Silence Is Golden

Presented by
HAJI MOHAMAD HANIM MOHAMAD ISA
 In our society keeping quiet or being an
introvert are characteristics that are looked
down upon. This is because our society only
values what is apparent; thus the self-effacing
individuals who refrain from speaking
unnecessarily are known as the ones who are
insecure and lacking in self-confidence, whilst
the long-winded individuals are deemed as
being clever, witty and successful.
This is ironic, as this mentality was not shared by
our pious predecessors, according to Hadrat
Ali (ra) “when intelligence is complete speech
becomes rare”.
Traditionally it has also been said that one should
“be sure of the stupidity of a man if he speaks
too much”.
A wise man once said “Modesty brings silence”,
and according to Islamic tradition modesty is
also a branch of faith. Modest people do not
highlight their merits, they feel embarrassed
when they are given praise, and genuinely do
not feel they have done all that much to deserve
it.
One should know that if someone is truly worthy
of being praised, Allah (swt) makes sure that
such an individual’s merits are made known to
everyone. In other words contrary to
contemporary opinion one does need to be
loud and boastful in order to be heard,
appreciated and recognised.
We are living in a time in which the abnormal is
perceived as being normal. And if we allow
ourselves to be controlled by the ever- changing
norms of society then this shows that we are
being controlled by people, whereas in actual
fact we should only be controlled by the wishes
of our Almighty Creator.
Furthermore, the one who endeavours to gain the
love, admiration or approval of people will
exhaust himself. In the end, his action may
leave some pleased and others unhappy. It is
said that if “one desires immortal glory he
should seek glory in the Immortal”. In other
words seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt)
makes one pleasing to good people.
The Holy Prophet (saw) said “If a person is given
silence, he is given wisdom”, the tongue is a
great temptation, and learning how to control
it is an enormous discipline. Whenever the
Holy Prophet (saw) spoke, he always spoke the
truth, even in levity. He disliked verbosity and
cautioned His companions about talking
needlessly.
 The blessed companions of the Holy
Prophet (saw) were people of few words and
questions, but great actions. People of the 1st
and 2nd generation would tremble out of fear
for Allah (swt). Imam Malik once said “Before
answering a question one should (present
himself) in front of heaven and hell
(contemplating about them) and then should
choose an answer which he thinks may save him
from the fire”.
Mawlana Rumi said “The Lord lives in every
heart. So if you desire to win your Lord's
pleasure, do not break anyone’s heart”.
Intentionally breaking someone’s heart is
possibly one of the worst things one can do.
And it’s the harsh/ruthless words naively
uttered by some which hurt people’s feelings
and break hearts.
Hadrat Ali (ra) has said “wounds of knives can
heal, but the wounds of the tongue can never
heal”. A believer is the one from whose tongues
and hands other Muslims are safe. We should
ask ourselves if our words bring comfort and
relief to those around us or do they cut deeply
into their hearts, and send them plummeting
into grief and sadness.
The heart of a man lies under his tongue which is
why hypocrisy is blameworthy. The hypocrite
says with his tongue what is not in his heart. If
the heart was sound then the condition of the
tongue would follow. This is why the tongue
has often been described as the interpreter of
the heart.
 Scholars hold that due to the direct connection
between the tongue and heart, much Dhikr
(remembrance) of Allah (swt) is recommended, this
is because what a person repeats on the tongue
reaches the heart. The believer is he whose tongue
lies beneath his heart, in other words he thinks
before he speaks, whilst the hypocrite is he who
speaks without thinking. It should also be noted that
excessive talking deadens the heart.
The Holy Qur’an does encourage people to speak
out, but only if this serves a worthy purpose.
Indeed to remain silent on some occasions is
reprehensible. Our pious predecessors have
said “Knowledge has been divided into two
parts. The first part is to keep silent and the
other half is to know when to speak and when
to be silent”.
 To sum up, a wise man once said, “Be just to
your ears and mouth, you have been given two ears
and only one mouth, so that you can listen more than
you speak.” It is a well established fact that the sins
that affect people’s relationships, corrupt the affection
they have for one another, destroy what they share out
of love and brotherhood, are destroyed by backbiting,
slander, insults, abuse, dispute, and lies, and it is the
tongue that has the greatest part to play and greatest
role in all of them.
 Keeping silent establishes piety, brings about
the blessings of Allah (swt), increases wisdom,
brings peace and happiness and is the gateway to
beneficial knowledge. One should also know that
Allah (swt) is most easily reached through silence.
Stop and think what type of person are you? May
Allah (swt) bless us with the wisdom that is
acquired through silence, and give us the ability to
think before we speak. Ameen.