gossips about a Muslim man and woman unless the person gossiped about forgives
8
In another hadith, it has been recorded that the Noble Prophet (S) stated:
Purify your income in order for your supplication to be granted; verily the
9
In regard to drinking alcohol, the Noble Prophet (S) states:
10
hadith is that
if a person is not careful of his tongue, does not hold it, and says whatever flows
across it, no good deeds may remain for him; that is to say, the tongue is so
influential that it can eliminate all the previous good deeds. This is a warning to
man not to lightly perceive this small appendage in the mouth and reflect before
talking in order to fathom the possible effects the words he wants to say might
have and whether Allah will be pleased with those words or not. Will those words
leave beneficial effects on the souls of others or not?
After this general advice and recommendation, the Noble Prophet (S) enumerates
some of the specific sins of the tongue. Of course, mentioning these sins of the
tongue is due to the substantial role they play in changing the personality of a
person and in causing his downfall and also for the reason that man is constantly in
danger of being contaminated by them.
Censuring of Fault-Finding
One of the mean attributes which the Noble Prophet (S) enumerates is the act of
looking for faults in other people. Without the least doubt fault-finding is one of
the unacceptable and inappropriate qualities.
The fault-finder, on account of jealousy and enmity, is always searching for the
defects and weaknesses of other people and thereafter exposing them to others
deriving pleasure from doing this. This mean quality has been censured in the
the hadiths and after examining them we understand that
a person who is always looking for the faults of Muslims and stigmatizing them is
one of the most wicked and evil of people. Allah, the Exalted, states:
...
“Indeed for those who want indecency to spread among the faithful, there is a
painful punishment in the world and the hereafter.”11
And the Noble Prophet (S) states:
Every person who spreads and makes apparent the indecent deeds of other people
is like the one who has done that same indecent deed he is spreading rumors about
and every person who searches for the secret defects of a believer will not die
before being af12
One of the inducements which impel man to be constantly looking for the faults of
other people is the feeling of lowliness and inferiority. When man has deficiencies,
a low and inferior personality and no assets, he cannot see the perfections of other
people and it is for this reason that he embarks upon looking for blemishes and
damaging the personalities of others to make their perfections less apparent. He
tries to find the weak points of other people so as to publicize them. Whenever talk
about someone arises, instead of talking about the bright and positive points of that
person, he always talks about their defects.
In a gathering of believers once someone mentions the name of another believer,
on the basis of Islamic manners, some people try only to mention the good and
praiseworthy attributes of the man named but other people, on account of their
weakness in faith, jealousy and inferiority complex, mention the weak and negative
points which they know about that person and the misdeeds he has committed.
Sometimes, they go a step further and talk about dubious things related to him with
much surety and may even accuse him falsely.
It is a bad habit for man to always endeavor at mentioning the weaknesses of other
people and unfortunately there are a lot of people who are afflicted with this blight.
Every person can test himself when there is talk about another believerespecially
one with whom he is in competition. Does he praise him or is he pleased when
mentioning his weak points? Does he try by various means to make others aware
that another person has faults?
In a natural manner, a person has to see whether when the name of an individual is
mentioned he loves to mention the good qualities of the individual and praise and
respect him in the presence of other people or he embarks upon enumerating his
weaknesses and bad qualities and makes him appear small and inferior. This is a
very bad habit and its roots, as has already been said, is jealousy and a feeling of
lowliness and inferiority. He feels pain because of what other people have and he
cannot bear to see other people have what he does not have.
We have to bear in mind that it is very good for us to be such that whenever the
name of a believer is mentioned, we enumerate his good attributes even if
like when man is advising and consulting with someone in regard to a fault which
they are investigating in regard to a certain individualwhich is a special case.
We should not to be bothered by the things other people have and we need to
comprehend that the greatest asset of a believer is his connection with Allah. A
believer does not perceive any other asset save that connection and, if man comes
to possess this asset, he feels greatness in his soul such that all other great things
and assets become inferior in his eyes.
He has attained a high level and has gotten drowned in the boundless ocean of
greatness and he enjoys the benefits of indescribable pleasure and gratification and
it does not make any difference to him whether other people respect him or not, or
whether they praise him or curse him. Without the least doubt, such an individual,
on whose heart the ray of faith has shone, is preoccupied with honoring and
respecting the believers because this deed is pleasing to Allah and brings about
proximity to Him.
