HARMS OF TONGUE

Know, 0 dear readers, that tongue is a great asset of a man and a wonder out of the wonderful creations of God. Though it is insignificant, its power is unlimited, its virtues are great and infidelity and faith do not find expression except through tongue. It is the last limit of sins and virtues. Tongue can express what has been related and what has not been created; the Creator and the created, the known and the unknown. Tongue explains what intellect brings in mind, whether truth or untruth. Tongue may be said to be the agent of intellect. No other organ has got such power to express the mind. The sight of eye extends only to figures and colours and not to any other thing. Ear has got power over only sounds and not to any other thing. The power to tongue is, however, unlimited. It has got power over good and bad. The dangers of tongue are useless talks, quarrels, disputes, rebukes, scolding, harsh words, curse, false speaking, backbiting, self praise etc. We shall proceed to discuss them one by one:

MERITS OF SILENCE: The dangers and harms of tongue are many and there is no rescue, from them except silent. For this reason, Shariat recommends it. The Prophet said : He who keeps silent gets salvation. He also said : Silence is a rule and few people can observe it. The father of Sufiyan asked the Prophet : 0 Prophet of God, give me such news about Islam which I shall ask nobody after you. The Prophet said : Say, I have believed' and stand on it firmly. I asked him: What matter shall I fear most. He hinted with his hand at the tongue. Oqbah-b-Amer said : I asked 0 Messenger of God, how can I get salvation? He said : Hold your tongue, make your house spacious and repent for your sins. The Prophet said : If a man can give me guarantee of the things placed between his two cheeks and his two thighs, I can give him guarantee of paradise. He said : He who is safe from the harms of his belly, sexual organ and tongue is safe from all troubles. For these three organs, majority of the people are destroyed. The Prophet was asked about a great viture which admits one to paradise. He said : Control of two hollow things- mouth and sexual organ. He meant tongue by mouth.

Hazrat Muaz-b-Jabal said : I asked : 0 Prophet of God, shall we be punished for what we utter ? He said : 0 Ibn Jabal, your 3:91mother be heavy with you, will a man be overturned in hell over his nose except for harms of his tongue ? Abdullah Saqafi said : I asked : 0 Prophet of God, what matter do you fear for me? He caught his tongue and said : This. Hazrat Muaz asked : 0 Prophet of God, what action is best ? The Prophet drew out his tongue and placed his finger on it and said : The faith of a man does not become alright till his mind does not become so, and his mind does not become alright till his tongue does not become so. He from whose harm his neighbour is not safe will not enter paradise. The Prophet said : He who is pleased with Islam shall take to silence. He said : When'a man rises from bed, his limbs get up and rebuke his tongue. In other words they say to his tongue, fear God regarding us, because when you are alright, we are alright and when you are wrong, we are wrong.

Once Hazrat Omar saw Harzat Abu Bakr drawing out his tongue and asked him : 0 Caliph of the people, What are you doing ? He said : I drags me to the place of destruction. The Prophet said There is no such limb of body which will not con plain to God about the harsh treatment of tongue. Harzat Ibn Masud said that the Prophet had said : Major sins of a man accrue from his tongue. The Prophet said : God keeps the hidden things of a man secret who controls his tongue. God saves one who keeps his anger under control. God accepts the excesses of one who shows excuse to God.

