Although apparently the tongue is a piece of muscle it still plays a significant role in our lives. This muscle can make or break lives. While sometimes it can bring forth utmost sweetness, there are times too when this can cause serious bitterness.
If a person is eloquent then he can make his way to the top. However he can make his way to the depths of hell if he wastes time badmouthing his brother. Backstabbing of this sort consists of additional juicy details too that are added just to make the gossip more flavoursome and pass away time. Backbiting is a serious sin due to the fact that the person who does that is actually eating his brother’s meat. Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ said that do not eat the meat of your brother, keep information related to your brother to yourself and do not spread around his matters so that it appears to be gossip ; remember him in kind words and use the tongue for good words only. Do not use your tongue to ridicule or hurt anyone. Keep guard over it and use your power of speech in matters that are beneficial and if that cannot be done then keep silent. Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ said that keeping silent is a worship too.
However this does not mean that upon witnessing an injustice you remain silent but rather one must try to stop it by his action, by his intention, by his tongue and if that too can’t be done then he must condemn it in his heart and that is the last level of faith.
When Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ went on the trip to Mairaj, he saw people that were pulling on their own skin and upon witnessing this Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ questioned Jibrael رضی اللہ عنہا Ameen that who were these people? Jibrael علیہ السلام Ameen replied that these were those who ate the meat of their brothers in the former world meaning that they spent time backbiting others.
Once a companion رضی اللہ عنہا of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came to the Prophet and asked him that Oh Messenger of Allah ﷺ what should I do so that I remain on the right path? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied that have faith in Allah and remain firm on this. The companion رضی اللہ عنہا once again asked the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about what is the thing that he should fear the most to which Prophet Muhammad ﷺ replied by pointing out his blessed tongue and saying that this is the thing that one should fear the most. In a similar way another companion رضی اللہ عنہا asked Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that oh leader of both worlds! How can one attain peace? And what is the path of forgiveness and complete success? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied that keep guard over your tongue. Keep yourself limited to your house, look back over your past sins feel sorrow and cry over them with utmost sincerity. Meaning that do not involve your tongue over matters that are of no importance but rather keep your tongue occupied in praising and remembering Allah so that you can prevent yourself from sins. Also keeping yourself limited to your house does not mean that one does not leave the house but rather it suggests that one should limit to one’s wife and not unnecessarily prolong outdoor meetings so that the temptation of backbiting or illegal sexual encounters does not arise. The third point that one must cry over the past sins implies that one needs to look back and repent so that further transgressions are prevented.
Hazrat Umar رضی اللہ عنہا said that: “people! Inspect yourself, and examine yourself prior to the time when you are probed.” It is also said that when morning dawns on the body of Adam’s progeny all organs stand before the tongue with hands folded and say that oh tongue we are with you so if you keep yourself under control all matters will be dealt with correctly but if you let loose yourself then all matters will transgress. Every body part is dependent on the tongue because if the tongue spreads goodwill then goodness is spread and the body will also turn towards good deeds. However if the tongue is involved in spouting ill-mannered speech then how can the body remain oblivious to it?
People who are truly intelligent always speak less and when they do speak they think over something before saying it out loud. Those who are not so intelligent speak out their minds without taking into consideration the place or opportunity. A person’s speech is like the label on a product which gives an idea about how the product is going to be.
The correct use of your ability to speak can take you to the top and make strangers your friends. Once Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ came across two graves and said that these two are being given severe punishment. When the companions رضوان اللہ اجمعین of Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ inquired about the reason, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that one of them was an instigator of fights that told lies about one group to the other , and the second one did not prevent urine drops from touching his body and did not use water to cleanse himself.
Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ once said that if you guarantee me two things then I will guarantee you a place in Jannah. With the guarantee of the thing between your two jawbones and the place of your shame I guarantee you Jannah meaning taking you to Jannah will be up to me.
Hence if from now on we tread carefully and keep in check our speech then we can be called the same Muslims that were in the time of the Sufis and Prophets. Control over your tongue and preventing oneself from backbiting and gossip is obligatory on every Muslim.