In contrast to the believer whose asset is only faith and attention to Allah and who
neither becomes pleased by the respect of other people nor becomes saddened by
their disrespect, people who have deficiencies and do not have the asset of faith
perceive the highness of their personality according to the measure of respect that
other people accord to them. This is what is t
They conceive their personality according to their social standing and the opinions
of other people in regard to them and their capital is the positive opinion of other
people and their high social standing. They perceive themselves as having a lofty
personality when other people praise them and being rejected and lacking in
personality when they are reproached and blamed, and they think that the world
has come to an end when others see them in any negative way.
Unfortunately, people who have material and spiritual deficiencieslike
deficiencies in knowledge, spiritual perfections, wealth and material amenities
cannot see and appreciate the superiorities of other people, and it is for this reason
that they embark upon casting doubt on the perfections of others to damage their
personalities. This is the attribute of the soul of the fault-finder who is preoccupied
with looking and searching for the faults of other people. Such an individual puts
his worldly and heavenly prosperity in danger and becomes afflicted by the wrath
of Allah as a result of divulging and narrating the defects of other people.
Regarding the prohibition of fault-finding and gossiping about other people, Imam
‘a) states:
forgiven for it, and do not think yourself safe even for a small defect because you
may be punished for it. Therefore, every one of you who comes to know the faults
of others should not expose them in view of what he knows about his own
13
looking for the faults of others:
14
With regard to what has been mentioned, it is befitting that we refrain from
personality of other people and bear in mind that with the prevalence of the disease
of fault-finding in the society, the spirit of unity, oneness and brotherhood loses its
place to the spirit of disunity and in this case the foundations of the community
shake and the structure of social affairs crumbles.
Likewise, fault-finding gives rise to suspicion, enmity and hatred in the society and
also causes the personality of some individuals to be trampled underfoot by the
whims and caprice of people of weak personality whose greatness lies only in
destroying the personalities of other people and likewise as a result of the spread of
the disease of fault-finding in the society, ethical bounds disintegrate. Also, this
disease incites and strengthens a spirit of sin and depravity in people who might
have refrained from a great many sins on account of social considerations.
Censuring of Flattery and Sycophancy
‘a) enumerates is flattery. The
spirit of flattery and sycophancy, like fault-
of character and inferiority complex. In reality, this is a quality of people with
deficiencies of character who try to make up for their defects by attracting the
attention of other people by flattering them, imagining that perhaps by doing so
they may secure a higher position for themselves.
This is an attribute of people of weak character who do not conceive the infinite
power and dominion of Allah and, as a result, set their greedy and covetous eyes
on other human beings and seek their honor and greatness from they who
themselves are need of Allah. If man sets his eyes of the Absolute Self-sufficient
and seeks help from the Source of existence, he no longer has any need to flatter
other people. In regard to the fact that only Allah, the Exalted, is worthy of praise,
Amir al-‘a) states:
directed towards Thee, Thou art the best to be wished for. If hope is reposed in
Thee, Thou art the Most Honored to be hoped from. O my Allah! Thou hast
bestowed on me such power that I do not praise any other than Thee, and I do not
eulogize anyone save Thee. I do not direct my praise towards others who are
sources of disappointment and centers of misgivings. Thou hast kept my tongue
away from the praises of human beings and eulogies of the created and sustained.
O my Allah! Every acclaimer has on whom he praises the right of reward and
recompense. Certainly I have turned to Thee with my eye at the treasure of Thy
15
Sometimes, man praises and enumerates the good qualities of a believer for the
sake of pleasing Allah and honoring a believer, but sometimes he praises other
people as a result of covetousness and carnal desires in order to attract their
attention so that they may provide him with material help whenever he needs them.
not compatible with faith in Allah because although he ought to perceive his
destiny in the hands of Allah, he conceives his destiny to be in the hands of others
and, in order for them to grant him good, he embarks upon flattery.
As has been said, the psychological and spiritual source of this attribute is an
inferiority complex; that is to say, man feels empty-handed and makes himself
dependent on others and to earn some good under the auspices of reliance on them
he may stoop to the means of flattery.
