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Silence and speech hold great importance in Islamic ethics, for controlling the tongue and choosing the right moment to speak or to remain silent is regarded as a measure of a person's faith and wisdom. The Noble Qur'an and the honoured Sunna (the Prophet's normative practice) abound with guidance that shows the merit of silence in some situations and the merit of speech in others, according to set principles and divine wisdom. The great scholars of Islam, past and present, have likewise treated these virtues with gnostic and intellectual depth, affirming that authentic Islam calls for balance: neither excess in speech, which casts a person into the afflictions of the tongue, nor excess in silence, which prevents him from speaking the truth. In this article we survey the authentic Islamic view of silence and speech, drawing on Qur'anic verses, reliable hadith from the Prophet and his Household (peace be upon them), and the sayings of great scholars such as Imam Khomeini, Imam Khamenei, the martyr Sayyid Muḥammad Bāqir al-Ṣadr and others. The discussion is arranged in ordered themes that set out the definition of these two concepts, their merits, their principles and their various effects.
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First: Defining Silence and Speech from the Qur'anic, Narrative and Rational Perspectives
Defining silence: Linguistically, silence (ṣamt) means quietness and refraining from speech. Some scholars have defined it technically as “refraining from speaking falsehood, not from speaking the truth”; that is, praiseworthy silence is abstaining from speech that is false or useless, not keeping silent about the truth. Scholars distinguish between sukūt and ṣamt: sukūt is refraining from speech while able to speak, even if only for short moments, whereas ṣamt denotes refraining from speech for a relatively longer period. The people of wisdom have said: “Ṣamt is more complete than sukūt”, because ṣamt indicates a complete withdrawal from idle talk, whereas a person may be called silent (sākit) who is able to speak but leaves off speech for a moment.
Defining speech: Speech is uttering what a person wishes to express. Speech is the distinguishing faculty of the rational human being, by which he expresses his thought and spreads knowledge. God has favoured man with this ability in His words, exalted is He: ﴿ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ عَلَّمَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ عَلَّمَهُ ٱلۡبَيَانَ﴾ The All-Merciful. He taught the Qur'an. He created man. He taught him clear expression.
That is, He taught him the capacity for clear expression and speech. Accordingly, speech is in principle a blessing and a means of making truths manifest and spreading good, so long as it is not used out of place.
From the Qur'anic perspective: The Qur'an points in many places to the importance of the word and of controlling it. Among these is His saying, exalted is He:
﴿وَقُل لِّعِبَادِي يَقُولُوا الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَانَ لِلْإِنسَانِ عَدُوًّا مُّبِينًا﴾ And tell My servants to say that which is best. Indeed, Satan sows discord among them; indeed, Satan is ever, to man, a clear enemy.
In this verse there is a divine command that the believers choose the best words when they speak, so as to avoid conflict and corruption, which shows the value of good speech. Conversely, the Qur'an stresses the necessity of keeping away from evil speech and idle talk (laghw). He says, exalted is He, in describing the believers: ﴿وَٱلَّذِینَ هُمۡ عَنِ ٱللَّغۡوِ مُعۡرِضُونَ﴾ And those who turn away from idle talk.
That is, they turn away from false speech that has no benefit. The Qur'an also warns of the gravity of every word a person utters: ﴿مَّا یَلۡفِظُ مِن قَوۡلࣲ إِلَّا لَدَیۡهِ رَقِیبٌ عَتِیدٌ﴾ He utters no word but that there is with him a watcher, ever present.
That is, he utters no word without two angels observing it and recording it. The exegetes have commented that this verse is evidence that a person must scrutinise his speech, for every utterance is counted and he is answerable for it on the Day of Reckoning. Hence the earlier generations understood that “the reports condemning excessive speech and praising silence… are very numerous” in the Islamic heritage, among Shia and Sunnis alike.
From the narrative perspective (the Prophetic Sunna and the Household): The hadith abound in defining the features of praiseworthy speech and praiseworthy silence. On the one hand, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ urged control of the tongue, saying: «من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فليقل خيرًا أو ليصمت» Whoever believes in God and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent.
This hadith lays down a golden rule for speech: if what you are about to utter is clearly good, then speak; otherwise silence is more fitting. Scholars have commented on this, saying: “Speaking good is better than silence, because speaking good is a gain and silence is safety, and there is no doubt that gain is better than safety.” On the other hand, the narrations on the merit of silence and control of the tongue are numerous. The Messenger of God ﷺ said: «من صمت نجا» Whoever is silent is saved.
That is, whoever keeps to silence (when there is no good in speaking) is saved from the afflictions of the tongue. The hadith scholars have established the authenticity of this hadith. It is also narrated from him: «لا ينبغي للعالم أن يسكت على علمه، ولا ينبغي للجاهل أن يسكت على جهله» It is not fitting for the knowledgeable to keep silent about his knowledge, nor is it fitting for the ignorant to keep silent about his ignorance.
The knowledgeable person has a duty to convey knowledge and must not be silent about spreading it, and the ignorant person must ask and not be so abashed that he remains silent in his ignorance. Thus it becomes clear that the praiseworthy silence in the narrations is abandoning superfluous and false speech, while praiseworthy speech is speech that carries good, such as teaching knowledge, remembering God or enjoining what is right.
From the rational and philosophical perspective: The sages discussed the merit of silence and speech through a rational division of the kinds of speech. Imam Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī stated that speech is of four kinds: (1) speech that is pure harm, (2) speech that is pure benefit, (3) speech that contains both benefit and harm, and (4) speech that contains neither benefit nor harm (superfluous talk). Speech that is pure harm, or whose harm outweighs its benefit, must definitely be abandoned, and this is the domain of silence. Speech that has neither benefit nor harm is superfluous, an occupation that wastes one's life, so abandoning it is better, for it is a manifest loss. All that remains, then, is speech that is purely beneficial or predominantly beneficial, and this is what one should speak. Al-Ghazālī adds an important warning: even this beneficial kind carries the danger of sliding into ostentation, self-admiration, backbiting and other hidden afflictions of the tongue. He therefore concluded with an eloquent Prophetic wisdom: «من صمت نجا» Whoever is silent is saved.
For whoever lets his tongue loose scarcely escapes its afflictions, while whoever is silent is safe from all of that. Sound reason thus supports the revealed law in holding that the principle is to speak little except where there is clear good, and that silence is the safer course in most circumstances, so as to avoid these dangers.
The upshot of this theme: silence in Islam is a conscious quietness, holding the tongue back from evil, the ugly and the idle, practised by the believer in pursuit of safety and wisdom. Speech in Islam is uttering truth, good and the kind word in its proper place, undertaken by the believer in pursuit of reward and reform. Each of them, silence and speech, has its own merit in its proper place, as will be explained.
