Allah the Exalted said:
رياض الصالحينAbū Zakariyyā Muḥyī al-Dīn Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī٢٥٤ - باب تحريم الغيبة والأمر بحفظ اللسان
٢٥٤ - باب تحريم الغيبة والأمر بحفظ اللسان
ۖ
O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allāh; indeed, Allāh is Accepting of Repentance and Merciful.
And the Exalted said:
وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْبَصَرَ وَٱلْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْـُٔولًا
And do not pursue1 that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.
وقال تَعَالَى:
And the Exalted said:
مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ
He [i.e., man] utters no word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record].
اعْلَمْ أنَّهُ يَنْبَغِي لِكُلِّ مُكَلَّفٍ أَنْ يَحْفَظَ لِسَانَهُ عَنْ جَميعِ الكَلامِ إِلاَّ كَلاَمًا ظَهَرَتْ فِيهِ المَصْلَحَةُ، ومَتَى اسْتَوَى الكَلاَمُ وَتَرْكُهُ فِي المَصْلَحَةِ، فالسُّنَّةُ الإمْسَاكُ عَنْهُ، لأَنَّهُ قَدْ يَنْجَرُّ الكَلاَمُ المُبَاحُ إِلَى حَرَامٍ أَوْ مَكْرُوهٍ، وذَلِكَ كَثِيرٌ في العَادَةِ، والسَّلاَمَةُ لا يَعْدِلُهَا شَيْءٌ.
Know that it behoves every accountable person to guard his tongue against all speech except speech in which some benefit is evident. Whenever speaking and refraining are equal with regard to benefit, the sunnah is to hold back from it, for permissible speech may be drawn on into the forbidden or the disliked — and that is common in practice — while nothing equals safety.
وعن أَبي هريرة - ﵁ - عن النَّبيِّ - ﷺ - قَالَ: «مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَاليَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ» متفق عَلَيْهِ. وهذا صَريحٌ في أنَّهُ يَنْبَغي أَنْ لا يَتَكَلَّمَ إِلاَّ إِذَا كَانَ الكلامُ خَيرًا، وَهُوَ الَّذِي ظَهَرَتْ مَصْلَحَتُهُ، ومَتَى شَكَّ في ظُهُورِ المَصْلَحَةِ، فَلاَ يَتَكَلَّم.
Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent.” Agreed upon. This is explicit that one should not speak unless the speech is good — that being the speech whose benefit is evident; and whenever one doubts whether the benefit is evident, let him not speak.
وعن أَبي موسى - ﵁ - قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا رسولَ اللهِ أَيُّ المُسْلمِينَ أفْضَلُ؟ قَالَ: «مَنْ سَلِمَ المُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ» متفق عَلَيْهِ.
Abū Mūsā (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I said: “Messenger of Allah, which of the Muslims is best?” He said: “The one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe.” Agreed upon.
وعن سهل بن سعد، قَالَ: قَالَ رسُولُ اللهِ - ﷺ: «مَنْ يَضْمَنْ لِي مَا بَيْنَ لَحْيَيْهِ وَمَا بَيْنَ رِجْلَيْهِ أَضْمَنْ لَهُ الجَنَّةَ» متفق عَلَيْهِ.
Sahl ibn Saʿd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever guarantees me [what is] between his jaws and [what is] between his legs, I guarantee him Paradise.” Agreed upon.
وعن أَبي هريرة - ﵁: أنَّه سمع النبيَّ - ﷺ - يقول: «إنَّ العَبْدَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بالكَلِمَةِ مَا يَتَبَيَّنُ فِيهَا يَزِلُّ بِهَا إِلَى النَّارِ أبْعَدَ مِمَّا بَيْنَ المَشْرِقِ والمَغْرِبِ» متفق عَلَيْهِ. ومعنى: «يَتَبَيَّنُ» يُفَكِّرُ أنَّها خَيْرٌ أم لا.
Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Prophet ﷺ say: “A servant may utter a word, giving it no thought, by which he slips into the Fire farther than the distance between the east and the west.” Agreed upon. The meaning of “yatabayyan” is: he reflects on whether it is good or not.
وعنه، عن النبيّ - ﷺ - قَالَ: «إنَّ العَبْدَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِالكَلِمَةِ مِنْ رِضْوَانِ الله تَعَالَى مَا يُلْقِي لَهَا بَالًا يَرْفَعُهُ اللهُ بِهَا دَرَجاتٍ، وإنَّ العَبْدَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِالكَلَمَةِ مِنْ سَخَطِ اللهِ تَعَالَى لاَ يُلْقِي لَهَا بَالًا يَهْوِي بِهَا في جَهَنَّمَ». رواه البخاري.