It is worthwhile to pay attention to the repercussions of the spread of the spirit of
flattery in the society and see what effects too much flattery and praise has on
people: beyond the shadow of doubt excessive praise gives rise to pride and
vainglory and produces pampered, self-satisfied and over-expectant people and
incites the feeling of self-praise and big-headedness and in regard to oppressors.
Flattery is a kind of practical approval and encouragement of their deeds.
Sycophancy and praising of others can give rise to their considering this praise as a
portion of their good attributes and deeds and as a result of this forget their weak
points and, from the opposite side, make the ugly and illicit deeds which they have
committed appear acceptable in their point of view.
Flattery, besides being a hindrance to some kinds of ethical edification, changes
the course of less capable and selfish individuals as well as making them daring in
displaying their weak moral points and oppressive, illogical and evil methods. It is
for this reason that the leaders of religion detested this blameworthy method and
would warn their followers to strive their utmost against it. In this regard, the
Noble Prophet (S) stated:
16
This saying is related to a person who flatters a Muslim; otherwise, the judgment
of someone who flatters an infidel is even harsher. This expression is meant to
prevent the spread and increase of the mentality of sycophancy in the society. We
‘a), who was the perfect image of all
human virtues and ideals and was higher than ordinary human beings and the
manifestation of divine majesty and beauty, never used to permit anyone to praise
and compliment him in his presence.
‘a) in his presence, the Imam stated:
know me. O my Allah! Make me better than what they imagine and forgive
whateve17
‘a) wanted to make them know that he had no need of their praise and
did not permit them to praise him so that this objectionable quality, that is to say
flattery, would not spread in the Islamic community because if on that day they
‘a), on another day they would have praised
another ruler and not all people are infallible so as not to be deceived by such
flattery; on the contrary, some people are gradually affected by these false
compliments and imagine that what other people say in regard to them is correct
and this is a great blight that can mislead others into ignorance and cause people to
perceive themselves as higher than who or what they actually are and bit by bit
believe that which is said in regard to them. Such wrong beliefs result in people
deviating from the course of equilibrium and imagining themselves as higher than
what they actually are and this can become a great calamity. In addition to this,
improper praise is a sign o‘a) states:
18
Elsewhere, he states:
is befitting
that on another day he reproaches you for a bad attribute for which you are
19
The Imam intends to make this point apparent that flattery and sycophancy never
aim at telling the truth and reality, but personal interests compel man to falsely
praise other human beings; for this reason, if one day things change for the worse
and a person sees his benefit lying in weakening an individual whom he previously
used to praise regarding a virtue that was actually absent in his personality, he will
embark upon censuring and reproaching that person by attributing to him ugly
qualities which are not in his character imagining that perhaps he will earn some
benefit in this way.
Therefore, Islam does not permit man to be a flatterer for the reason that the spirit
of sycophancy produces ugly effects both in the spirit of the flatterer and the
flattered as well as in the community. In reality, the sycophant has to bring himself
low in order to pronounce those false praises and Allah, the Exalted, is not pleased
to see a believer trample his own greatness and honor underfoot and conceive
himself so inferior as to embark upon insincere praise of others. The effects of
sycophancy on the spirit of the flattered is that he forgets himself and imagines that
he possesses such a high personality and lofty character that he is entitled to the
respect and praise of other people and in the end he disregards the deficiencies and
weaknesses of his character and conjectures his life and conduct as filled with lofty
and positive points.
The Noble Prophet (S) states:
20
Besides what has been mentioned, praising wicked and corrupt people results in
flattering person, besides being guilty of hypocrisy and lies, by means of his false
praise and compliments, prepares a suitable ground for perversity, extravagance
licentiousness and aggression of the corrupt, especially false leaders and rulers and
in reality this in itself is a cause of corruption and partnership in grave and
destructive crimes which are committed by oppressors against other human beings.
