Author: Rahmatullah Rahmani
The Afflictions and sins of the Tongue (Part One)
Abstract
One of the greatest blessings of Allah is the use of tongue to express one’s intentions. The power of speech in humans to speak and establish understanding with others is one of their important characteristics compared to other creatures. Theoretical sciences and human experiences have been transferred to each other and have had a great impact on human growth and development in light of this blessing. However, in the same proportion as tongue has many constructive effects and blessings, the harms and sins are also a lot that are committed by it and the destructive effects that it has on the individual and society. Sins committed by the tongue, including backbiting, slander, lying, abusiveness, spying, etc., are considered major sins due to their harmful and irreparable effects.
Therefore, in the moral teachings of Islam, preserving the tongue is of particular importance. One of the important issues that moral scholars have paid attention to is preserving the tongue and speech.
Introduction
Tongue is the main means by which people communicate with each other intellectually and understanding and the transfer of concepts are achieved through tongue.
In a word, tongue is the criterion of value and the indicator of human personality and the scale of his intellect. Since the beginning of the creation of mankind, Allah Almighty has bestowed all kinds of blessings on man; from material and spiritual blessings to all kinds of other blessings. One of the greatest blessings that Allah has bestowed on humans is the blessing of tongue, through which communication is established between them. Such a well-equipped and advanced device that they can use it at any moment and turn it however they want. This is a blessing whose value is beyond human imagination! If we want to know its value, we must ask its price from people who are mute and unable to speak. People who have thousands of feelings arising in their being but are unable to express them with tongue! Because tongue is actually the interpreter of the heart, as they say in Arabic: «مَا الْإِنْسَانِ إِلَّا الْقَلْبِ وَاللَّسَانِ» Translation: “Man is nothing but the heart and the tongue.” That is, man is actually a combination of the heart and the tongue; whatever the heart wants to do, the tongue must carry it out. Some people do not use tongue well because they have not paid for it, and because it has come to them without effort and they do not know its value.
However, the tongue is a blessing from Allah and has been entrusted to man as a trust, and one day it will have to answer for the betrayal of the trust. Many people are observed not to make full and complete use of the tongue, and instead of using it well, they drown in all kinds of mire and suffer from deviations and shortcomings. Although the tongue is smaller than the other organs and limbs, its deviations and disadvantages are a lot. According to Imam Muhammad Ghazali (MABH) who says: «فَإِنَّهُ صَغِيْرٌ حِرْمُهُ عَظِيْمٌ طَاعَتْهُ وَ جُرْمُهُ» Translation: “Indeed, the tongue is a small organ, its sanctity is great, its obedience and sin are very great.” The tongue has the power to ruin the fifty years reputation of an innocent person, or to destroy the property and life of an innocent person with one unjustified accusation or one lie. And the tongue can reconcile between two people with divine speech, protect the honor of a Muslim, and save the wealth and appearance of a believer from danger. Yes! This is his great obedience. The Prophet (PBUH) said: «من يضمَنْ لى ما بين لحييه وما بين رجليه أضمن له الجنَّةَ» Translation: “Whoever guarantees for me what is between his mouth (tongue) and what is between his legs (private parts), I guarantee Paradise for him.”
So, as Muslims, instead of leaving the tongue to commit all kinds of sins, it is better for us to sit at home and be busy thinking about our sins and thinking about the end of our deeds! Because this is the way to salvation and that is all! The Prophet (PBUH) explained the way of salvation to Hazrat Uqbah bin Amer (MABH): «امْلِكْ عَلَيكَ لِسَانَكَ، وَلْيَسَعْكَ بَيْتُكَ، وَابْكِ عَلَى خَطِيئَتِكَ» Translation: “Control your tongue, let your house be your dwelling place, and weep before Allah for your sin.”
All the parts of the body are threatened by the slip of the tongue, because for every sin the tongue commits, the other parts must compensate for it. Hazrat Abu Saeed Khizri (MABH) quotes the Prophet (PBUH) who said: «إِذَا أَصْبَحَ ابْنُ آدَمَ فَإِنَّ الأَعْضَاءَ كُلَّهَا تُكَفِّرُ النِّسَانَ فَتَقُولُ: اتَّقِ اللَّهَ فِينَا فَإِنَّمَا نَحْنُ بِكَ، فَإِنْ اسْتَقَمْتَ اسْتَقَمْنَا وَإِنْ اعْوَجَجْتَ اعْوَجَجْنَا» Translation: “When a person wakes up in the morning, the other organs express helplessness in front of the tongue and say: Fear Allah about us, because we are with you and we depend on you. If you become righteous, we will also become righteous, and if you become deviant, we will also become deviant!”
Therefore, the best way for human health in every respect is silence and preventing unnecessary speech. Sheikh Attar (MABH) says:
“O brother, if you are a seeker of truth
Do not open your lips except by the command of Allah”
“If you are aware of alive and immortal (Allah)
Put the seal of silence on your tongue”
Continues…
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