Silence and Controlling the Tongue

2. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from abu Hamza who has said the following: “I heard abu Ja’far عليه السلام saying, ‘Our Shi’a (followers) are just (like) mute people (do not speak uselessly).”’

3. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from abu Ali al-Jawwani who has said the following: “I saw Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام speaking to one of his slaves called Salim, placing his hands over his (slaves) mouth, ‘O Salim, control your tongue and you will have peace and do not load people over our necks.’”

4. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa who has said the following: “Once I was in the presence of abu al-Hassan عليه السلام and a man said, ‘Please teach me good advice.’ The Imam said, ‘Control your tongue and you will be respected and do not allow people to lead you to humiliation.’”

5. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from al-Haytham ibn abu Masruq from Hisham ibn Salim from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah said to a man who had come to see him, ‘Should I guide you to a matter with which Allah will enter you in paradise?’ The man said, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Give of what Allah has given you.’ The man asked, ‘What if I were more needy than the recipient?’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Then help the oppressed.’ The man asked, ‘What if I were weaker than the oppressed?’ The Messenger of Allah then said, ‘Do what an ignorant person may do, that is, guide him to good.’ The man asked, ‘What if I were more ignorant than him?’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Control your tongue except from good. Do you not like to have one of the above mentioned qualities in you that may lead you to paradise?”’

6. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ja’far ibn Muhammad al- Ash’ari from ibn al-Qaddah from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “Luqman (who is mentioned in Chapter 3 1 of the Holy Quran) said to his son, ‘My son, if you think speaking is silver, note it down that silence is gold.’”

7. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from al- Halabi in a marfu’ manner from the Messenger of Allah who has said the following: “Control your tongue; it is a charity that you give to yourself. He then said, ‘A servant (of Allah) will not know the reality of his belief until he reserves (controls) his tongue.’”

8. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Muhammad Isma’il from Fadl ibn Shadhan all from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Ibrahim ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid from ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ali al-Halabi from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “About the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy: ‘Have you not seen those who were told to control their hands. . . .’ (4:77), the Imam said, ‘It (their hands) stands for their tongue.’”

9. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from al- Halabi in a marfu’ manner from the Messenger of Allah who has said the following: “The salvation of a believer is in his controlling his tongue.”

10. Yunus has narrated from Muthanna from abu Basir who has said the following: “I heard abu Ja’far عليه السلام saying, abu Dhar may Allah grant him blessings, would say, ‘O you who seek knowledge, this tongues is the key to both good and evil. Seal your tongue as you would seal your gold and silver.’”

11. Hamid ibn Ziyad has narrated from al-Khashshab from ibn Baqqah from Mu’adh ibn Thabit from ‘Amr ibn Jami’ from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام has said, ‘Jesus would say, “Do not speak a great deal in things other than speaking of Allah. Those who speak a great deal in things other than speaking of Allah are hardhearted, but they do not know it.’””

12. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn abu Najran from abu Jamilah from those he has mentioned (in his book) from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “There is no day wherein every part of the body does not bow down before the tongue pleading, ‘We request you, for the sake of Allah, do not subject us to punishment.’”

13. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Ibrahim ibn Mahziyar al-Asadi from abu Hamza from Ali ibn al-Husayn عليه السلام who has said the following: “The tongue of Adam’s children addresses all parts of his body and asks, ‘How is your morning?’ They reply, ‘We are fine, if only you leave us alone.’ They further say, ‘For the sake of Allah, for the sake of Allah, we plead before you to note because of only you we may find reward or face punishment.’”

14. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Muhammad ibn Isma’il from Fadl ibn Shadhan all from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Ibrahim ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid from Qays abu Isma’il (he has said that he is fine and is of our people) in a marfu’ manner from the Messenger of Allah عليه السلام: “Once a man came to the Holy Prophet and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, advise me.’ The Messenger of Allah عليه السلام said, ‘Control your tongue.’ He then said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, advise me.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Control your tongue.’ He again said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, advise me.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Control your tongue. Fie upon you, do people get thrown into fire headlong for any reason other than being a victim due to their own tongue?”’

15. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from ibn Faddal from those he narrated from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘One who does not count his words as his deeds, his sins increase and his punishment approaches.’”

16. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Allah will punish the tongue with a punishment that no other part will suffer thereby. And the tongue will say, “O Lord, You have punished me with a punishment that no one has suffered thereby.” It then will be said to the tongue, “From you came out a word that reached the East and West of the earth. It caused unlawful bloodshed, destroyed properties illegally, and caused unlawful sexual relations to take place. I swear by My Majesty and Glory to punish you with a punishment whereby no other parts of you has suffered.’””

17. Through the same chain of narrators it is narrated from the Messenger of Allah عليه السلام has said, the following: “The Messenger of Allah عليه السلام has said, ‘If there is any wickedness, it is in the tongue.’”

18. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and al-Husayn ibn Muhammad from Mu’alla ibn Muhammad all from al-Washsha’ who has said the following: “I heard al-Rida عليه السلام say, ‘In the tribe of Israel if a man wanted to become a worshipper he was to keep silent for ten years before starting the deed.’”

19. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Bakr ibn Salih form al-Ghaffari from Ja’far ibn Ibrahim who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام say, ‘The Messenger of Allah has said, “If one can realize the effect of his words on his deeds, his words will decrease except for what he needs.’”

20. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Kufi from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sa’id ibn Yasar from Mansur ibn Yunus from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “It is in the wisdom of Ale (people of) Dawud: ‘A person of reason must learn about the nature of his time, pay attention to his affairs and safeguard his tongue.’”

21. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Ali ibn al-Hassan ibn Ribat from certain individuals of his people from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “A believing servant (of Allah) is considered a person of good deeds as long as he does not speak. When he speaks he is considered a person of good deeds or of evil deeds.”