Second: When Is Silence a Virtue? And When Is Speech an Obligation or a Virtue?
The revealed law has assigned to both silence and speech particular situations in which each is praiseworthy or blameworthy. Silence is a praiseworthy virtue when it protects a person from falling into sin or idle talk, or when speech is neither necessary nor beneficial. It is said in a wise saying: “If speech is silver, then silence is gold.” It is narrated that Imam ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (peace be upon him) said: «ما من شيء أحقّ بطول السجن من اللسان» There is nothing more deserving of long imprisonment than the tongue.
This indicates that the principle is to keep this organ closed and confined from speech except when there is a genuine need. Likewise Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him) said: «لا يزال العبد المؤمن يُكتب محسنًا ما دام ساكتًا، فإذا تكلم كُتب إمّا محسنًا وإمّا مسيئًا» The believing servant continues to be recorded as a doer of good so long as he is silent; when he speaks, he is recorded either as a doer of good or as a doer of evil.
The believer's silence earns him good deeds so long as he has not spoken evil; but when he speaks, his speech is either for him or against him. Silence, then, is safety and a guarantee of salvation on many occasions, and for this reason the noble hadith states: «من صمت نجا» Whoever is silent is saved.
Yet on the other hand, speech is an obligation or a great virtue when the establishing of a truth, the refuting of a falsehood or the spreading of good depends on it. Silence where speech is required is blameworthy in the revealed law. The Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī (peace be upon him) said: «لا خير في الصمت عن الحكم، كما أنه لا خير في القول بالجهل» There is no good in silence about wisdom, just as there is no good in speaking from ignorance.
That is, there is no good in keeping silent about a word of truth and wisdom when it is needed, just as there is no good in speaking without knowledge. Abū ʿAlī al-Daqqāq (as reported by al-Qushayrī) offered an eloquent comparison of the one who keeps silent about the truth to a mute devil (although this expression is transmitted from some of the early generations and is not directly a Prophetic hadith), and the meaning is sound: whoever sees wrongdoing or injustice and does not speak while able to, is a partner in the sin through his silence. For this reason the Prophet ﷺ said: «أفضل الجهاد كلمة حق عند سلطان جائر» The best jihad is a word of truth before a tyrannical ruler.
This is a word that, once uttered, becomes one of the greatest acts of worship, because it was spoken in its proper place in support of the truth.
The Imams of the Household (peace be upon them) affirm this meaning clearly. Imam ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn (peace be upon him), renowned for his worship and wisdom, was asked which is better, speech or silence. He answered with a wisdom that distinguished the two stations, saying: «لكل واحد منهما آفات، فإذا سلِما من الآفات فالكلام أفضل من السكوت» Each of them has its afflictions; if both are free of afflictions, then speech is better than silence.
The questioner was surprised and said: How is that, O son of the Messenger of God? He (peace be upon him) said: «لأن الله عز وجل ما بعث الأنبياء والأوصياء بالسكوت، إنما بعثهم بالكلام، ولا استُحقت الجنة بالسكوت، ولا استوجبت ولاية الله بالسكوت، ولا توقّيت النار بالسكوت، إنما ذلك كلّه بالكلام» Because God, Mighty and Majestic, did not send the prophets and the legatees with silence; He sent them only with speech. Paradise is not merited by silence, God's guardianship is not earned by silence, and the Fire is not warded off by silence; all of that is only through speech.
He (peace be upon him) added a sentence of profound significance: «ما كنتُ لأعدل القمرَ بالشمس؛ إنك تصف فضل السكوت بالكلام ولستَ تصف فضل الكلام بالسكوت» I would never equate the moon with the sun. You describe the merit of silence by means of speech, but you do not describe the merit of speech by means of silence.
The meaning is that the merit of speech (when free of its afflictions) is greater than the merit of silence, because the greatest goals, such as Paradise, attaining God's pleasure and conveying His messages, are attained only through speech (the word of tawḥīd (affirmation of God's oneness), the word of truth, calling to God by the tongue…). It is as though he were saying: righteous speech is a light like the sun, not to be compared with the light of the moon (silence), except when its afflictions are present. But at the beginning of the hadith the Imam drew attention to the basic condition: “if both are free of afflictions”, for the silent person is often more likely than the speaker to escape afflictions. The preference here is therefore conditional and qualified. In other words: if your speech contains pure good, do not be silent, for speech is then better; but if your speech is tainted by evil or falsehood, silence is better for you.
The Prophet ﷺ gave a practical example that clarifies when speech is obligatory and when silence is obligatory: «لا ينبغي للعالِم أن يسكت على علمه، ولا ينبغي للجاهل أن يسكت على جهله» It is not fitting for the knowledgeable to keep silent about his knowledge, nor is it fitting for the ignorant to keep silent about his ignorance.
If the knowledgeable person sees that people need what he knows of the truths of religion or any beneficial knowledge, he is obliged to speak, teach and guide them; he may not keep silent on the pretext of renunciation or fear, because concealing knowledge is blameworthy. Conversely, the ignorant person who does not know the matters of his religion or any beneficial matter should not remain silent, too abashed to ask; rather, speech is obligatory for him here, in that he must put his question and seek knowledge, otherwise his acquiescence in ignorance would be a fault in him. The hadith cites the verse: ﴿فَسۡـَٔلُوۤا۟ أَهۡلَ ٱلذِّكۡرِ إِن كُنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ﴾ So ask the people of remembrance if you do not know.
This affirms the obligation to ask and to speak in order to remove ignorance.
Among the most splendid statements on this subject is the saying of Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) in Nahj al-Balāgha: «وتكلّموا تُعرفوا، فإن المرء مخبوء تحت لسانه» Speak, and you will be known, for a person is hidden beneath his tongue.
A person's character and identity appear when he speaks: if he is intelligent, this becomes clear in his discourse, and if he is ignorant, his speech exposes him. He (peace be upon him) also said: «إذا تمّ العقل نقص الكلام» When the intellect is complete, speech diminishes.
This indicates that the person of complete intellect is much given to silence and reflection, and little given to empty speech. Yet he (peace be upon him), who was himself much given to silence, was known for his courage in speaking the truth whenever the situation called for it, and he never kept silent about a truth. Thus we learn that silence is a virtue when speech is without benefit or causes harm, and speech is a virtue, indeed an obligation, when it makes a truth manifest, repels a falsehood or spreads good.
