DAILY POST #72
Imaam Ibn Hajar Al-‘Asqalaani – rahimahullaah – said:
It is reported from Anas radiyallaahu anhu- who said – The Messenger of Allah -salallaahu alayhi wasallam said:
“Keeping silent is considered as an act of wisdom, but very few practice it”.
Transmitted and recorded by Imaam Al-Baihaqi in “Shu’ab Al-lmaan” #4/264/5037.
However, the chain of narrators of the hadith are weak. And the sound view is that, it is traced back to one of the companions (i.e Anas radiyallaahu anhu) who quoted it from Luqman Al-Hakim. And also Imaam Al-Albani declared the hadith to be Dahif (I.e not authentic) in Dahiful Jami’u.
COMMENTARY
The hadith shows the importance of the following:
♦ It shows that it is disliked for one talk too much in matters that has no benefit surrounding it. However, discussing in length matters that has to do with the deen(religion) is encouraged and desirable. In fact, in some cases, it is obligatory upon the scholars to make some clarifications on ambiguous matters. In such a case, keeping silent or not explaining to details is disliked and abhorrent.
♦ It shows that the successful one is the who safeguard himself from worthless speech.
The messenger of Allah sallahu-alayhi wasallam said: whoever keep silent from unnecessary speech is successful.
The hadith is narrated by Imam Ahmad in his “Sunan”#6654 and 6481 and also Imam At-Tirmidhi in his “Sunan”#2501 and Imam Al-Albani declared the hadith to be Sahih in Sahihul Jami’u.
♦ It indicates that talking too much unnecessarily is not an act of wisdom unless matters that has to do with enjoining good and forbidding bad acts.
Allah says in Suratul An-Nisa, Verse 114: There is no good in most of their secret counsels except (in his) who enjoins charity or goodness or reconciliation between people; and whoever does this seeking Allah’s pleasure, We will give him a mighty reward.
Allaahu A’alam!
Baarakallaahu feekum!