He also reported from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: “A servant may speak a word pleasing to Allah the Exalted, to which he attaches no importance, by which Allah raises him in ranks; and a servant may speak a word incurring the wrath of Allah the Exalted, to which he attaches no importance, by which he plunges into Hell.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī.
وعن أَبي عبد الرحمان بِلالِ بن الحارِثِ المُزَنِيِّ - ﵁: أنَّ رسول الله - ﷺ - قَالَ: «إنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِالكَلِمَةِ مِنْ رِضْوَانِ اللهِ تَعَالَى مَا كَانَ يَظُنُّ أَنْ تَبْلُغَ مَا بَلَغَتْ يَكْتُبُ اللهُ لَهُ بِهَا رِضْوَانَهُ إِلَى يَومِ يَلْقَاهُ، وإنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِالكَلِمَةِ مِنْ سَخَطِ اللهِ مَا كَانَ يَظُنُّ أَنْ تَبْلُغَ مَا بَلَغَتْ يَكْتُبُ الله لَهُ بِهَا سَخَطَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ يَلْقَاهُ». رواه مالك في المُوَطَّأ، والترمذي، وقال: «حديث حسن صحيح».
Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Bilāl ibn al-Ḥārith al-Muzanī (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “A man may speak a word pleasing to Allah the Exalted, not thinking that it would reach what it reached, [and] Allah records for him His good pleasure on account of it until the Day he meets Him; and a man may speak a word incurring the wrath of Allah, not thinking that it would reach what it reached, [and] Allah records for him His wrath on account of it until the Day he meets Him.” Narrated by Mālik in al-Muwaṭṫaʼ, and al-Tirmidhī, who said: “A good and sound ḥadīth.”
وعن سفيان بن عبد الله - ﵁ - قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا رسولَ الله حدِّثني بأَمْرٍ أَعْتَصِمُ بِهِ قَالَ: «قلْ: رَبِّيَ اللهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْ» قُلْتُ: يَا رسولَ اللهِ، مَا أخْوَفُ مَا تَخَافُ عَلَيَّ؟ فَأَخَذَ بِلِسانِ نَفْسِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: «هَذَا». رواه الترمذي، وقال: «حديث حسن صحيح».
Sufyān ibn ʿAbd Allāh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I said: “Messenger of Allah, tell me of a matter to which I can hold fast.” He said: “Say: My Lord is Allah, then remain steadfast.” I said: “Messenger of Allah, what is the thing you most fear for me?” He took hold of his own tongue and said: “This.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī, who said: “A good and sound ḥadīth.”
وعن ابن عمر ﵄، قَالَ: قَالَ رسول الله - ﷺ: «لا تُكْثِرُوا الكَلاَمَ بِغَيْرِ ذِكْرِ اللهِ؛ فَإنَّ كَثْرَةَ الكَلاَمِ بِغَيْرِ ذِكْرِ اللهِ تَعَالَى قَسْوَةٌ لِلقَلْبِ! وإنَّ أبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنَ اللهِ القَلْبُ القَاسِي». رواه الترمذي.
Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Do not speak much without the remembrance of Allah, for speaking much without the remembrance of Allah the Exalted hardens the heart; and the furthest of people from Allah is the hard-hearted one.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī.
وعن أَبي هريرة - ﵁ - قَالَ: قَالَ رسول الله - ﷺ: «مَنْ وَقَاهُ اللهُ شَرَّ مَا بَيْنَ لَحْيَيْهِ، وَشَرَّ مَا بَيْنَ رِجْلَيْهِ دَخَلَ الجَنَّةَ». رواه الترمذي، وقال: «حديث حسن».
Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever Allah protects from the evil of what is between his jaws and the evil of what is between his legs will enter Paradise.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī, who said: “A good ḥadīth.”
وعن عقبة بن عامرٍ - ﵁ - قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا رسولَ اللهِ مَا النَّجَاةُ؟ قَالَ: «أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ لِسَانَكَ، وَلْيَسَعْكَ بَيْتُكَ، وابْكِ عَلَى خَطِيئَتِكَ». رواه الترمذي، وقال: «حديث حسن».
ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I said: “Messenger of Allah, what is salvation?” He said: “Restrain your tongue, let your house suffice you, and weep over your sins.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī, who said: “A good ḥadīth.”