Third: Comparing Silence and Speech, and the Principles Governing Each
The Islamic texts set out clear principles for both silence and speech, so that one may know when the one is praised and when the other is blamed. Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) gathered these principles in a concise and comprehensive saying: «جمع الخير كلّه في ثلاث خصال: النظر، والسكوت، والكلام. فكلُّ نظرٍ ليس فيه اعتبار فهو سهو، وكلُّ سكوتٍ ليس فيه فِكْر فهو غفلة، وكلُّ كلامٍ ليس فيه ذِكر فهو لغو» All good has been gathered in three traits: looking, silence and speech. Every look in which there is no taking of lessons is inattention; every silence in which there is no reflection is heedlessness; and every speech in which there is no remembrance of God is idle talk.
Then he stated the conclusion, saying: «فطوبى لمن كان نظره عِبرَةً، وسكوته فِكرًا، وكلامه ذِكرًا، وبكى على خطيئته، وأمِن الناسُ شرَّه» So blessed is he whose looking is a lesson, whose silence is reflection, whose speech is remembrance, who weeps over his sin, and from whose evil people are safe.
In this hadith Imam ʿAlī lays down four golden rules:
The condition for virtue in silence: that it be joined with reflection. If a person remains silent for long without reflecting on God's signs and taking account of himself, his silence may turn into mere heedlessness or dullness. Praiseworthy silence is that which is an opportunity to contemplate God's greatness and to review oneself. It is narrated from the Messenger of God ﷺ: «إذا رأيتم المؤمن صموتًا فادنوا منه فإنه يُلقي الحكمة» If you see the believer given to silence, draw near to him, for he imparts wisdom.
That is, by combining silence and reflection, God opens wisdom to him and casts it upon his tongue when he speaks. For this reason it is also reported from him: «إذا تم العقل نقص الكلام» When the intellect is complete, speech diminishes.
This is because speaking little makes room for the intellect to reflect deeply.
The condition for virtue in speech: that it contain the remembrance of God (dhikr) and everything of truth and good that draws one nearer to God. If speech is devoid of remembrance of God, whether explicit remembrance through glorification and supplication, or implicit remembrance through a righteous intention and noble purpose, it becomes blameworthy idle talk, as the Imam (peace be upon him) said. Accordingly: “كل كلام ليس فيه ذكر فهو لغو” Every speech in which there is no remembrance is idle talk.
God, exalted is He, has commanded us: ﴿وَقُولُواْ لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا﴾ And speak to people kindly.
That is, speak good and pleasant words to people, and this includes remembering God and calling people to Him with a good word. Among the Qur'anic principles also is His saying, exalted is He: ﴿يَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَقُولُوا۟ قَوۡلࣰا سَدِیدࣰا﴾ O you who believe, be mindful of God and speak words that are upright.
That is, speech that is correct and straight, without crookedness. Upright speech includes truthfulness, fairness and not dwelling at length on what is of no use.
The principle governing what speech is to be abandoned: The Prophet ﷺ taught us the general rule: «فليقل خيرًا أو ليصمت» Let him speak good or remain silent.
Legitimate speech is confined to the good; anything outside the sphere of good, such as lying, backbiting, talebearing or mere empty chatter, is among what should be abandoned and kept silent about. Even entirely permissible speech (which carries neither sin nor reward) the revealed law recommends reducing, because much of the permissible can lead to the forbidden. Al-Nawawī said in explaining the above hadith: “Permissible speech is something one is commanded to abandon and recommended to refrain from, for fear that it will lead to the forbidden or the disliked, and this commonly happens a great deal.” So the principle is: if it is not clear to you that your speech will be good and beneficial, it is better to hold your tongue. Imam Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn (peace be upon him) expressed the right of the tongue in his Treatise on Rights (Risālat al-Ḥuqūq) by saying: «حقُّ اللسان إكرامُه عن الخنا (الفحش) وتعويده الخير، وترك الفضول التي لا فائدة لها، والبِرُّ بالناس، وحُسن القول فيهم» The right of the tongue is to keep it nobly above obscenity (indecency), to accustom it to good, to abandon superfluous talk that has no benefit, to be kind to people, and to speak well of them.
These are four principles: (1) that the tongue not be used for obscenity or vulgarity, (2) that its owner accustom his tongue always to speaking good, (3) that he abandon excess speech that is of no benefit, and (4) that he use his tongue to speak good to people and be gentle with them. How beautiful are these rules, which ensure that the believer's speech is good and his silence is well-being!
The principle governing what silence is to be abandoned: Conversely, they taught us that silence, despite its merit, is not absolute in every situation. If silence would lead to the loss of a right, the covering up of a wrong or the obstruction of a mission, it is blameworthy silence. It is stated in the hadith: «لا تكثروا الكلام بغير ذكر الله، فإن كثرة الكلام بغير ذكر الله قسو القلب، وإن أبعد الناس من الله القلب القاسي» Do not speak much without the remembrance of God, for much speech without the remembrance of God is hardness of the heart, and the farthest of people from God is the hard heart.
The converse implication (mafhūm al-mukhālafa) here is that just as much speech without remembrance causes hardness of the heart, so too much silence from the remembrance of God takes away the heart's light. For this reason the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) said: «لا تقطعوا أنهاركم (أي أوقاتكم الثمينة) بحديث كذا وكذا… كفّوا ألسنتكم وسلِّموا تسليمًا تغنموا» Do not cut away your days (that is, your precious time) with talk of such-and-such… Restrain your tongues and submit wholly, and you will gain.
That is, do not waste time in idle talk, such as saying “we did this and we did that” to no purpose; rather, hold your tongues and keep to submission to God's command, and you will triumph. Likewise Imam al-Kāẓim (peace be upon him) warned a man whom he found speaking superfluous words he had no need of, saying to him: «يا هذا، إنك تُملي على حافظيك كتابًا إلى ربك، فتكلّم بما يعنيك ودع ما لا يعنيك» O you, you are dictating to your two guardian angels a letter to your Lord, so speak of what concerns you and leave what does not concern you.
This is a rule the believer should keep before his eyes: would it please him to read these words of his in his record on the Day of Resurrection? If yes, let him speak; if not, let him be silent. “فتكلّم بما يعنيك ودع ما لا يعنيك” Speak of what concerns you and leave what does not concern you.
Hence it has been said: silence out of place may be as blameworthy as speech out of place, and both require wisdom and discernment.
Thus it becomes clear that Islam encourages neither absolute silence nor absolute speech; rather, it has established balanced principles. Silence is legitimate and required when it brings safety for the soul and the preservation of religion, on condition that it be accompanied by contemplation and reflection. Speech is legitimate and required when it brings legitimate religious or worldly benefit, on condition that it be truthful and good. Silence about an obligatory truth, and speech that is false or idle, are both blameworthy. These principles ensure that the believer is wisely silent when silence is required and speaks good when speech is required. As has been said: “Be wise in your speech and in your silence.”