It is for this reason that the Noble Prophet (S) stated:
21
The Noble Prophet (S) states that a person should not be a fault-finder who looks
for and recites the weak points of other people and thus defames other human
the disclosure of their defects. He Himself has concealed the defects of people so
that they may live with one another with affection and love. He does not permit the
because man does not even have the right to defame himself. Likewise, the Noble
Prophet (S) states not to falsely attribute qualities to people that they do not have
due to flattery. In reality, going to extremes in both instances [of praise and fault-
finding] is harmful for the believer and a person must not abandon moderation. If
one wants to mention the good qualities of other people, he must content himself
with that extent that is acceptable for sake of goodness and expediency and not
e sake of worldly gain in a way that
forsakes moderation.
Censuring of Sarcasm and Verbal Abuse
One of the indecent attributes which the Noble Prophet (S) enumerates is being
sarcastic and verbally abusive. Offending the believers with biting and acrimonious
words is termed as taunting. Taunting is when someone endeavors to mention the
defects and weaknesses of people to them and thus wound or provoke them. It is
befitting for a person to endeavor at consoling other people for their failures and to
try to pronounce words which serve as salve on their wounds, not to speak as
though those people deserve and are entitled to their troubles and failures. Imam
‘a) states:
22
The source of spiteful words is enmity and vindictiveness which impels one who
taunts to use virulent and venomous words when talking to another person. It is
likely for the appearance and contents of his words to be correct, but he utters them
acrimoniously and cruelly which causes pain and sadness for the other person.
When discussing academic issues with another person, he could use soft words to
make the other understand that he has not understood something correctly, but
instead he makes him understand by means of an indirect statement, a hint and
biting words.
When a person seeks to help others become aware of their faults, he should say it
with words that are going to be effective and help them understand their mistakes
in such a way that they will concede and not become angry and persistent in their
mistakes and in addition to the first mistake, make a second mistake due to
obstinacy and consequently cascade into ignorance and stubbornness because a
wrong method of mentioning the fault and thereafter correction becomes more
difficult.
In order to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, some people behave in such a
manner that not only is the other person not corrected and not attracted to
recommended things, but is prompted to more evil by means of bad methods of
advising and sometimes by censuring and repeated reproaching. It is for this reason
‘a) states:
23
Reprimanding people who repeatedly censure and reproach other people, Imam
‘a) states:
24
wrongdoer over and over again makes him audacious and stubbornly persistent in
25
Therefore, when you want to remind someone about his weaknesses, encounter
him with cheerfulness, kindness and consolation. Your tongue ought not to be as
embark upon correcting and edifying their weakness.
If one says that the other person has made a mistake or that he does not understand
and other expressions like this, it is natural for him not to be pleased and become
angry. If we were in his position and were talked to in a stinging manner, would
we not become annoyed? Every person becomes angry and reacts once he is talked
to in an improper manner, affronted or treated rudely unless one is so pious that he
graciously keeps quiet and does not respond.
That being the case, when we ourselves do not tolerate rude encounters, how do we
hope to incite other people to edify their characters by means of our biting words?
If we always intend to do good to other people, our behavior and conduct will
always be the expression of good human morals with which we have been
endowed.
The fourth undesirable quality which the Noble Prophet (S) mentions is obstinacy
explanations with the intention of rectifying his own error and he does this
repeatedly because every time he insists on his mistake, the other side also sees
that the adamant person is trying to portray as right that which is wrong.
When the spirit of contention and bickering is aroused in man, he tries to impose
his ideas on others and this attitude derives from egotism and selfishness; that is to
say, man cannot easily admit his errors and say that he has made a mistake because
he conceives it as demeaning to his position. Although he knows that he has made
a mistake, he does not want other people to know that he has committed an error. It
conceive his errors, he stubbornly rejects their explanations and tries to portray his
ideas as right and insists that what he has said is correct!
There is no doubt that uncompromising behavior is not devoid of injury to other
people and incites their anger and protest. It is for this reason that obstinacy causes
stubborn people to attack one another and each one of them tries to prove that his
opinion is superior. The Noble Prophet (S) states:
26
ble quality and
unfortunately some educated people become corrupted by it. When they put
forward a wrong opinion during academic debate, they stubbornly insist on their
opinion and feel as if they have lost if they concede to the opinion of their friend.
Even worse, if there is a third person overseeing the debate, they try even harder to
defend their assertion in order to protect their repute; especially if that third person
is a student and disciple! In short, all these are incentives for man not to admit the
truth and to prefer untruthfulness over the truth.