Once Hazrat Muaz asked the Prophet : 0 Prophet of God, advise me: He said : Worship in such a way as if you see God and consider you as one of the dead. I shall let you know a more important thing than this if you like. He then hinted with his hand at the tongue. Hazrat Safwan-b-Solaman was once asked by the Prophet : Shall I not inform you about the easiest divine service and the most comfortable thing to body ?-Silence and good conduct. The Prophet said : Let one who believes in God and the next world speak good or remain silent. The Prophet said May God show mercy on one who acquires rewards by talk or remain safe by keeping silent. Jesus Christ was once asked Teach us such thing by virtue of which we can enter paradise. He said : Don't talk. They said : We shall not be able to do it. He said Then don't talk except good. Hazrat Bara'a-t-Azeb said : 0 Prophet of God, teach me such a thing by viture of which I can enter paradise. He said: Give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, enjoin good and prohibit evil. If you can not do it, don't 3:92hold talk except good. The Prophet said : Save your tongue from talks except good. The Prophet said : Save your tongue from talks other than good, you can then defeat the devil. He said : God is near every utterance of a man. So let him take care of what he utters. He said : When you see a believer keeping silent and grave, come to him, as there is wisdom in him. The Prophet said Men are divided into three classes-looters of war booties, talkers of useless things and those who are safe. A looter of war booties is one who makes Zikr of God. A safe man is he who remains silent. A useless talker is one who holds unnecessary talk. The Prophet said : The tongue of a believer keeps behind his tongue. The tongue of a hypocrite keeps in front of his mind. When he wishes to talk, he sends it through his tongue without any thinking. Jesus Christ said : There is ten portions of divine service, nine of which are in silence, and the remaining one is in loneliness. The prophet said : He who talks much commits blunders. He who blunders much commits many sins. For one whose sins are great, Hell fire is good.

Caliph Omar-b-Abdul Aziz said : He who remembers death much, remains satisfied with little. He who counts his words in his actions talks little. A wise man said : Silence gives two benefits to a man-safety of religion and knowing of friends. Hazrat Hasan Basari said : Once many people were talking in the assembly of Caliph Muwaytah. The saint` Ahna-b-Qais only remained silent. He said to him : 0 Abu Bakr, what is the matter with you? Why are you not talking ? He said to him: If I talk lie; I fear God. If I tell truth, I fear you. The sage Mansur-b-Malaz used not to talk after Isha prayer for forty years.

FOUR KINDS OF TALK: (1) One kind of talk is always beneficial, (2) one kind of talk is always harmful, (3) one kind of talk is mixed with harm and benefit. (4) and one kind of talk has got no harm or benefit. As to the talk which is always harmful, it is essentially necessary to remain silent therefrom. As to the talk which is mixed with harm and benefit, it is necessary to remain silent therefrom. The talk which has got no benefit or harm is useless. Three fourths of the talk of fourth kind are useless except only the remaining one-fourth. There is fault in this one- fourth also as it can not be distinguished whether there is therein any secret show, back-biting, excessive talk etc. The Prophet said : He who remains silent gets salvation.

3:93(1) Unnecessary talk: The best condition is to save the tongue from back-biting, falsehood, show, quarrels, disputes etc. There are such words, therein which are not beneficial and which do harm to others. If you hold useless talk, you lose time and you shall have to render accounts for useless talks. If you are engaged in thoughts about God by giving up useless talks, God's inspiration may suddenly come in your soul. If you read Tasbih, Tahlil and other invocations in lieu of useless talks, it is better for you. If a man remains busy in lawful things after giving up Zikr of God, it does not do him any benefit, because even though he does not commit any sin, he is in loss as he loses the merits of God's remembrance. The silence of a believer is good thought, the sight of a believer is a sermon and the talks of a believer are nothing but remembrance of God. This is the basis of a man's wealth. When he spends his words without necessity and does not acquire virtues for the next world, be spoils the basis of wealth. The adorment of Islam of a man is to give up what does not do any benefit to him. Another Hadis of a more harsh nature has come in this connection. Hazrat Anas reported : A young man was martyred at the battle of Uhud. We found then on his belly stones tied up. It seemed that he had tied up the stone for preventing hunger. His mother was saying : 0 darling, you have entered paradise with a cheerful mind. Then the Prophet said Who will inform you whether he held useless talk or was miserly regarding a matter which did not do him any harm." It means that accounts of such small matters will also be taken in the next world.