Fourth: The Behavioural, Gnostic and Social Effects of Silence and Speech
Silence and speech have profound effects on a person's conduct, spirituality and social relationships, and the texts have drawn attention to these effects to motivate the believer to adorn himself with the virtue of silence where it is fitting and of speech where it is fitting.
Behavioural (ethical) effects:
Silence and speaking little are among the gateways to refining the soul and training it in the virtues. Whoever keeps silent from falsehood struggles against his soul to abandon what is comparatively the easiest of sins (speech), and so it becomes easier for him to abandon what is graver. For this reason silence has been counted among the soldiers of the intellect (junūd al-ʿaql) and among the fundamental pillars of purifying the soul in the etiquette of spiritual wayfaring (al-sulūk al-ʿirfānī). One of the sages said: “Through much silence comes dignified awe”, that is, much silence from idle talk grants its possessor gravity and awe in people's hearts. This is observable in reality: the person who speaks only when needed, and with measured words, is held in awe and respected by people more than the chatterbox given to much talk who demeans himself. Silence also gives its possessor an opportunity to reflect and take account of himself, and so he grows in knowledge and insight. It is reported from the Prophet ﷺ: «إذا رأيتم المؤمن صموتًا فادنوا منه فإنه يُلقي الحكمة» If you see the believer given to silence, draw near to him, for he imparts wisdom.
And in another hadith: «أول العلم الصمت، والثاني الاستماع، والثالث الحفظ، والرابع العمل به، والخامس نشره» The first stage of knowledge is silence, the second is listening, the third is memorising, the fourth is acting upon it, and the fifth is spreading it.
He thus made silence the first step towards acquiring knowledge and wisdom. Good, moderate speech also has a great ethical effect, for it purifies the soul and develops the virtue of moral courage: the believer who does not fear, for God's sake, the blame of any blamer speaks the truth and speaks good, and truthfulness and sincerity are cultivated in his soul. Conversely, one who speaks much without the remembrance of God is on the verge of falling into lies and exaggerations, and his heart sickens with hardness. It was said of old: much speech takes away dignity and reveals the speaker's faults, whereas silence conceals its possessor's shortcomings. It is narrated from Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him): «الصمت سترٌ للعيوب» Silence is a covering for faults.
So from the standpoint of personal ethics, silence helps one acquire forbearance, deliberateness and wisdom, and beneficial speech helps one acquire courage in the truth and spread virtue. Both spare a person from having to apologise to others: the silent person does not regret a hurtful word he said, and the one who speaks good does not regret his kindness. In the hadith: «رحم الله امرأً قال خيرًا فغنم، أو سكت عن سوء فسلم» May God have mercy on a person who spoke good and gained, or kept silent from evil and was safe.
Gnostic (spiritual) effects:
The merit of silence and speech is reflected even in the lives of the people of gnostic wayfaring. The gnostics (ahl al-ʿirfān) advise the seeker at the outset of his wayfaring to keep to silence and to break the habit of excess speech, because this protects his heart from distraction. It is narrated that ʿAllāma Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn Ṭabāṭabāʾī (may his soul be sanctified), one of the great gnostics of the modern era, said to his students: “I have seen great effects from silence. Keep to silence for forty days and do not speak except when necessary; occupy yourself with reflection and the remembrance of God, until purity and luminosity come to your heart.” This is precious advice, showing that immense spiritual fruits await whoever trains his tongue through silence together with remembrance and contemplation: purity of heart, luminosity of spirit and the dawning of insight. The gnostics devoted a chapter to the station of silence in spiritual wayfaring, and stated that seclusion with silence and remembrance for forty days opens the gates of wisdom to the seeker. This is supported by a well-known Prophetic hadith: «من أخلص لله تعالى أربعين صباحًا ظهرت ينابيع الحكمة من قلبه على لسانه» Whoever devotes himself sincerely to God, exalted is He, for forty mornings, the springs of wisdom will appear from his heart upon his tongue.
The intended meaning is that whoever purifies his inner self and empties his innermost being for God for this period, aided in this by speaking little together with seclusion and remembrance, God rewards him by making his tongue utter divine wisdom without effort. This is the realisation of His saying, exalted is He: ﴿إِلَیۡهِ یَصۡعَدُ ٱلۡكَلِمُ ٱلطَّیِّبُ وَٱلۡعَمَلُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحُ یَرۡفَعُهُۥ﴾ To Him ascends the good word, and righteous deed raises it.
That is, the good word (and among the best of words is the remembrance of God) rises to God and brings the servant near to Him. It has been reported that some gnostics said: “The believer's heart is God's sanctuary, so do not let anything other than God dwell in God's sanctuary”, and letting other than God dwell in the heart comes about through much talk of worldly matters and what does not concern one, so that the heart grows dark and becomes unfit to receive luminous knowledge.
On the other hand, speech too has a positive gnostic effect when it is remembrance of God or the spreading of divine knowledge. Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him) says in a hadith of profound meaning: «ليس على الجوارح عبادة أخفّ مؤونةً وأفضل منزلةً وأعظم أجرًا عند الله من الكلام في رضا الله ولوجهه ونشر آلائه ونعمائه في عباده» There is no act of worship upon the limbs lighter in burden, higher in rank or greater in reward with God than speech for God's pleasure and for His sake, and spreading His bounties and blessings among His servants.
He (peace be upon him) gave as proof of this his saying: «ألا ترى أنّ الله عز وجل لم يجعل بينه وبين رسله واسطة إلا الكلام؛ يكشف به لهم مكنون علمه ومخزون وحيه» Do you not see that God, Mighty and Majestic, placed no intermediary between Himself and His messengers except speech, by which He discloses to them the hidden depths of His knowledge and the treasures of His revelation?
The hadith points to the value of divine speech and revelation, and that were it not for the merit of speech, it would not have been chosen as the means of conveying the noblest of messages. Accordingly, the one who speaks for God's pleasure, by teaching beneficial knowledge, enjoining what is right, or glorifying God and supplicating, is engaged in a great act of worship that may surpass some bodily acts of worship, while being light in burden (it does not demand physical effort, as standing in prayer and fasting do). This is a gnostic affirmation that “النطق راحة للروح” Speech is rest for the spirit.
in the sense that it nourishes and refreshes the believer's spirit when he speaks what pleases God, just as “الصمت راحة للعقل” Silence is rest for the intellect.
gives the intellect an opportunity for deep contemplation. Both, silence and good speech, nourish different aspects of a human being's makeup (his spirit and his intellect). Among the subtle things reported in the gnostic tradition is also the saying of some: “When the tongue refrains from speech, the heart speaks with lights.” Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) alluded to something similar in his saying: «قلب الأحمق في فمه، وفم الحكيم في قلبه» The heart of the fool is in his mouth, and the mouth of the wise is in his heart.