With regard to the consequences of stubbornness and obstinacy which are directed
at man, it is worthwhile for a person to embark upon fighting this quality. One of
the calamities which stubbornness breeds in man is presenting unreal and
untruthful opinions.
‘a) states:
27
‘a) is
s soul becomes sick and diseased:
28
‘a) is the degeneration
29
for man to uproot pride which gives rise to a false manifestation of virtue and
knowledge from his inner being and know that obstinacy causes enmity and hatred
and destroys affection and brotherhood.
Likewise, it is befitting of students to try to get rid of obstinacy by adopting a
negative stand against it and always conceding to correct opinions and speaking
good and correct words so that consequently the spirit of magnanimity and
conceding to the truth becomes their habit and second nature and the quality of
stubbornness and obstinacy is uprooted from their hearts.
In order to get rid of stubbornness and obstinacy, man has to convince that every
person, whether he likes it or not, makes mistakes and errors and it is not true that
any human being is immune from error. Only the Infallibles are immune from
errors and all the others are likely to make mistakes. People make mistakes either
in explaining and narrating things or in understanding and conceiving them. This is
not something unexpected and happens for everyone, and for this reason it should
not be construed as a defect. Of course, man should strive to make fewer mistakes,
especially in his lessons and academic debates by studying longer and harder.
However, when one makes a mistake he ought not to construe it as a great personal
defect and think that he has lost his repute and is a failure.
Secondly, once he understands that he has made a mistake, he has to immediately
admit his mistake and admit that the other person is right. Of course, it is hard to
mistakes and comprehends that making mistakes regarding his views and opinions
is not a defect, it becomes easy for him. He tells himself that he is a human being
and is not immune from error and sometimes people make mistakes and others
understand, and at other times the opposite is true.
How good it is also that he should thank his friend who has made him aware of his
error and has shown him the right way and the correct opinion. One should not
content himself with keeping silent because if we want to be set free from the
attribute of stubbornness and obstinacy, we have to try to adopt a position opposite
As a result of this sweet and good conduct, not only does one not feel like a failure
or feel deficient, but this suitable behavior brings about a sweet life full of intimacy
and sincerity and man becomes more beloved and trusted by other people.
On the other hand, when a person tries to justify his erroneous words and conceal
any attention to him even when he wants to say something worthwhile and true.
However, when one admits his mistakes and concedes to the correct opinion of the
other person, they put their confidence in what he says because they know that he
does not utter careless remarks and, as a result of this conduct, his social standing
also rises.
Of course, one should not seek after and be pleased with a better social position,
but conceding to the truth has such an effect and result. Both the trust that other
people have in him increases and their love for him as well, and also his social rank
improves. In addition to that, he is delivered from the ugly attribute of obstinate
behavior. Of course, one must not fall in love with his social standing and must put
incentive has to be winning the pleasure of Allah, the Exalted, and other good
1. Surat al-Mu’minun 23:99-100.
2. Surat al-Taghabun 64:9.
3. Surat al-Baqarah 2:217.
4. Surat al-Nisa’ 4:110.
5. Surat Al ‘Imran 3:135.
6. Surat Hud 11:114.
7. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 76, p. 126.
8. Mustadrik al-Wasa’il, vol. 9, p.122.
9. Ibid., vol. 1, p. 166.
10. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 76, p. 126.
11. Surat al-Nur 24:19.
12. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 73, p. 384.
13. Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 429, sermon [khutbah] 140, trans. Fayd
al-Islam.
14. Ibid., p. 1249, pithy aphorisms 341.
15. Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 269, sermon [khutbah] 91, trans. Fayd
al-Islam.
16. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 73, p. 294.
17. Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 1131, wisdom [hikmat] 96, trans. Fayd
al-Islam.
18. Ibid., wisdom [hikmat] 339, trans. Fayd al-Islam.
19. Ghurar al-Hikam, p. 671.
20. Jami‘ al-Sa‘adat, vol. 2, p. 327.
21. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 77, p. 152.
22. Ghurar al-Hikam, p. 382.
23. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 77, p. 216.
24. Ibid., p. 232.
25. Ghurar al-Hikam, p. 278.
26. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 2, p.138.
27. Ghurar al-Hikam, p. 36.
28. Ibid., p. 17.
