The Power of Words in the Balance of the Sharia

Allah, the Exalted, created man and distinguished him with intellect and speech, and gave the word a tremendous effect on the life of the individual and of society. A word may be a cause of spreading good, mending hearts, and strengthening relationships, or it may be a cause of discord, harming people, and spreading hatred. For this reason, Islam called for guarding the tongue, and made the Muslim responsible for every word he says.

In our time, the word now spreads rapidly through social media, making it an obligation for a Muslim to be certain of what he says before he speaks or writes it, because the written word carries the same ruling as the spoken word, and a person is held accountable for both.

• The status of the word in Islam

• The Muslim's responsibility for his speech

• The effects of good speech and bad speech

• How does a Muslim guard his tongue?

• The role of the family and educational institutions

The Status of the Word in Islam

Islam gave great attention to the word, because it expresses what is in the heart, and because it affects others.

Allah, the Exalted, says:

﴿وَقُلْ لِعِبَادِي يَقُولُوا الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنْزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ﴾
(سورة الإسراء: 53).

This verse teaches a Muslim to choose the best of words, because a good word draws hearts closer together, while a bad word may cause enmity and discord.

He, the Exalted, also says:

﴿مَا يَلْفِظُ مِنْ قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ﴾
(سورة ق: 18).

This shows that every word a person says or writes is recorded with Allah, the Exalted, and he will be held accountable for it on the Day of Judgment.

A Muslim Is Responsible for His Speech

The Prophet ﷺ explained that a word may be a cause of a person's happiness or misery.

He ﷺ said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent." (Agreed upon; reported by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab, 6018, and Muslim in Al-Iman, 47)

If the speech is good, a Muslim should say it; if it contains no good, he should hold his tongue.

He ﷺ also said: "A servant may utter a word, giving it no thought, and because of it he plunges into the Fire a distance farther than between the east and the west."

This Hadith teaches us not to underestimate any word, for it may become a cause of sin if it contains a lie, backbiting, mockery, or injustice.

The Effects of Good Speech and Bad Speech

The word has a great effect on people's lives.

A good word:

• Spreads love among people

• Mends broken relationships

• Encourages good

• Brings joy to hearts

• Increases harmony and respect

A bad word, on the other hand:

• Wounds feelings

• Corrupts relationships

• Spreads hatred

• Leads to problems and disputes

• Causes its speaker to fall into sin

For this reason, Islam commanded good speech, even in disagreement, because a Muslim is a person of good character in all his affairs.

How Does a Muslim Guard His Tongue?

A Muslim can guard his tongue through:

• Thinking before speaking

• Speaking the truth in all circumstances

• Staying away from lying, backbiting, and gossip

• Not spreading news before verifying it

• Choosing gentle words when speaking with others

• Increasing in the remembrance of Allah and the recitation of the Qur'an

With the widespread use of social media, a Muslim should remember that what he writes counts among his deeds, just as what he utters with his tongue does.

The Role of the Family and Educational Institutions

The family and the school have an important role in raising children upon good speech, through:

• Teaching them the etiquettes of speech

• Accustoming them to honesty

• Instilling respect for others and refraining from mocking them

• Guiding them toward the proper use of social media

• Providing good example in choosing words

When children grow up upon this character, their speech becomes a means of setting things right, rather than corrupting them.

The word is a trust, and Islam gave it a tremendous status, because it may build a person up or tear him down. For this reason, a Muslim should watch over his tongue, saying only what pleases Allah, the Exalted, and making his speech a means of spreading good and love among people. If a Muslim commits to this, his tongue becomes one of the means of his salvation in this world and the next.