The wise person is silent and reflects with his heart, then speaks with wisdom.
Among the spiritual effects also is purity of heart and its protection from afflictions. Most of the sins that cloud the heart's purity originate from the tongue: backbiting, lying, mockery, plunging into falsehood… Whenever a person keeps silent from these forbidden things, he protects his heart from the darkness of sin. We have already met the hadith: «إنّ أخفّ العبادة على الجوارح وأفضلها منزلة الكلامُ في رضا الله…» The lightest act of worship upon the limbs and the highest of them in rank is speech for God's pleasure…
On the other hand, it is reported from the Prophet ﷺ: «وهل يكبّ الناس على مناخرهم في النار إلا حصائدُ ألسنتهم» And does anything topple people on their noses into the Fire except the harvests of their tongues?
That is, what most brings people to the places of ruin on the Day of Resurrection is the outcome of the forbidden speech of their tongues. Silence is therefore a great act of worship when it is silence from the forbidden. Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him) said: «ما عُبد الله بشيءٍ مثل الصمت» God has not been worshipped by anything like silence.
Silence in this sense, abandoning false speech, is a kind of struggle against the soul that brings one very near to God.
Social effects:
Speech and silence have a great impact on social relationships and the building of society. Good speech is the foundation of refined human communication and of spreading affection among people, whereas evil speech corrupts relationships and breeds enmities. He says, exalted is He: ﴿وَقُولُواْ لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا﴾ And speak to people kindly.
This is a golden social rule: address people with good, gentle speech so as to win their hearts. It also states: ﴿إِلَیۡهِ یَصۡعَدُ ٱلۡكَلِمُ ٱلطَّیِّبُ…﴾ To Him ascends the good word…
The good word carries a blessing that ascends to the heavens and is reflected as mercy on earth. The Prophet ﷺ likened society to a building supported by the righteous word, and said: «الكلمة الطيبة صدقة» A good word is charity.
It is like charity in its positive effect. We often find that a single good word reconciles two disputing parties, heals a grieving heart or encourages a person towards a noble deed, so that this word becomes an ongoing charity and a great social effect.
Conversely, much unjust speech among people is a prevailing source of problems. Most of the disputes and moral problems in society, such as backbiting, talebearing, slander and insult, are caused by the unrestrained tongue. The texts have therefore warned of the afflictions of the tongue upon the unity of society. He says, exalted is He: ﴿وَلَوْلَاۤ إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ قُلْتُم مَّا یَكُونُ لَنَاۤ أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَـٰذَا سُبْحَـٰنَكَ هَـٰذَا بُهْتَـٰنٌ عَظِیمٌ﴾ And why, when you heard it, did you not say, “It is not for us to speak of this. Glory be to You! This is a grave slander”?
The verse concerns the incident of the slander (al-ifk), but it is general, teaching us the etiquette of verification and of refraining from spreading talk without knowledge, and that on hearing an evil rumour we should say: this is a grave slander, and not plunge into it. Then He said: ﴿یَعِظُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَن تَعُودُوا۟ لِمِثۡلِهِ أَبَدًا﴾ God admonishes you never to return to the like of it, ever.
This contains a warning against repeating such dangerous slips of the tongue. If society applied the principle of silence from circulating rumours and evil talk, it would become more cohesive and many enmities would disappear.
On another level, silence in sensitive social situations may have a positive effect. For example, in anger, silence extinguishes the fire of discord. And in a heated, fruitless argument, silence may be wisdom to avoid escalation. It is narrated: «إذا غضبتَ فاسكت» When you are angry, be silent.
Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) was asked to define the forbearing person (al-ḥalīm, the patient and reasonable person), and he said: «هو الذي إذا قدر عفا، وإذا سمعَ باطلاً صمت» He is the one who, when he has power, pardons, and when he hears falsehood, keeps silent.
That is, among the qualities of the wise in society is that they overlook foolishness and do not return offence with offence; rather, they absorb it with the silence of wisdom. This strengthens social peace and breaks the chain of offence.
In contrast, there is a socially negative silence: silence about speaking the truth in public affairs, as when good people keep silent about a widespread wrong or an injustice befalling a group of people. This silence is destructive because it encourages the people of falsehood to persist. Islam has counted it among the worst of stances, and has made the duty of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong (al-amr bi-l-maʿrūf wa-l-nahy ʿan al-munkar) a safeguard against it. We must not “keep silent about the truth” on the pretext of courtesy, for example, because the one who keeps silent about the truth is a mute devil, as we have already seen in meaning. For this reason we find that godly scholars do not keep silent about making the truth clear, whatever the cost. The martyr Sayyid Muḥammad Bāqir al-Ṣadr (may his soul be sanctified), for example, set the finest examples of combining silence and speech in the social sphere: although he was known for contemplation and for speaking little about what did not concern him, he rose up with the bold word against tyranny in Iraq, called for support of the oppressed, and did not keep silent in the face of injustice until God sealed his life with martyrdom. Likewise the leading scholar Sheikh ʿĪsā Aḥmad Qāsim (may God preserve him) in Bahrain became known for sermons that set hearts ablaze with the truth; he would not accept silence about the degradation of the people's dignity and rights, making clear that silence about injustice is shameful for governments and societies. These stances show how speech, when establishing the truth is necessary, becomes the honour and dignity of the community, whereas silence at such a time is a social disgrace.
The upshot regarding the social dimension: good speech strengthens the bonds of love and trust among people and builds a compassionate, mutually understanding society, and wise silence cuts off many disputes at the root and earns its possessor people's respect. Evil speech, by contrast, tears the social fabric and spreads enmity, and negative silence (silence about wrongdoing) causes the rights of the weak to be lost and emboldens the people of falsehood. For this reason, Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him) advised his followers: «كونوا لنا زينًا ولا تكونوا علينا شينًا؛ قولوا للناس حُسنًا، واحفظوا ألسنتكم وكفّوها عن الفضول وقبيح القول» Be an adornment for us and not a disgrace upon us; speak kindly to people, and guard your tongues and restrain them from superfluous and ugly speech.
This is an eloquent social directive: the believer should be an adornment to his school and religion through his good speech and wisdom, and not disgrace it through ill discourse. We must guard our tongues from superfluous and ugly speech so as to represent Islam in society in the best way.
Fifth: Gnostic and Philosophical Insights into the Virtues of Silence and Speech
Muslim philosophers and gnostics treated the duality of silence and speech with much deep contemplation. They saw in it more than mere ethical conduct; rather, a key to knowledge of the self and to drawing near to the divine reality.
