20 Harms of the Tongue that will take to hell if, Tawba isn't and they need to be put under control
from Ghazalis
section Harms of Tongue
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Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din- Revival of Religious Science
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Introduction the Harms of the Tongue
When the son of Aadam gets up in the morning all the limbs humble themselves before the tongue and say: Have fear God for our sake, for we are dependant on you, If you are straight/upright, we are straight and If you are crooked, we are crooked.
The tongue is a great endowment from Allah; though small in size, its crime is enormous. A person may utter words of praise and thankfulness to Allah for which he earns reward. One might also utter a word that take him out of Islam--thereby loosing the reward of all his previous good deeds
The tongue has power unlimited for either power over good and bad.The dangers and harms of tongue are many and there is no rescue, from them except silent 'Silence is a rule and few people can observe it', 'If a man can give me guarantee of the things placed between his two cheeks and his two thighs, I can give him guarantee of paradise.'
Do not haphazardly speak without a need. Once uttered, you no longer control the words, but they control you." That is, once you speak a word it will be to your benefit if it is good. However, if it is sinful, then it will be written against you and will require a valid repentance.
The tongue is the thing that deserves imprisonment most he made the tongue witness to what is in the heart, as mentioned by the great scholars of Islam. Words of goodness reflects what is in the heart, as sinful or blasphemous words reflect what is in the heart.
Do you know what Backbiting -Gheebah is?It is to mention something about your brother (in his absence) that he would hate. It was said, 'What if what I say about my brother is true? If what you said about him is true then you would have backbitten him, and if it is not true, then you would have slandered him.
Backbiting is Haram, it is one of the major sins and repentance must be sought for this sin. There is no other opinion in Islam. Imam Al-Qurtubi said, There is a consensus (Ijmaa) that backbiting is a major sin and that it is Fard that a person do Tawbah from it.
Playing Around, Joking and Making Fun of Others, this could involve mockery and sarcasm. It is enough to remind those indulging in this practice of what Allah, the Most High said: "O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter is better than the former..." [Al-Hujuraat 49:11] It could very well be that Allah loves them and does not love us.
Preserve your tongue from lying, cursing, backbiting and slander for it decreases the reward of fasting.
Backbiting and Gossiping are from the most vilest and despicable of things, yet the most widely spread amongst mankind, such that no one is
free from it except for a few people.
Do you know what backbiting is?” They said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He then said, “It is to say something about your brother that
he would dislike.” Someone asked him, “But what if what I say is true?” The Messenger of Allah said, “If what you say about him is true, you are
backbiting him, but if it is not true then you have slandered him."
O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, in deeds some suspicions are sins. And spy not neither backbite one another. Would one of you like
to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah, verily, Allah is The One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful" (Qur'an 49: 12)
"When man wakes up in the morning each day, all parts of the body warn the tongue saying, ‘Fear Allah as regards us for we are at your mercy; if you are upright, we will be upright and if you are crooked, we become crooked."
He who is safe from the harms of his belly, sexual organ and tongue is safe from all troubles. For these three organs, majority of the people are destroyed. The Prophet was asked about a great viture which admits one to paradise. He said : Control of two hollow things- mouth and sexual
organ. He meant tongue by mouth.
If you are engaged in thoughts about God by giving up useless talks, God's inspiration may suddenly come in your soul. Shall I not give clue to you to such an action which is light for body but heavy in the Balance ? I said : Yes, 0 Prophet of God. He said : Silence, good conduct and giving up unnecessary things.
2. Excessive. talk - This means to utter such words as are of no use and to hold such talks as are of no use. Necessary talks can he held in
short. If one sentence is sufficient, second sentence is unnecessary, thought it has got no sin
3. Unless talk - -This is useless talk in untrue matters and to spend talks in actions of sins : for instance to state the beauties of a woman, to tell about assembly of drinking wine, to praise the sinners, to discuss the some forts of the rich. .......
4. Quarrels and disputes which are unlawful. --'God does not misguide a people after they are guided except for quarrels and disputes' Don't
dispute with the learned. If there is dispute with anybody, it is compensated by two rak'ats of prayer
5. Disputes about properties-- The greatest object of hatred to God is he who holds greatest disputes
6. Ornamentation in talks--Beware, those who make exaggeration in talks are ruined
7. Obsecene and verbal abuse - give up obsecene talks, as God does not love obscene and excessive talks. heaven is forbidden for who
utters foul language, and they will appear as shape of a dog on the day of judgement.
8. Cursing-- anything, be it an animal or a man or a lifeless thing. It is condemned. ' A believer does not curse another.' 'If anybody curses a
land, it says: Curse of God be upon the person who is the greatest sinner among us.' 'The cursers will not be intercessors or witnesses on the
Resurrection Day'
9. Songs and poetries--good poetry is good and the bad of poetry is bad,unlawful if it does not contain evil or indecent ,There is wisdom in
some poetry.
10. Laugh and jokes:--Basically are not harmful within limits,excessive jokes and continued jokes are unlawful,Excessive jokes give rise to
excessive laughters, excessive laughter makes the heart dead and sometimes creates hatred and destroys gravity and fear.He who commits sin
laughing will enter Hell weeping
11. Ridiculing : Ridicule is unlawful as it gives pain to the heart of another and thus he becomes sorry. God says: 0 believers, no people shall
ridicule another people. Perchance the latter may be better than the former. No woman shall ridicule another woman. Perchance the latter may be better than the former. Ridicule means to neglect or hold in contempt another and to show his defects. It may be expressed in words and actions and also by wings and gestures. If it is done in one's absence, it amounts to back-biting.