There is another Hadis that the Prophet went once to see Ka'ab who was in sick-bed. His mother said when he expired : 0 Ka'ab, there is paradise for you. The Prophet said : Who will inform you whether Ka'ab uttered such words of which he had no necessity or was miserly with such a thing which was not necessary for him. The Prophet once said : The man who will come now by the door is an inmate Qf paradise. Then it was seen that he was Abdullah-b- Salam. The companions gave him the good news and asked him : What good works have you got for which you have gained this rank ? He said : I am very weak. I pray to God for sound soul and for giving up of what is not necessary for me. Hazrat Abu Zarr said: The Prophet once said to 3:94me: Shall I not give clue to you to such an action which is light for body but heavy in the Balance ? I said : Yes, 0 Prophet of God. He said : Silence, good conduct and giving up unnecessary things.

Hazrat Ibn Abbas said : To me, five things are dearer than saving money. (1) I give up such talk as is of no use to me as it is unnecessary and I am not safe from the fear of its sin. (2) I don't utter such word as is not useful to me until I find suitable place for it as there is harm in many useful talks if they fall in improper places. (3) 1 don't argue with the man who is patient and with the fool, because if I argue with the patient man, it incites him to anger, and if I argue with a fool, he gives me trouble, (4) As I like that my friend will speak of me in my absence, so I like that I shall speak of him when he remains absent from me. As I like that my friend should forgive me, so I like that I should treat well with him. (5) I should do an action like the action of the man who knows that he will get rewards for good deeds and punishment for sins. Loqman was once asked : What is you wisdom. He said I don't ask what I know and I don't utter what does not do me any benefit.

Hazrat Omar said: Don't dispute about what is unnecessary. Keep your enemy distant from you and be careful of all persons. except faithful friends. Without God fear, nobody can become a faithful friend. Don't keep company with the sinners as there is fear that you may commit sins. Let them not enquire about your secrets. Consult with the God fearing people in all your affairs.

Useless talks are such talks which, if uttered, donot cause any benefit and do not do harm in this world and in the next. There are three reasons for not holding useless talks-(1) to be eager to know of which there is no necessity, (2) to enjoy talk with one with the object of loving him and (3) to pars time with useless talks. The remedies of these three things are the following. The remedies are based on knowledge and action. It must be understood that death is standing in front and that every word uttered will be accounted for. Every breath is a valuable asset. This is the medicine based on knowledge. The remedy based on action is to adopt silence.

(2) Second Harm of Tongue: The second harm is excessive. talk. This means to utter such words as are of no use and to hold such talks as are of no use. Necessary talks can he held in short. If 3:95one sentence is sufficient, second sentence is unnecessary, thought it has got no sin. The sage Ata said : Your predecessors used to hate' too much talks. They used to consider talks as superfluous except talks on the Quran, Sunnah of the Prophet, enjoying good and forbidding evils and necessary talks for earning livelihood. The Quran says : There is careful guard of what he utters-50; 18. There is no limit of superfluous talks, but there is no good in most of their secret talks except in the talk of one who enjoins charity or good deeds to make compromise between men. The Prophet said : His is blessed who restrains his tongue from superfluous talks and spends out of his excess wealth. Hazrat Hasan Basari said : He who talks much talks much falsehood. The sins of one who has got enormous wealth are great. He whose conduct is bad punishes his soul. Once a man came to the Prophet and praised him much. The Prophet said There is nothing between them which can prevent your words. He said : Nothing worst has been given to man tan long talk. The sage Ibrahim said : Two conducts destroy a man-enormous wealth and too much talks.