The human being between silence and speech: a philosophical dimension:
The philosophers of Islam defined the human being as “the rational animal” (al-ḥayawān al-nāṭiq, literally “the speaking animal”), that is, the being who thinks and speaks. Rational speech (nuṭq, meaning speech and reason together) is the essence of a human being's humanity. From this starting point, the virtue of speech from the philosophical standpoint is connected to the intellectual perfection of the human being, for through speech the intellect expresses its knowledge and conveys its messages. God, exalted is He, honoured man with this ability, as a matter of both teaching and responsibility: ﴿عَلَّمَهُ ٱلۡبَيَانَ﴾ He taught him clear expression.
Clear expression (al-bayān) here includes the capacity to express truths. Conversely, the philosophers held that the virtue of silence lies in its making a person consult his intellect before giving free rein to his tongue, and thereby rise above the level of the animal that produces sounds without reason. Silence gives the intellect space for consideration and contemplation, and spares a person the perils of the tongue, which may contradict his rationality. Hence some have said: “The tongue of the intelligent person is behind his heart: when he wishes to speak, he turns back to his heart; if the speech is in his favour he speaks, otherwise he does not. As for the fool, his heart is behind his tongue: he speaks, then thinks.” This is an eloquent philosophical image: the intelligent person is silent until he has thought, then speaks, while the fool speaks and then regrets.
The sages also reflected on the story of the Prophet Zakariyyā (peace be upon him) when God, exalted is He, gave him the glad tidings of Yaḥyā, and made his sign that he would refrain from speaking to people for three days except by gesture: ﴿۞ قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجۡعَل لِّیۤ ءَایَةࣰۖ قَالَ ءَایَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَـٰثَ لَیَالٍ سَوِیࣰّا﴾ He said, “My Lord, appoint for me a sign.” He said, “Your sign is that you will not speak to people for three nights, while being sound.”
Likewise Maryam (peace be upon her), when she conceived ʿĪsā, was commanded to say: ﴿إِنِّی نَذَرۡتُ لِلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ صَوۡمࣰا فَلَنۡ أُكَلِّمَ ٱلۡیَوۡمَ إِنسِیࣰّا﴾ Indeed, I have vowed to the All-Merciful a fast, so I will not speak today to any human being.
That is, a fast from speech. The gnostics paused at these Qur'anic indications and took them as a symbol that great divine manifestations (the birth of a prophet) call for human silence and submission, so that God may make the signs speak by His power. When Maryam fell silent, ʿĪsā (peace be upon him) spoke in the cradle, a complete miracle. It is as though this indicates that human silence before divine power makes room for God's word to appear. Hence some of the people of allusion said: “Outward silence gives rise to inward speech”; Maryam fell silent, so her heart spoke with faith and her newborn spoke with clear expression.
From this story too, the philosopher and gnostic Sayyid Ḥaydar al-Āmulī derived that the greatest fasting is silence from superfluous speech. God commanded Maryam to eat and drink, and of fasting He commanded her only to keep silent from speech, as though silence were the most complete fasting at that moment. He said: Were silence not the greatest of acts of worship, the Prophet would not have said «من صمت نجا», nor would the report «إذا بلغ الكلام في الله فأمسكوا» have come down (“Whoever is silent is saved”; “When speech reaches God, hold back”)
that is, when speech reaches God's essence and true nature, hold back, because the inability to comprehend it is inevitable. Here another philosophical dimension appears: the inability of language to contain the divine reality. Deep knowledge of God is apprehended by the heart through direct tasting and witnessing, and words cannot express it. For this reason the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) said: «من عَرَف الله كَلَّ لسانُه» Whoever knows God, his tongue falls weary.
That is, whoever knows God with true knowledge finds his tongue incapable of describing Him, so it falls short and is silent out of reverence. This explains why the people of knowledge are much given to silence and contemplation: what stirs in their breasts of the light of certainty and divinely bestowed knowledge is too vast for words to do it justice. Among their sayings: “Many a jewel of knowledge, were I to divulge it, it would be said to me: you are one of those who worship idols”, meaning that some divine sciences have secrets which, if the gnostic were to utter them, the common people would not understand and might accuse him, so silence about them is better. From this we understand another wisdom of silence: veiling the secrets of spiritual experience from those not fit for them, protecting them from distortion and protecting the minds of the public from bewilderment. This is a refined kind of gnostic silence, in which the gnostic keeps silent about the subtleties of his knowledge that would not be understood.
The gnostic and scholarly contribution of great scholars:
The great scholars who combined jurisprudence (fiqh) and gnosis (ʿirfān) had their own insights into silence and speech. Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), for example, a jurist and gnostic, explained in one of his hadith lessons that silence from prattle (empty speech) is among the soldiers of the intellect, and that restraining the tongue from idle talk is among the perfections of the human being, because the tongue has many afflictions and dangers. He (may his soul be sanctified) held that much false speech destroys the purity of the soul, weakens faith and causes hardness of heart and heedlessness, whereas silence gives the heart an opportunity to remember God and reflect on His bounties, which roots wisdom within it. In his practical conduct Imam Khomeini spoke little except about what was useful, to the point that his students mentioned that when a long scholarly discussion involving disputation took place, he would keep silent and listen, speaking only when necessary with an answer or a brief comment. This was a courtesy of his, may his soul be sanctified, through which he taught them that much disputation is blameworthy and that knowledge is transmitted calmly and with composure. Yet at the same time he never kept silent about speaking the truth against the tyrants of his age: his tongue was a cutting sword in the words of truth he launched against the Shah, and he proclaimed the Islamic Revolution fearlessly. Thus he, may God be pleased with him, combined the silence of wisdom in its place and the speech of truth in its place in the most complete manner.
Imam Khamenei (may God preserve him) likewise often points in his sermons to the importance of controlling the tongue at the level of the individual and of society. He strongly criticises “shameful silence” when it comes to the great issues of the community, and urges scholars and all people to proclaim the truth in support of the oppressed. At the same time he warns young people and the public at large to avoid idle and corrupt talk that sows division or spreads indecency, stressing, for example, that biased media harm society by spreading falsehood widely, and that the remedy lies in the truthful, responsible word or in refraining from circulating rumours. He thus calls for responsible freedom of speech: freedom in speaking the truth, and responsibility in avoiding falsehood and idle talk.
Sayyid Muḥammad Bāqir al-Ṣadr (may his soul be sanctified) left us a model of balance between silence and speech. Despite his well-known renunciation and piety (he spoke little, being occupied with scholarly and spiritual contemplation), you find him in the arenas of teaching and social action speaking abundantly and beneficially: explaining the finest questions to his students, and addressing the masses, kindling their zeal for reform. Some who lived alongside him mentioned that he was very guarded with his tongue, uttering nothing but good, and that he might spend time in silence amid a gathering of people, and when he spoke everyone listened attentively because of how rarely he spoke and the precision of his meanings. This is the realisation of the wise saying: “Silence grants you awe, and wise speech grants you influence”, and Sayyid al-Ṣadr had both. His martyrdom is the most eloquent example that he never kept silent about the truth until the last moment of his life: he proclaimed the word of truth before the tyrant of his age and sacrificed his life for it.
