It has been narrated in hadeeth-e-tirmidhi that once a sahabi (RA) asked our beloved Prophet SAW, “How to attain salvation?” He asked the way to attain salvation and he asked in terms of acts other than farz and wajib acts that would take one to jannah. This is a very big question asked by a Sahabi RA to none other than the Prophet SAW. There are many acts but Prophet SAW replied, “Keep your Tongue under control”. Unfortunately we do not control our tongues it is the tongues that control us. In another hadeeth, our beloved Prophet SAW said, “I guarantee the jannah for the one who can guarantee two things, (the chastity of) what is between his two jaw-bones and what is between his two legs (i.e. his tongue and his private parts), I guarantee Jannah for him.” Muaz RA was a great Sahabi and so beloved to the Prophet SAW that he sent him as a governor to Yemen and while bidding him farewell from Madinah, he SAW himself came with him till the outskirts of madinah holding the rein of his camel with full of love for him. Such was the status of this Sahabi RA. Our Prophet SAW told Muadh in such an occasion to take care of his tongue. How precious would have been that advice! Muadh RA asked the Prophet SAW, “Ya Rasulullah! Will we be held to account for what our tongues utter?” Prophet SAW replied, “O Muadh, may your mother be bereaved of you! Do you not realize, is there anything else which throws people flat onto their faces in the fire of Jahannam, expect the harvest of their tongues!'”.” This expression “may your mother be bereaved of you” is an Arabic expression used like saying, “What are you talking or asking!”
Another Sahabi RA asked the Prophet SAW, “What does he fear more for him?” The Prophet SAW held his tongue and said “This tongue”. Every faculty like eyes, ears, tongue and nose do their job of sensing but nothing has as much effect as the tongue staying between the jaws. The job and effect of tongue is so vast that it has a direct effect on the hearts. Tongue is the representative of the Heart and the speech reaches others’ heart effectively that it change the lives of people or it can tear apart the hearts of people. And the speech of Allah SWT has such a tremendous effect on us. If we look into many quarrels and fights that take place, we can see that the source of majority of these would to be tongue. In another hadeeth it is being said that, every morning all the limbs of a person plead with his tongue: ‘Fear Allah for our sake, for our fate is tied to yours. If you follow the straight path so shall we. And if you go astray so shall we.'” We can heal the physical wounds through medicines but when the heart gets hurt, it might take even years and years to heal. Such is the effect of this tongue. Sometimes we might talk something casually as an act of enjoyment but this can be very disastrous as it can involve putting down others and hurting them. Allah SWT when describing the qualities of His SWT righteous slaves, He SWT describes them as those who keep away from futile talks. Now this is not even sinful talks but futile talks. This verse is given such an importance and status that this has been described between the two verses, the one about salah preceding this verse and the other about zakat following this verse. The verse preceding this verse is about the khushu of salah and the scholars have said that one will attain as much khushu as he keeps away from the futile unnecessary talks.
Four diseases have been widespread among this ummat that even the practicing people have been immersed in and these diseases are so worst that it wipes out the righteous deeds. These are gheebat (backbiting) and bad-goi (vilification), Badghumaanee (suspicion and having bad opinion about others), bad-nazari (forbidden glance) and hasad (jealousy). Majority of even those are religious are immersed in these sins be the one who performs all his salahs in jamah or a tableeghi or anyone. Shaitan knows that he cannot stop one from righteous acts and so he works hard to steal these acts by wiping away these good deeds through such sins. One should have bad-ghumanee (bad opinion) of himself but when it comes to others, he should have good opinion. The scholars have said, when one speaks more, he fall into doing gheebat putting others down to show himself high and lying. Even though some talks may be permissible when it does not involve sin, still useless talks can take noor from the heart. The noor is obtained from righteous acts like salah, charity, fasting etc. All this will be lost through such talks. . The one who keeps his tongue under his control is wise and there are only few who have this wisdom. When we lit the torch unnecessarily, the battery will lose its energy and so is the noor of the heart when we involve in useless talks. When a tank is being filled with water and the valve at the bottom of the tank is opened, will any water remain in the tank? When we talk, the energy of the brain is wasted and this will have an effect on the memory. When one loses the noor in the heart, he won’t get istiqaamat (steadfastness).
Imam Ghazzali RA said that if one doesn’t find any peace from the righteous acts like salah, fasting etc, he should check his heart for it is sick. When we get cold, the nose cannot smell and sense any fragrance. When this is the case with worldly fragrance then how cannot one sense the fragrance of closeness of Allah SWT. When the disease is severe, then the treatment too is tough and we find more difficulty like one might have to be admitted in hospital for few days and he might need operation and one when one has mild disease, few tablets might do the job. So is the case with curing spiritual diseases. When one’s disease is severe, one has to take more courage to go through the tough treatment and when the disease is mild, it is enough to have a little courage but nothing is achieved without courage. Is it wise that a man works hard throughout the day in a factory and wastes all his earnings at the end of the day? How strange is that a person works hard doing all sort of ibaadat and loses it by useless and sinful talks! One should think before he speaks and should ponder after he finishes his talk if he really spoke something necessary. He should seek forgiveness after every salah keeping this in mind and every day before going to bed, he should deeply ponder on what he talked that whole day and seek forgiveness. It might be difficult for some but Allah SWT is with those who take courageous steps towards Him. One should continuously keep trying to get rid of futile talks and Allah SWT’s help is with those who take courage. If one falls into the sin, he should immediately repent and if he falls again, he should repent again and keep trying without giving up for Allah SWT’s help is definitely with those who strive in His SWT path. Let Allah SWT help us all to refrain from futile and sinful talks and help us preserve the noor of our hearts. Ameen