'If a man accuses his brother for a sin from which he repented, he will not die till he commits that sin'. So if any man ridicules one with regard to
his figure, conduct, writing, action etc, it will be unlawful.
12. Disclosing secret--To disclose secret talks is unlawful as it gives pain to the mind of another.It is a breach of trust if you disclose the secret
talks to others also its one of the four trait of a hypocrite.
13 False Promise:-To make promise in haste but it does not become possible to fulfil it always. As a result, it is broken. God says: 0 believers,
fulfil promise. The Prophet said: Promise is like a parent. He said: Promise is a kind of debt or greater than that.
He in whom there are three traits is a hypocrite even though he prays, fasts and thinks that he is a Muslim till he gives it up.
(1) When he speaks, he speaks lies.
(2) When he promises, he breaks it
(3) When he is entrusted, he breaks it.
(4) When he disputes over properties, he rebukes
14. Lying and false oath. These are great sins and heinous faults. Be careful of lying as it is the companion of the sinners and both will be in Hell. Lying is a door of hypocrisy. Lying reduces Rizq-provision. When a man lies his companion angel goes one mile away from him. A Muslim may
commit other faults but there cannot be in him cheating and falsehood
I asked: O Prophet of God, can a believer be a liar? He said: No. Then he recited the following verse: “It is only those who believe not in God’s
verses who fabricate falsehood, and (only) they are the liars 16:105 Lying is is lawful in some cases - click for full article on lying
15. Back-biting--: Know there are numerous warnings in Shariah–Islamic law regarding back-biting. Many people are accustomed to back-biting
and very few men are free from it. God says: Don't back-bite one another. Do you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Rather you abhor
it-49:12 Qur’an ‘Beware of back-biting as it is a more heinous sin than fornication’. If a man commits fornication and makes repentance, God may accept his repentance, but the repentance of back-biting is not accepted till the back-bited man pardons him. Listening to is back-biting is included within the back-biters.
Meaning of back-biting and its limits: Back-biting means to say anything to another about your brother in his absence which he does not like. This refers to physique, pedigree, dress, house, religion, behaviours and conduct and character. Back-biting by means other than tongue: back-biting can be done not only by tongue but also by signs, gestures, hints, movements of body and writings. Every kind of back-biting is unlawful. Causes of back-biting: Medicine to restrain tongue from back-bite: .Back-biting by mind: Six causes were make back-biting lawful Penitence of back-biting: click for full article on back-biting ...... Do Not Backbite One Another ...Exemptions from Backbiting
16 Hypocrisy--It is to go to two enemies and introduce to each of them as friend and to hold one opinion with each of them. He who has got two tongues in the world will have two tongues in the next world. You will see on the resurrection day the worst man near God with two faces. He will come to one party with one thing and to another party with another thing. For full details on Hypocrisy
On the Resurrection Day, the worst men to God will be the liars, the proud, and those men who entertained hatred in the need of their friends.
When they met his friends, they hated them. When they were called towards God and His Prophet, they came late and when they were called
towards the devil, they came hurriedly.
17 . Tale-Bearing Namimah and slander -Hammaz -- God says in verse 68 :11-12 quran -A slanderer, going about will calumnies, hindering all
good, transgressing beyond bounds etc. slander -Hammaz means an illegitimate issue who does not keep words secret. This shows that he who does not keep words secret and roams about giving news to ears is like an illegitimate son God says in verse 104:1 Qur’an - Woe to every
scandal-monger and backbiter. A slanderer will not enter Paradise. Scandal monger will not enter Paradise. Tale-bearing, (namimah) is defined as spreading words among believers with the purpose of stirring up enmity and problems between them This matter is forbidden. more on Tale-Bearing Namimah
18.Praise. In some cases, praise is unlawful." There are six harms of praise, out of which four harms fall on the praiser and two harms fall on the hearer of praise. For full details
19.Carelessness:- carelessness or inattention in words, specially when they are uttered in connection with religious affairs. Let none among you say-what God wishes, and what you wish, rather say-what God wishes and then what you wish.
One man came to the Prophet and said in the midst of his talk-what God wishes and you wish. The Prophet said : Have you made me equal to God ? Rather say : What the Almighty God wishes.
Never call a great sinner-My chief-Sayyidi, because if he becomes your chief, you will incur displeasure of your Lord
20 Questions of ordinary men about God;. about His attributes, His words and His tongue. These attributes of God are of two kinds-uncreated and created. It is the duty of ordinary men to follow what is in the Quran about commands and prohibitions. To understand the Quran is difficult to many.
O refrain from vain talks.
To stop spreading rumors.
To verify any news spread to us.
To correct the news from any source.
To stop all types of backbiting against one another.
To lower our voices, and speak softly and gently.
Not to be ashamed saying : "I don't know" for any question that you don't know its answer.
To take the initiative and make da'wah for the love of Allah. Be sure you say the truth about Islam.
Try to read more about Islam mainly the Qur'an, Hadith, Fiqh, Seerah, etc.
To keep busy in doing something good to you and to others.
To keep watch over your mistakes and your sins.