(3) Third harm of tongue: This is useless talk in untrue matters and to spend talks in actions of sins : for instance to state the beauties of a woman, to tell about assembly of drinking wine, to praise the sinners, to discuss the some forts of the rich, to narrate the oppressions of the kings and rulers. These are all unlawful talks. To hold unnecessary talks and to talk much about necessary things should be given up though they are not unlawful. So don't hold talk except on good of this world and the next. The Prophet said : A man may hold such God pleasing talk the result of which may not be known to him but God writes His pleasure therefor up to the resurrection day. A man can hold such talk to displease God of which the result may not be known to him but His displeasure therefor may be written for him up to the resurrection day. The Prophet said : A man utters such a word which excites laughter of the people of an assembly and he throws himself thereby to such distance as that of the polestar. He also said : The man who holds useless talks about sins for most part of time will be a great sinner not he resurrection day. This is supported by the following verse : We used to hold useless talks with the talkers God then revealed : Don't mix with them till they hold other talks or else you will be like them. (2) Another harm of tongue is quarrels and siputes which are unlawful. The 3:96prophet said : Don't quarrel with your brother, don't but jokes with him and don't break promise with him. He said : Give up protestas you will to understand its contrivance and you will not be safe from its dangers. He who keeps away from disputing a false thing will have a place built for him in the middle of paradise. The Prophet said : The first thing which my Lord promised me and the first thing which He prohibited me is idol worship and to dispute with the people after drinking wine. He also said : God does not misguide a people after they are guided except for quarrels and disputes. He said : The faith of one not known does not give up dispute knowing his opinion as true. He said : The faith of a man is known who has got in him six qualities-(1) to fast in summer, (2) to strike with sword the enemies of God, (3) to pray in haste in days of tempeat, (4) to bear patience in dangers and difficulties, (5) to complete ablution even against will, (6) and to give up quarrel knowing it to be true. Hazrat Jubair said once to his son : Don't dispute with the people about the Quran, as you will not be able tq make them under and. Hold fast to the ways of the Prophet. Caliph Omar-b-Abdul Aziz said : He who presents his religion with the object of making quarrels, changes his opinion most. A certain wise man said God does not misguide a people after guidance except for quarrels and disputes. imam Malek said : To dispute about religious mattes does not appertain to religion. He said : Dispute makes the heart hard and generates hatred. Luqman said to his son : Don't dispute with the learned. If there is dispute with anybody, it is compensated by two rak'ats of prayer. Hazrat Qmar said : Don't acquire knowledge for three objects-(1) to dispute by learning, (2) to take pride by learning, (3) and to show learning to the people. Don't give up learning for three reasons-(1) to feel shame to acquire learning, (2) to get leisure for renunciation of the world, (3) and to remain satisfied with ignorance.

The Book of Destructive evils Jesus Christ said : The beauty of one goes away who speaks too much falsehood. The gentle manners of one goes away who disputes with the people. He whose thoughts are many is attacked with illness. He whose conduct is bad punishes his soul.

(5).Disputes about wealth and properties: Another harm of tongue is disputes about properties. The Prophet said : The greatest object of hatred to God is he who holds greatest disputes 3:97about properties. He said : Who disputes about properties with another out of ignorance, remains always in the displeasure of God till he becomes silent. A certain wise man said : Don't dispute about properties as it destroy religion.

It is true that it is lawful to give proof of one's right to properties and to give up their exaggeration. It is also pardonable to hold the tongue in the middle path in disputes about properties. Dispute straightens the breast and arouses anger. It is better to use sweet words in dispute and not to use harsh words. The Prophet said : Sweet words and feeding will give you peace in paradise. God says : Speak sweet words with the people. God says : If you are entertained with Salam, return it with better salutation than it or like it. The Prophet said : There are rooms in paradise whose inner sides are seen from their outer sides and outer sides are seen from their inner sides. God prepaiked them for those persons who give food and are humble in talks. The Prophet said : Sweet word is a charity even a seed : Keep the Hell at a distance by giving in charity even a seed of grape. If you are unable, then keep it distant by sweet words.

(6) To make ornamentation in talks: Another harm of tongue is to make ornamentation in talks, to disclose oratory and to gi a lectures with ornamental words. The Prophet said : I and . my God- fearing men among my followers are free from artificiality. He said,: Of all the persons among you, the object of the greatest wrath to me and the most distant from my assembly is he who holds useless talks, makes ornamentation in talks and adopts artificiality. The Prophet said : Those who grow eating various delicious foods, put on various dresses, eat various delicious dishes and talk with ornamental words, are worst among my followers. He said : Beware, those who make exaggeration in talks are ruined. He recited it thrice. Hazrat Omar said : Eloquent in talks is attended with the eloquence of the devil.