فصلوات الله عليه May God's blessings be upon him.
Sayyid ʿAbd al-Aʿlā al-Sabzawārī (may his soul be sanctified), the marjaʿ (senior religious authority) and gnostic scholar, was known for his long silences and much reflection. Those close to him relate that he would spend hours in contemplation and silence, and found in this a surpassing spiritual “sweetness and delight”. This is a testimony to the intimacy with God that the gnostic finds in his seclusion and silence. Sayyid al-Sabzawārī said a gnostic saying: “The lover, if he is silent, perishes; and the gnostic, if he speaks, perishes.” It is understood from this that the lover of God cannot bear to be silent from remembering his Beloved, or he would die of longing, whereas for the gnostic, speaking of the secrets of his knowledge may destroy him (in the sense of losing his state and station), because he is commanded to veil those secrets, and so he contents himself with conscious silence. This is a subtle equation: the lover is much given to remembrance and to speaking of his Beloved, and the gnostic is much given to silence except from the remembrance of God, outwardly and inwardly.
ʿAllāma Ṭabāṭabāʾī (may his soul be sanctified), author of Tafsīr al-Mīzān, is one of the luminaries who combined scholarship and gnosis. It is reported of him, as we mentioned, that he advised a student to keep silent for forty days to reap the fruits of purity of heart. In his exegesis of the Qur'an he pointed to the abundance of narrations praising silence and condemning much speech in the books of the Sunnis and the Shia, and cited the sayings of the Companions and the sages on this. Among what he set out is that much speech without the remembrance of God is blameworthy because it leads to heedlessness, and that there is no word a person utters without the two angels Raqīb and ʿAtīd recording it precisely, even words of habit and jest. This draws the reader of his exegesis to the responsibility of the word. ʿAllāma Ṭabāṭabāʾī himself was known to speak very little; when a question was put to him, he would give a brief, profound answer and then return to his silence. Whoever reads his biography in the book al-Shams al-Sāṭiʿa (The Radiant Sun) notices how his bearing was silence with a constant smile and a generous heart. He combined silence with gentleness, which indicates the perfection of his spiritual training: some people may be silent yet make those around them feel gloom or isolation, whereas the true gnostic is silent, his tongue still, but his character speaks of love and humility.
These gnostic and philosophical insights confirm for us that the virtue of silence and speech is not mere superficial etiquette, but is bound up with the depth of knowledge of the self and knowledge of God. Silence is the gateway to wisdom and godliness, and purposeful speech is a light of conveying the message and calling to God. Each of them is a double-edged sword if misused. Hence the sages determined: “The word is a captive in your bonds; once you utter it, you become a captive in its bonds.” A person should therefore weigh his word before he speaks: if it is true, he releases it and through it attains freedom and success; if it is false, he remains captive to bearing it and to the sin that follows from it.
Sixth: The Position of Authentic Islam on Excess in Speech or Excess in Silence
After this exposition, it is plainly evident that Islam is a religion of balance and moderation, with no place for excess or neglect in any respect, including speech and silence. Authentic Islam rejects the chattering tongue and much unrestrained speech, and at the same time rejects absolute negative silence that disables a person's social role and his role in calling to God. What is required is wise moderation.
Excess in speech: The texts have warned of the consequences of the tongue when its owner carelessly lets it loose without restraint. It is reported from the Messenger of God ﷺ: «إن أخوف ما أخاف على أمتي كل منافق عليم اللسان» What I fear most for my community is every hypocrite with a knowing tongue.
For a person may use his verbal ability to mislead or to show off, and so harm his society and his religion. Much speech increases the likelihood of falling into error. Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) said: «من كثر كلامه كثر سقطه، ومن كثر سقطه قلَّ حياؤه، ومن قلَّ حياؤه قلَّ ورعه، ومن قلَّ ورعه مات قلبه» Whoever speaks much errs much; whoever errs much has little modesty; whoever has little modesty has little piety; and whoever has little piety, his heart dies.
This is a clear chain showing that much unrestrained speech is the start of a chain of moral collapse: slips of the tongue, then lack of modesty (because the loose tongue drags its owner into impudence), then lack of scrupulousness regarding the forbidden, then the death of the heart through sins. No wonder, then, that much speech is among the signs of weak faith and little God-consciousness. For this reason the Qur'an directs us not to speak about what we do not know: ﴿وَلَا تَقۡفُ مَا لَیۡسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلۡمٌۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡبَصَرَ وَٱلۡفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُو۟لَـٰۤئِكَ كَانَ عَنۡهُ مَسۡـُٔولࣰا﴾ And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, hearing, sight and the heart, all of these will be questioned.
That is, do not follow with your tongue that of which you have no knowledge. The sincere believer speaks only with knowledge, or keeps silent with forbearance.
Excess in silence: Conversely, silence always and forever is not praiseworthy. Some people may imagine that it is best to withdraw and be silent absolutely, and so abandon calling to God, giving sincere advice and enjoining what is right, and perhaps even abandon claiming their own rights or defending the oppressed, on the pretext of devoting themselves to silence or individual worship. This is a grave error, because it disables major social and religious functions. The prophets and Imams (peace be upon them) are our greatest exemplars; they were people of remembrance and contemplation, and yet they were the most eloquent of speakers for the truth and the most courageous in conveying God's message to creation. They were not sent with silence but with speech, as we saw in the hadith of Imam Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn. How, then, can one who claims to follow them keep silent about guiding people or supporting the truth?! Islam is a religion of movement and reform in society, and this cannot be accomplished without the sincere, purposeful word. Even our congregational acts of worship, such as the Friday prayer, congregational prayer and the two Eid prayers, include sermons and addresses to teach and raise people's awareness. Excessive silence and withdrawal may lead to falling short in social religious obligations. Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) said: «لولا الخطباء في الجمعات، والعلماء في المشاهد، لانساق الناس بعد زمان إلى الجهالة» Were it not for the preachers at the Friday gatherings and the scholars at the places of assembly, people would, after a time, be driven into ignorance.
If scholars and those who call to God fell silent, the public would sink into ignorance and misguidance. Islam's position is thus clear: there is no monasticism of seclusion and total silence in Islam, but rather positive participation in life with the word of good.
