Character & Speech

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «المُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ المُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ، وَالمُهَاجِرُ مَنْ هَجَرَ مَا نَهَى اللَّهُ عَنْهُ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that a true and perfect Muslim is the one from whose tongue Muslims are safe, so he does not insult, curse, or backbite them and does not hurt them with his tongue in any way. They are also safe from his hand, as he does not assault them or take their properties wrongfully, or the like. As for the emigrant, he is the one who abandons what Allah Almighty has prohibited.

• One's Islam is perfect only when he does not harm others physically or morally.
• The tongue and the hand were mentioned in particular given their frequent mistakes and harms, as they are the source of most of the evil.
• Encouraging the abandonment of sins and adherence to the commands of Allah Almighty.
• The best Muslims are those who fulfill the rights of Allah Almighty and the rights of the Muslims.
• Assault could be verbal or physical.
• The perfect emigration is abandoning what Allah Almighty has forbidden.

صحيح البخاري (1/ 11) (10). صحيح مسلم (1/ 65) (40). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 236). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (2/ 511). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 306).

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ جَارَهُ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ ضَيْفَهُ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed out that a person who believes in Allah and the Last Day, that he will be resurrected and recompensed therein for his deeds, is driven by his belief to do these things: First: good words: Examples of good words include glorification of Allah and proclamation of His oneness, enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, and reconciling between people. If a person does not say something good, he should then keep silent, restraining his tongue and sparing people from his harm. Second: honoring the neighbors: by being benevolent to them and not causing them any harm. Third: honoring the guests: by speaking to them in a nice manner, presenting food to them, and so on.

• Belief in Allah and the Last Day is the basis of all goodness, prompting people to do good.
• The Hadīth warns against the bad use of the tongue.
• Islam is a religion of cordiality and generosity.
• These traits fall under the branches of faith and belong to sublime ethics.
• Speaking a lot may lead one to what is disliked or prohibited. Safety lies in keeping silent unless one says something good.

صحيح البخاري (8/ 11) (6018). صحيح مسلم (1/ 68) (47). التحفة الربانية في شرح الأربعين حديثًا النووية، (ص34). شرح الأربعين النووية، لابن عثيمين (ص176). شرح النووي على مسلم (2/ 18).

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بنِ مَسعُودٍ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «عَلَيْكُمْ بِالصِّدْقِ، فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْبِرِّ، وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَصْدُقُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الصِّدْقَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللهِ صِدِّيقًا، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْكَذِبَ، فَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْفُجُورِ، وَإِنَّ الْفُجُورَ يَهْدِي إِلَى النَّارِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَكْذِبُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الْكَذِبَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللهِ كَذَّابًا».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) enjoined truthfulness and informed that adherence to it leads to constant good deeds. Persistence in doing good deeds leads the doer to Paradise, and he continues to adopt truthfulness in secret and public and deserves to be labeled as most truthful - this is extreme truthfulness. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned of lying and false speech, for it prompts a person to deviate from uprightness and to engage in evil, corruption, and sins; then, it leads him to Hellfire. He continues to tell more and more lies until he is recorded with Allah among the liars.

• Truthfulness is a noble trait that one can possess by diligently seeking to acquire it. If a person keeps telling the truth and strives to tell the truth, truthfulness will turn into second nature to him, and thus he will be recorded with Allah among the truthful and pious ones.
• Lying is a bad trait that a person acquires through long-term practice and the keenness to engage in it through words and deeds until it becomes part of his nature and disposition. Then, he will be recorded with Allah Almighty as a frequent liar.
• Truthfulness refers to the truthfulness of the tongue, the opposite of lying; truthfulness in intention, which is sincerity; truthfulness in the determination to do something good a person has intended; truthfulness in actions, the least of which is the uprightness of one's innermost and outward character; and truthfulness in situations, such as truthfulness in fear, hope, and so on. Whoever is characterized by these is the most truthful, and whoever is characterized by some of them is truthful.

صحيح البخاري (8/ 25) (6094). صحيح مسلم (4/ 2013) (2607). توضيح الأحكام من بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله البسام (7/ 479). منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله الفوزان (10/ 313). فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام، لابن عثيمين (6/ 417). سبل السلام بشرح بلوغ المرام، لمحمد الصنعاني (2/ 686).

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَيْسَ الْمُؤْمِنُ بِالطَّعَّانِ وَلاَ اللَّعَّانِ وَلاَ الفَاحِشِ وَلاَ البَذِيءِ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that it is not the nature of a believer who has complete Imān to criticize people’s lineage, or to revile and curse others, or to be obscene in action or speech without shame.

• The negation of Imān in the Shar‘i texts only exists due to the commission of something prohibited or the abandonment of something obligatory.
• The Hadīth urges us to preserve our body parts and safeguard them from evil things, especially the tongue.
• As-Sindi said: The use of slanderer and curser suggests that occasionally engaging in slander or curses, and only towards those who truly deserve it, does not detract from embodying the qualities of a true believer.

سنن الترمذي (3/ 520) (1977)، تحفة الأحوذي (6/ 95)، مجموع الفتاوى (12/ 478).