وعن أَبي سعيد الخدري - ﵁ - عن النبيِّ - ﷺ - قَالَ: «إِذَا أصْبَحَ ابْنُ آدَمَ، فَإنَّ الأعْضَاءَ كُلَّهَا تَكْفُرُ اللِّسانَ، تَقُولُ: اتَّقِ اللهَ فِينَا، فَإنَّما نَحنُ بِكَ؛ فَإنِ اسْتَقَمْتَ اسْتَقَمْنَا، وإنِ اعْوَجَجْتَ اعْوَجَجْنَا». رواه الترمذي. معنى: «تَكْفُرُ اللِّسَانَ»: أيْ تَذِلُّ وَتَخْضَعُ لَهُ.
Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (may Allah be pleased with him) reported from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: “When the son of Adam rises in the morning, all the limbs humble themselves before the tongue, saying: Fear Allah concerning us, for we depend on you; if you are upright we are upright, and if you go crooked we go crooked.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī. The meaning of “takfur al-lisān” is: they submit and yield to it.
وعن مُعَاذٍ - ﵁ - قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، أَخْبِرْني بِعَمَلٍ يُدْخِلُني الجَنَّةَ وَيُبَاعِدُني مِنَ النَّارِ؟ قَالَ: «لَقَدْ سَألتَ عَنْ عَظيمٍ، وإنَّهُ لَيَسيرٌ عَلَى مَنْ يَسَّرَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ: تَعْبُدُ اللهَ لاَ تُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا، وَتُقِيمُ الصَّلاَةَ، وتُؤتِي الزَّكَاةَ، وتَصُومُ رَمَضَانَ، وتَحُجُّ البَيْتَ» ثُمَّ قَالَ: «ألاَ أدُلُّكَ عَلَى أبْوابِ الخَيْرِ؟ الصَّوْمُ جُنَّةٌ، وَالصَّدَقَةُ تُطْفِئُ الخَطِيئَةَ كَما يُطْفِئُ المَاءُ النَّارَ، وَصَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ» ثُمَّ تَلا: ﴿تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ المَضَاجِعِ﴾ حَتَّى بَلَغَ ﴿يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ [النور: ١٦] ثُمَّ قَالَ: «ألا أُخْبِرُكَ بِرَأسِ الأَمْرِ، وَعَمُودِهِ، وَذِرْوَةِ سِنَامِهِ» قُلْتُ: بَلَى يَا رسولَ اللهِ، قَالَ: «رَأسُ الأمْر الإسْلامُ، وَعَمُودُهُ الصَّلاَةُ، وَذِرْوَةِ سِنَامِهِ الجِهادُ» ثُمَّ قَالَ: «ألاَ أُخْبِرُكَ بِمِلاكِ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ!» قُلْتُ: بلَى يَا رَسولَ اللهِ، فَأخَذَ بِلِسانِهِ وقال: «كُفَّ عَلَيْكَ هَذَا» قُلْتُ: يَا رسولَ الله وإنَّا لَمُؤاخَذُونَ بما نَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ؟ فقالَ: «ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ! وَهَلْ يَكُبُّ الناسَ فِي النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ إِلاَّ حَصَائِدُ أَلْسِنَتِهِمْ؟». رواه الترمذي، وقال: «حديث حسن صحيح»، وَقَدْ سبق شرحه في باب قبل هَذَا .
Muʿādh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I said: “Messenger of Allah, tell me of a deed that will admit me to Paradise and keep me far from the Fire.” He said: “You have asked about something great, yet it is easy for whomever Allah the Exalted makes it easy: that you worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, establish the prayer, give the zakāh, fast Ramaḍān, and make pilgrimage to the House.” Then he said: “Shall I not guide you to the gates of goodness? Fasting is a shield; charity extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire; and the prayer of a man in the depth of the night.” Then he recited: “Their sides forsake their beds…” until he reached “…they used to do.” Then he said: “Shall I not inform you of the head of the matter, its pillar, and the peak of its hump?” I said: “Yes indeed, Messenger of Allah.” He said: “The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the prayer, and the peak of its hump is jihād.” Then he said: “Shall I not inform you of the mainstay of all that?” I said: “Yes indeed, Messenger of Allah.” He took hold of his tongue and said: “Restrain this.” I said: “Messenger of Allah, are we really to be held accountable for what we say?” He said: “May your mother be bereaved of you! Is it anything but the harvests of their tongues that casts people into the Fire upon their faces?” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī, who said: “A good and sound ḥadīth,” and its explanation has already preceded in an earlier chapter. [review: the source cites the verse as al-Nūr 16, but it is Q 32:16, Sūrat al-Sajdah]
وعن أَبي هريرة - ﵁: أنَّ رسُولَ الله - ﷺ - قَالَ: «أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيبَةُ؟» قالوا: اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أعْلَمُ، قَالَ: «ذِكْرُكَ أخَاكَ بِما يَكْرَهُ» قِيلَ: أفَرَأيْتَ إنْ كَانَ في أخِي مَا أقُولُ؟ قَالَ: «إنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ، فقد اغْتَبْتَهُ، وإنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ ». رواه مسلم.
Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Do you know what backbiting is?” They said: “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said: “It is your mentioning of your brother in a way he dislikes.” It was said: “What if what I say of my brother is true?” He said: “If what you say is in him, you have backbitten him; and if what you say is not in him, you have slandered him.” Narrated by Muslim.
وعن أَبي بَكْرة - ﵁: أنَّ رَسُولَ الله - ﷺ - قَالَ في خُطْبَتِهِ يَوْمَ النَّحْرِ بِمِنًى في حَجَّةِ الوَدَاعِ: «إنَّ دِماءكُمْ، وَأمْوَالَكُمْ، وأعْرَاضَكُمْ، حَرَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ كَحُرْمَةِ يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا، في شَهْرِكُمْ هَذَا، في بَلَدِكُمْ هَذَا، ألا هَلْ بَلَّغْتُ» متفق عَلَيْهِ.
Abū Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said in his sermon on the Day of Sacrifice at Minā during the Farewell Pilgrimage: “Your blood, your property, and your honour are sacred to you, like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this land of yours. Have I not conveyed [the message]?” Agreed upon.
وعن عائشة ﵂، قالت: قُلْتُ للنبيّ - ﷺ: حَسْبُكَ مِنْ صَفِيَّةَ كذَا وكَذَا. قَالَ بعضُ الرواةِ: تَعْنِي قَصيرَةً، فقالَ: «لَقَدْ قُلْتِ كَلِمَةً لَوْ مُزِجَتْ بِمَاءِ البَحْرِ لَمَزَجَتْهُ!» قالت: وَحَكَيْتُ لَهُ إنْسَانًا فَقَالَ: «مَا أُحِبُّ أنِّي حَكَيْتُ إنْسانًا وإنَّ لِي كَذَا وَكَذَا». رواه أَبُو داود والترمذي، وقال: «حديث حسن صحيح». ومعنى: «مَزَجَتْهُ» خَالَطَتْهُ مُخَالَطَةً يَتَغَيَّرُ بِهَا طَعْمُهُ أَوْ رِيحُهُ لِشِدَّةِ نَتْنِها وَقُبْحِهَا. وهذا الحَديثُ مِنْ أبلَغِ الزَّواجِرِ عَنِ الغِيبَةِ، قَالَ الله تَعَالَى: ﴿وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الهَوَى إنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ وَحْيٌ يُوحَى﴾ [النجم: ٣ - ٤].
ʿĀʼishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I said to the Prophet ﷺ: “It is enough for you that Ṣafiyyah is such and such” — one of the narrators said: she meant that she was short — and he said: “You have uttered a word that, were it mixed with the water of the sea, would taint it!” She said: And I imitated a person to him, and he said: “I would not like to imitate anyone even if I were to have such and such.” Narrated by Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī, who said: “A good and sound ḥadīth.” The meaning of “mazajat-hu” is: it would mingle with it so as to change its taste or smell because of the intensity of its foulness and ugliness. This ḥadīth is among the most powerful deterrents against backbiting. Allah the Exalted said: “Nor does he speak from [his own] desire; it is but a revelation revealed” [al-Najm: 3–4].
وعن أنسٍ - ﵁ - قَالَ: قَالَ رسول الله - ﷺ: «لَمَّا عُرِجَ بي مَرَرْتُ بِقَومٍ لَهُمْ أظْفَارٌ مِنْ نُحَاسٍ يَخْمِشُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَصُدُورَهُمْ فَقُلْتُ: مَنْ هؤُلاءِ يَا جِبرِيلُ؟ قَالَ: هؤُلاءِ الَّذِينَ يَأكُلُونَ لُحُومَ النَّاسِ، وَيَقَعُونَ في أعْرَاضِهِمْ!». رواه أَبُو داود.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When I was taken up [on the night journey], I passed by a people who had nails of copper with which they were scratching their faces and their chests. I said: Who are these, O Jibrīl? He said: These are the ones who used to devour people’s flesh [by backbiting] and assail their honour.” Narrated by Abū Dāwūd.
وعن أَبي هريرة - ﵁: أنَّ رسُولَ الله - ﷺ - قَالَ: «كُلُّ المُسْلِمِ عَلَى المُسْلِمِ حَرَامٌ: دَمُهُ وَعِرْضُهُ وَمَالُهُ». رواه مسلم.
Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “All of a Muslim is inviolable to another Muslim: his blood, his honour, and his property.” Narrated by Muslim.