Islam calls for balance: We find that Islamic teachings always link virtue to putting a thing in its moderate place. It is narrated that Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him) said: «النوم راحة للجسد، والنطق راحة للروح، والسكوت راحة للعقل» Sleep is rest for the body, speech is rest for the spirit, and silence is rest for the intellect.
This narration offers a marvellous combination of the benefits of opposites: sleep (the opposite of wakefulness) is rest for the body; speech (the opposite of silence) is rest for the spirit, because the spirit finds rest in expressing what pains it, in intimate converse with its Lord and in conveying knowledge to others; and silence (the opposite of speech) is rest for the intellect, because it gives it the opportunity for contemplation, as we said earlier. It is as though he (peace be upon him) were saying that a person needs a blend of these different states to achieve balance: he needs sleep and wakefulness, speech and silence. The forms of rest are distributed across these opposites and are not always gathered on one side. For this reason among his supplications (peace be upon him) was: «اللهم ارزقنا توفيق الطاعة، وبعد المعصية، وصدق النية…» O God, grant us success in obedience, distance from disobedience, and sincerity of intention…
Moderation is required even in speech and silence: no unbroken silence that renders us incapable of serving the truth, and no unrestrained speech that makes us fall into falsehood. The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) said: «الصمت يُكسِبك الوقار، والكلام يُكسبك المحبة، فكن وقورًا في كلامك، محبوبا في صمتك» Silence earns you dignity, and speech earns you affection; so be dignified in your speech and beloved in your silence.
This is a subtle equation pointing to balance.
In practice, Islam recommended gatherings of remembrance and knowledge, in which beneficial speech abounds, and at the same time recommended spiritual retreat (iʿtikāf) and seclusion in mosques, in which silence and reflection abound. Both are worship, according to the intention of the one who practises them. Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī narrated that the Messenger of God ﷺ said to him: «يا أبا ذر، إملاء الخير خير من الصمت، والصمت خير من إملاء الشر» O Abū Dharr, dictating good is better than silence, and silence is better than dictating evil.
This is a precise balance: speech when it is good is better than silence, but as for evil speech or idle talk, silence is better than it. He also said: «يا أبا ذر، اترك فضول الكلام، وحسبُك من الكلام ما يبلّغك حاجتك» O Abū Dharr, abandon superfluous speech; sufficient for you of speech is what conveys your need.
That is, speak as much as you need and what benefits you, and leave the excess. It is also reported: «إن الله عند لسان كل قائل، فليتق اللهَ امرؤٌ وليعلم ما يقول» God is present at the tongue of every speaker, so let a person be mindful of God and know what he says.
The Prophet ﷺ concluded this counsel to Abū Dharr by reminding him that God watches over our speech, hearing and observing, so we must be mindful of Him and say nothing but good. How fitting it is for us to make this counsel a motto in our daily lives: we will speak only good, and if we doubt the goodness of our speech, silence is better.
Conclusion:
From all of the above we can conclude that Islam has laid down a sound method for dealing with the blessing of speech: a method that governs the tongue by reason and faith. The word in Islam is a responsibility and a trust; it is at once a weapon and a means of building. If used for good, it builds individuals and societies; if misused, it is a pickaxe of destruction and an affliction that reaps away good deeds and sows evil ones. Silence likewise is a double-edged sword: if it comes in its proper place, it is a wise act of worship that brings its possessor safety and wisdom; if it comes out of place, it is negligence and sin. From this we understand why there are so many texts praising silence and urging it, alongside texts praising righteous speech and making it obligatory: each of these texts came to address a particular situation or setting. Islam gathers them within a balanced map through which the believer attains the good of this world and the hereafter. And how could it be otherwise, when our Lord, Majestic and Exalted, described the believers as ﴿وَٱلَّذِینَ هُمۡ عَنِ ٱللَّغۡوِ مُعۡرِضُونَ﴾ And those who turn away from idle talk.
and also made their motto: ﴿وَتَوَاصَوۡا۟ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوۡا۟ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ﴾ And they enjoin one another to truth and enjoin one another to patience.
Enjoining one another to truth can only be through truthful, courageous speech, and enjoining one another to patience may be through wise silence in the face of what the believer encounters.
نسأل الله تعالى أن يرزقنا حكمة اللسان، فننطق بما فيه رضاه، ونصمت عما نهانا عنه، إنه سميع مجيب. We ask God, exalted is He, to grant us wisdom of the tongue, so that we speak what pleases Him and keep silent about what He has forbidden us; truly He is All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive.
Sources and References:
The Noble Qur'an.
Nahj al-Balāgha, sermons of Imam ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (peace be upon him)
Al-Kulaynī, al-Kāfī: chapter on the merit of silence and the afflictions of the tongue.
Al-Majlisī, Biḥār al-Anwār: vol. 68 (chapters on silence and speech). The hadith are quoted from it and attributed to their original sources, such as al-Iḥtijāj, al-Amālī, al-Khiṣāl and others.
Al-Rayshahrī, Mīzān al-Ḥikma: chapter on silence and speech. It contains noble Prophetic hadith: «من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فليقل خيرًا أو ليصمت», «من صمت نجا», the hadith of the knowledgeable and the ignorant, and others, with their sources. (“Whoever believes in God and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent”; “Whoever is silent is saved”)
Al-Nawawī, Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (commentary on the hadith «فليقل خيرًا أو ليصمت»). (“Let him speak good or remain silent”)
Al-Ghazālī, Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn: the Book of the Afflictions of the Tongue.
Ḥaydar al-Āmulī, A Treatise on the Merit of Silence, within his book (Jāmiʿ al-Asrār): explanatory excerpts on the gnostic station of silence.
Imam Khomeini, Sharḥ Ḥadīth Junūd al-ʿAql wa-l-Jahl (Commentary on the Hadith of the Soldiers of Intellect and Ignorance): the section on silence and prattle, in which he said: “Silence from falsehood is among the soldiers of the intellect”, and cited hadith of Abū Dharr and Nahj al-Balāgha.
Transcribed ethics lessons of Imam Khamenei, and his positions and sermons (example: his criticism of silence about the crimes of global arrogance).
Biographies of scholars: Sayyid Muḥammad Bāqir al-Ṣadr, Sayyid al-Sabzawārī, ʿAllāma Ṭabāṭabāʾī, mentioned in the course of the article as reported from their biographical sources and others.
Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa (al-Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī): chapters on enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and the chapter on guarding the tongue.
Encyclopaedia of Islamic Ethics: chapter on silence (al-Durar al-Saniyya website), which contains the definition of silence and its benefits.
Various articles: Islamic Knowledge Network (Shabakat al-Maʿārif al-Islāmiyya), The Role of Silence in Deepening Thought; al-Kafeel website, The Beauty of Silence in the Noble Qur'an; and others.
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