(7) Obsecene and bad tooks: These talks are prohibited. Some of these talks are impurities. The Prophet said : Give up obsecene talks, as God does not love obscene and excessive talks. The Prophet prohibited to rebuke the unbelievers who were killed in the battle of Badr. He said : Don't rebuke those dead unbelievers, as these do not reach them, but give trouble to those who are alive. Beware, bad talks are objects of barred. Ke said :

ThpSe who are prone to backbiting, excessive cursing, obscene and excessive talks are not true believers. He said : Four persons will give trouble to the inmates of Hell. They will be running between hot water and fire and proclaim their sorrows. One of them will be such from whose mouth pus and blood will come out. he will be asked : Why is this condition of yours ? He will say I used to hold obscene and evil talks and take pleasure therein like that of cohabitation, and for that I am getting this punishment. The Prophet said to Ayesha : 0 Ayesha, if obscene talk could have taken the figure of a man, its figure would have been ugly. He said : To hold obscene talk and to make narration are two branches of hypocrisy. Narration means to disclose secret talks which is unlawful. It means also to make excesses in narration and to make ornamentation adding false thing. The Prophet said : Obscene talk or unnecessary talk does not appertain to-Islam. He who is best of all in character and conduct is best of all in Islam. The sage Ibn Mysarah said : The figure of a man who talks-obscene things openly will be that of a dog on the Resurrection Day. Ahnaf-b-Qais said : Shall I not inform you of a dangerous disease-bad conduct and obscene tongue.

LIMIT OF OBSCENE TALKS: Hazrat Ibn Abbas said: God is shameful. He mentioned about sexual intercourse by the word 'touch. There are many obscene words which should not be said clearly. Ayaz-b- Hemar said: I asked: 0 Messenger of God, a man of my people rebukes me but he is lower than myself. Is there any obstacle of my taking revenge on him? The Prophet said: Two rebukers are devils. They tell each other liars and ascribe guilt to each other. The Prophet said: There is sin in rebuking a believer and there is infidelity in his murder. He said: Two rebukers remain upon their rebuke. Out of the two, sin falls on one who rebukes first. Even it falls on the rebukers if the rebuked person exceeds the limit. The Prophet said: He who rebukes his parents is cursed. In another narration, to rebuke parents is one of the greatest sins. The companions asked: 0 Messenger of God, is there any such man who rebukes his parents? He said: He rebukes the parents of another and the latter also rebukes his parents and this amounts to rebuking his own parents.

(8) Curse: Another evil of tongue is to curse anything, be it an animal or a man or a lifeless thing. It is condemned. The Prophet said: A believer does not curse another. He said: Don't curse Vol-III Greed and sexual passion 3:983:99another with the curse of God, with His anger or Hell. Huzaifaf said: The curse of one on another among a people falls on the people. Once one of the Ansar women was passing riding on a camel by the side of the Prophet and cursed the camel. The Prophet then said: Take down the load from the camel and drive it out of the party as it is cursed. He said: I am as if looking towards the camel which was walking to end from among the people. Nobody approached it. Abu Darda'a said: If anybody curses a land, it says: Curse of God be upon the person who is the greatest sinner among us. Hazrat Abu Bakr was cursing one of his maid servants. The Prophet heard it and said: 0 Abu Bakr, a man of truth and a curser are together? It can never occur, by the Lord of Ka'ba. He repeated it twice or thrice. Then AbuBakr set free the slave. Then he came to the Prophet and said: I will do it no more. The Prophet said: The cursers will not be intercessors or witnesses on the Resurrection Day.

