“You
have kinship and rights, and I see you entering upon these rulers and
speaking to them as Allah wills you should speak. But i heard Bilal
bin Harith Al-Muzani, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ),
say that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘One of you may speak a
word that pleases Allah, and not know how far it reaches, but Allah
will record for him as pleasure, until the Day of Resurrection due to
that word. And one of you may speak a word that angers Allah, and not
know how far it reaches, but Allah will record against him his anger,
until the Day he meets Him due to that word.”
'Alqamah said: "So look, woe to you, at what you say and what you speak about, for there is something that I wanted to say but I refrained because of what I heard from Bilal bin Harith."
Narrated by It was narrated that ‘Alqamah bin Waqqas said that a man passed by
him, who held a prominent position, and ‘Alqamah said to him:
Context
In this hadith, ‘Alqamah bin Waqqas recounts a conversation with a man of prominence who frequently spoke before rulers. He reminds the man of his kinship and rights while referencing a teaching of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) about the weight of one's words. The Prophet (ﷺ) warns that a word spoken in Allah's pleasure can have far-reaching positive effects, while a word spoken in His anger can lead to severe consequences. This highlights the importance of being mindful of our speech.
Modern Application
In today's world, the principle of mindful communication is crucial. Whether in personal conversations, social media, or public speaking, individuals should consider the impact of their words. Speaking positively can uplift others and foster goodwill, while negative speech can lead to misunderstandings and conflict.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Truthfulness and Respectful Communication because it emphasizes the significance of being careful with one's words and the potential consequences of speech.
And say, "Do [as you will], for Allah will see your deeds, and [so, will] His Messenger and the believers. And you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do."
O you who have believed, when you converse privately, do not converse about sin and aggression and disobedience to the Messenger but converse about righteousness and piety. And fear Allah, to whom you will be gathered.
And of the people is he whose speech pleases you in worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents.
This hadith is #3706 from Sunan Ibn Majah, in the Book of Tribulations. It is graded Hasan and narrated by It was narrated that ‘Alqamah bin Waqqas said that a man passed by
him, who held a prominent position, and ‘Alqamah said to him:.
