FASTING OF THE TONGUE (Part-2)

FASTING OF THE TONGUE

Ramadhaan came to let this awareness and fear of Allah surface in our hearts.Yes there are some days left in Ramadhaan, but it is never too late. Try this from now until the end of Ramadhaan – every night before you go to sleep, do the checks and balances on the activities of your tongue for that day. If you lied, mocked, slandered, cursed, said derogatory words or were nvolved in backbiting, set aside five dollars or twenty dollars (whatever you can do) for each time you made a mistake.

After a week or by the end of Ramadhaan, you will see you washed your tongue out. If you continue from now until the end of Ramadhaan with that method, you will continue Bi’ithnillahi Ta’aala for the rest of your life.

You will see a difference in yourself. We are not expecting you to be an angel but when you stumble, you jump up with repentance (Tawbah) and continue on the right path. Ramadhaan is to instill god consciousness, mindfulness of Allah and piety in you – that is Taqwa.

A strong Imaanic immune system so that you fear Allah in every word you say – that is Taqwa. I want you to imagine that someone knows his boss has installed some secret cameras, or as a lot of people know – the government has their cars, phones and houses tapped, and they have cameras by their houses. A lot of people know that, so they are watching every exact word. Does he ever forget there is a wiretap or that his boss has installed a hidden camera? He never forgets that and he is always on alert – it is in his subconscious. How do we forget Raqeeb and ‘Ateed?

مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ
"Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)." •[Surat Qaaf: 18]

Do not say like some people say – when I talked about him, I got it off my chest. No, keeping whatever you want to say in your chest is better than having it on your register before Allah on The Judgment Day.

Muslims have different ways of thinking. Ibn Mas’ood said I do not know anything more worthy of a long prison sentence than my tongue. That is the only thing that is worthy of going to prison.

In Sulh al-Hudaybiyyah, Umar said a few words that he deemed were out of line. He was attempting to convince the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to change his mind so he can fight Quraysh, but at that time the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was not ordered to fight them.

Umar wanted to change his mind and the purpose of him saying what he said was because he wanted to die for the sake of Allah. He deemed it inappropriate and years and years later as he got older, he said after that I did so much deeds in repentance and I still do ask Allah to forgive me for that which I said. Your tongue may be the determining factor in your ultimate destiny.

May Allah protect you from Jahannam.

The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said whoever can guarantee to me what is between his lips and what is between his legs, I can guarantee to him Jannah.

If you look at marital problems, problems between blood brothers, problems between brothers in the community, killing and many other problems – the tongue has a major role to play.

If you are wondering why your Imaan is weak, one of the first things you have to start with is checking your tongue out. The biggest source of strengthening your Imaan is your tongue.

The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam taught us to say good or remain silent. That is not a Haraam or Halaal standard, but that is a standard above that. If it is good then I am going to say it, and if it is neutral I am going to keep it to myself.

The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam referred to some of the tongue ailments as Moobiqaat (موبقات) Do you know what Moobiqaat means? Doomers and destroyers.

He put some tongue ailments in the same category as Moobiqaat like usury, black magic and killing, and one of them is accusing women in their honour. In Shu’bal-Imaan (شعب الإيمان) by al-Bayhaqi:

مَرْحَبًا بِكَ مِنْ بَيْتٍ، مَا أَعْظَمَكَ وَأَعْظَمُ حُرُمَتَك وَلَّلْمُؤْمِنُ أَعْظَمُ حُرُمَةً عِنْدَ اللهِ مِنْكِ

When the Prophet sallallahu ‘ alayhi wa sallam saw the Ka’bah after not seeing it for a long time, he looked at it and he talked to the Ka’bah. He said how honourable are you, but the honour and sanctity of a believer is more honourable than you. Then he said Allah has prohibited the blood and the honour and wealth of the believers.

Let me tell those people who have loose slanderous tongues what this Hadith means, in a basic way in which they have probably never heard it before. Would anyone curse the Ka’bah? Everyone holds it sacred and it is beyond the imagination of a Muslim to curse the Ka’bah.

Would anyone take a sledgehammer, go to the Ka’bah and try to take it down? Or take a hammer and chisel, go to the Ka’bah and try to take it down and demolish it? That is stuff most of the major sinners of this Ummah do not even imagine. What would you do if someone cursed or tried to demolish the Ka’bah? Speaking about the honour of a believer is a bigger sin than speaking about the Ka’bah or cursing the Ka’bah.

Taking down the Ka’bah stone by stone is a smaller sin than killing a believer. The honour and sanctity of a Muslim is big in the eyes of Allah and the righteous believers.

When you stand before Allah on The Judgment Day and He asks you why you said that about your brother, you have an opportunity to defend yourself. Why did you say this about your sister? Why did you say this about those righteous people?

That brother that was in prison and those people who are defending the Ummah – why did you say that about them? You get the opportunity to answer. O' Allah, I found it on Google?

I ask you by Allah, is that going to stand before Allah? That does not even stand in the most oppressive of manmade courts today, to stand before the Court of ‘Allaamul-Ghuyoob, Al-Hakam and Al-‘Adl.

I found it on a forum or on fcbk, watsup so I went passing it along? Is that a defence you can put before Allah?

Al-Fudhayl Ibn ‘Iyaadh said I know some of my friends who would remain silent from a Friday to a Friday – meaning from one Friday to another Friday, they would not say anything but some Qur’an, Dhikr and Ibaadah. They protected their tongues.

Abu Na’eem and Ibn Abi Dunya narrated that Ibn Abbaas spoke to his tongue and he told his tongue – speak good and you will succeed, otherwise you will regret it. He was warning his tongue and reminding himself that it is a dangerous !.

Ibn Abbaas said it reached me that there is no bigger enemy to one than his own tongue on The Judgment Day. Let your example be the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

Anas Ibn Maalik said he served him for ten years and he never said Uff to him. That is how you really know someone – when you live with them and you interact with them. Anas even said that sometimes he did not do stuff the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam told him to do. He never said Uff to him, yelled or screamed at him or cursed him.

Get in the habit of contemplating what you say before you utter it. Al-Hasan alBasri said one who does not restrain his tongue does not know his Deen.

Whatever words you have, they are your prisoner. You have got them as a prisoner and you have control over them. Feel good that they are your prisoner. Once you let them out, you are their prisoner. You have become a prisoner to them and you have to handle their consequences in this Dunya and before Allah.

May Allah AZza waJal Protect our tongues