CURSE WHEN LAWFUL: Curse means to drive away a thing from God. This applies to the things which are already distant from God, such as infidelity, oppression, etc. It is lawful to curse the unbelievers and oppressors with such words as are permitted by Shariat. Three things are necessary for a curse - (1) infidelity, (2) innovation, and (3) great sin. Each of these three things has got three stages. The first stage is that curse is allowed in the general way, for instance, curse upon the innovators, curse upon the transgressors. The second stage is curse specially upon a people, as curse upon the Jews, upon the Christians, upon the bribe-takers, upon the fornicators, upon the oppressors. The third stage is curse upon a particular person which is unlawful, but it is lawful to curse a person whom the Quran or Hadis cursed, ford instance curse upon Pharaoh, curse upon Abu Jahl as they die upon infidelity but it is not allowed to curse an individual unbeliever at present as he may turn out to be a Muslim before his death. The Prophet once said to Hazrat Abu Bakr: 0 Abu Bakr, when you discuss about unbelievers, discuss it is a general way, because when you discuss about an individual unbeliever, his children will surely be enraged for their parents. So prevent the people from that. One Numan, a Muslim, drank wine for which he was whipped several times in presence of the Prophet. One of the companions then said:Curse of God on him. The Prophet said: Don't be a helper of the devil in the action of your brother. In another narration, the Prophet said: Don't utter 3:100it because he loves God and His Apostle. It appears then that to curse a man individually is unlawful. The prophet said: No man should tell another 'an unbeliever or a great trnasgressor' if he is not so. The lsrophet said: If a man bears witness that another is an unbeliever,jt reverts to one of them. If he is really an unbeliever, he becomes so. If he is really not an unbeliever, the man who calls hire an unbeliever becomes himself an unbeliever. The Prophet said: I prohibit you to rebuke a Muslim or to be disobedient to a just ruler; and to rebuke a dead man is heinous. The Prophet said: pon't abuse the dead, as what they sent in advance reached them. The Prophet said: Don't abuse the dead. Those who are alive are troubled for that. He said: 0 people, save men in respect of my companions, my brethren and my parents. Don't abuse them. 0 people, when a man dies, narrate his good deeds.

(9) Songs and poetries: Another harm of tongue is songs and poetries. The good poetry is good and the bad of poetry is bad. The Prophet said: It is better to fill up the belly of a man with pusi then to fill it up with poetry. In short, poetry is not unlawful if it does not contain evil or indecent words, as the Prophet said: There is wisdom in some poetry. The Prophet appointed the poet Hasan-b-Sabet to attack the polytheists and to praise Islam. Hazrat Ayesha narrated: One day the Prophet was sewing his shoes and I was seated by his side and eating bread. i noticed that sweat was coming out of his forehead and it was sparkling like jewels. He got tired and said to me: You have become tired. I said: 0 Prophet of God, I noticed at you and saw that from your forehead sweat was coming out and it was sparkling like jewels. Had the poet Abu Kabir Hazli seen you in this condition, he would have taken you as fit for his poetry. The Prophet said: 0 Ayesha, what does he say? I said: He composed these two verses:

Praised one is free from menses, suckling and other diseases, It seems that her face sheds luster of lightning.

The Prophet kept what he had in his hand and kissed the forehead of Ayesha and said: God bless you You have not been pleased with me in proportion to what I have been pleased with you. When the Prophet divided the booties of Hunain after the battle, he gave 4 camels to poet Abbas Merdag. He went away with a protest and demanded more through poetry:

I I 3:101Merdas's mind was not troubled at Badr and Siege, he was satisfied with what he got at both.

But he returns to-day with a painful heart.

The Prophet ordered for him 100 camels and asked him: Do you talk by poetry? He said: I roam in poetries like ants and they sting me like the sting of ants. I can't keep but recite poetry. The Prophet smiled at his words and said: This desert Arab will not give up poetry till he gives up the camels of Hunain.

(10) Laugh and jokes: There is another harm of tongue, laugh and jokes. Basically these are not commendable but these are not harmful within limits. The' Prophet said: 'Don't dispute with your brother ;and cut jokes with him. Excessive jokes and continued jokes are unlawful. If they are done continuously, they ' are included within sports and plays. Though sports and plays are lawful, yet to get habituated to them is condemned. Excessive jokes give rise to excessive laughters, excessive laughter makes the heart dead and sometimes creates hatred and destroys gravity and fear. When they are necessary, they are not condemned. The Prophet said: I cut jokes, but I don't say but truth. He said: A man utters talks to raise laughter of friends, but he takes himself down to Hell from heaven. Hazrat Omar said: The fear of one who laughs much is reduced. He who cuts jokes becomes light to the people. He who cuts jokes much, becomes well-known. He who talk much commits much faults. He who has got little shame has got much faults and less piety. He whose piety is less, has got his heart dead. Jokes keep away a man from the next world. The Prophet said: Had you known what I know, you would have wept much and laughed little. Eusof-b-Asbat said that Hazrat Hasan Basari did not laugh for thirty years. It has been said that the sage Abu Salma did not laugh for 40 years. Abdullah-b-AliYala said: You are laughing while your coffin is coming out of the building. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said: He who commits sin laughing will enter Hell weeping.

It is therefore condemned to be engaged in jokes and laughs. Smiling only is laudable. The Prophet used to smiles only. Sayyed-b-A's told his son: 0 dear son, don't cut jokes with any honourable man, lest he may hate you. Don't cut jokes with a man of dishonour, lest he becomes daring against you. Hazrat Omar-b- Abdul Aziz said: Fear God. Don't cut jokes as it creates 3:102ill feeling and leads Quran. If it becomes difficult for you, discuss the lives of religious men.

The Prophet and his companions had under their control their jokes. They did not cut jokes except with truth. They did not give trouble thereby to anybody. They did not go to excess therein. Minor sins turn into major sins if one is accustomed to them. If one is accustomed to lawful things, it turns also into minor sin. Hazrat Anas said: The Prophet used to cut jokes with his wives. Once an old woman came to the Prophet who said to her: No old woman will enter Paradise. The old woman was weeping at this. Then he said to her: On that day, you will not remain old as God says: I shall create them a new and make them young. Hazrat Zaid-b-Aslam said: Once Omme Ayman came to the prophet and said: My husband calls you. The Prophet said: Who is your husband? Is he not your husband who has got whiteness in his eyes? The woman said: By God, the eye of my husband is not white. The Prophet said: Is there any man who has not got whiteness in his eyes?

(11) Ridicule: Ridicule is unlawful as it gives pain to the heart of another and thus he becomes sorry. God says: 0 believers, no people shall ridicule another people. Perchance the latter may be better than the former. No woman shall ridicule another woman. Perchance the latter may be better than the former. Ridicule means to neglect or hold in contempt another and to show his defects. It may be expressed in words and actions and also by wings and gestures. If it is done in one's absence, it amounts to back-biting.

Hazrat Ayesha said: I ridiculed one man. The Prophet said to me: By God, I don't want to ridicule another and commit such sins, God says: Alas,. what is this book which omits not little or great without counting it. 118 : 40Q? Hazrat Ibn Abbas said by way of explanation of little things, as something said by way of ridicule. It shows that loud laughter is a great sin.

The Prophet said: The door of Paradise will be opened before one Of those who ridicule men and he will be said: Come, come. Then he will come to be relieved of his troubles, but when he will come, it will be shut up against him. He also said: Don't ridicule one from whose belly wind with sound comes out. Why should you ridicule one who is led to do so as a call of nature? The 3:103Vol-111 Greed and sexual passion tw Prophet said: 'If a man accuses his brother for a sin from which he repented, he will not die till he commits that sin'. So if any man ridicules one with regard to his figure, conduct, writing, action etc, it will be unlawful.

(12) To disclose secret talks is unlawful as it gives pain to the mind of another. The Prophet said: When any man tells you something and asks you to keep it secret, it is a trust He said: It is a trust between you. Hazrat Hasan Basari said: It is a breach of trust if you disclose the secret talks of your brother. It is said that Hazrat Muwaiyah held a secret talk with Walid-b- Otba. He said. to his father: 0 father, the commander of the faithful told me a secret thing. I think there is no fault in disclosing it to you. His father said: Don't tell it to me, as he who keeps the secret talk secret, keeps it under his control. When he discloses it, it goes under the control of another. I said: 0 father said: I don't want that you should humiliate your tongue by disclosing it. Then I informed it to the Caliph who said: 0 Walid, your father freed you from the slavery of mistake.

(13) False Promise: It is another harm of tongue as it wants to make promise in haste but it does not become possible to fulfil it always. As a result, it is broken. God says: 0 believers, fulfil promise. The Prophet said: Promise is like a parent. He said: Promise is a kind of debt or greater than that. God praised Hazrat Ismail about the fulfillment of his promise. He was true to his promise-19 19: 54Hazrat Ismail one day promised to meet a man in a certain fixed place but the man did not come there according to his promise as he forgot it. Hazrat Ismail waited there for him for 22 days. When Abdullah, son of Hazrat Omar was about to die, he said: A Quraish wanted to marry my daughter. I gave him promise. By God, I shall not meet with God with three hypocrisies. I bear witness to you that I shall get my daughter married to him. Abdullah-b-Ali Khansah reported; I made a contract with the Prophet to feel a thing to him before his prophethood. I promised that I would take that thing to him in a certain fixed place but afterwards forgot it. On the third day I remembered it and after going there found the Prophet waiting there. he said: 0 young man, you have given me much trouble. I am here for the past three days for you. The Prophet used to say at the time of promise-'perchance, possibly. Hazrat Ibn Masud did not make any promise without uttering Insha-Allah (if God pleases).

The Prophet said: He in whom there are threE matters is a hypocrite even though he prays, fasts and thinks that he is a Muslim - (1) when he speaks, he speaks falsehood, (2) when he promises, he breaks it, (3) and when he is entrusted, he breaks it. The Prophet said: He in whom there is one of the four things is a hypocrite, till he gives it up - (1) when he speaks, he speaks falsehood, (2) when he promises, he breaks it, (3) when he is entrusted, he breaks it, (4) when he disputes over properties, he rebukes. Once the Prophet promised Abul Hysam that he would give him three slaves. He got three war prisoners and gave two of them to him and kept one to himself. Then his daughter Hazrat Fatema came to him and said: Don't you find in my hands the signs of crushing of mill? The Prophet said: What will happen of my promise to Abul Hysam? Then he gave him to Abu Hysam without giving him to Fatema.

One day, the Prophet was distributing the war booty gained in the battle of Hunain. Then a man came and said: 0 Prophet of God, a thing is due to me according to your promise. He said: That is true, want what you wish. He wanted eighty goats and one goat man. The Prophet gave them to him and said: You have wanted little. Look, Hazrat Musa said to the woman for whose enquiry the backbone of Hazrat Jospeh was found: You will get what you want. The woman said: 'I want that my youth be restored to me and that I can live in paradise in the next world with you'. She was made an example in Arabia. The Prophet said: If one has got the intention of fulfilling promise, it will not be broken if one proves another. In another narration: When a man promises with his brother and has got the intention to fulfil it but afterwards it is broken, he will not commit sin thereby.

(14) Falsehood. Another danger of tongue is false-speaking and false oath. These are great sins and heinous faults. In the first year of emigration, the Prophet said: Be careful of falsehood as it is the companion of the sinners and both will be in Hell. He also said: Falsehood is a door of hypocrisy. Hazrat Hasan Basari said: The people say that there is difference in open and secret words and actions and entry into and going out of hypocrisy, but the sin on which hypocrisy is built is falsehood. The Prophet said: If you narrate to your brother such narration which he believes for you but which you do not believe for him, it will be an act of breach of trust. The Prophet said: A man is enrolled near God as liar if he is 3:105accustomed to false speaking and false discussions. The Prophet once was passing by two men. They were talking on sale of two goats and both were swearing. One of them said: By God, I will not sell it less than this price. Another said: By God, I will not give more than this price. One of them purchased the goat. Then the Prophet said: The sin of one of you has become compulsory. The Prophet said: Falsehood reduces provision. He said: The merchants are sinners. he was asked: 0 Prophet of God, has not God made trade lawful? He said: Yes, but the tradesmen commit sin by false oaths and speak falsehood.