Part 28

' Abu Daawood related it (4990), and Al-Albaanee ruled that his narration of the hadith is Hasan. The others who related it are Ahmad (19519); AtTirmidhee (2315); Ad-Daarimee (2702); and Al-Baghawee, in SharhusSunnah (4131).

1 Abu Daawood related it (4868), and Al-Albaanee ruled that it is Hasan. Ahmad (14644) and At-Tirmidhee (1959) related it as well.

indicating that he is afraid others will overhear his words and that he is imparting a secret to you. The act of turning to each side, then, is tantamount to his saying: “I am about to entrust you with a secret.”

12) The Eldest Is Given Precedence In Speech

‘Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Sahl, Huwaisah Ibn Mas’ood, and Muhaisah Ibn Mas’ood - when these three went to the Prophet #@ in regard to a dispute, ‘Abdur-Rahmaan, the youngest among them, began to speak. The Prophet #% said to him words to the effect of,

“Let the oldest one speak [first].“ The Companions 4 honored their elders and showed mercy to the young among them, which is perhaps why Ibn ‘Umar & refrained from coming to the forefront when he was the youngest

in a gathering. This occurred when the Prophet #% said to his Companions 4,

555 ESS “Inform me of a tree, the example of which is the example of the Muslim. It bears its fruits at all times by the permission of its Lord, and its leaves do not wear away.”

Ibn ‘Umar knew the answer to this question, for he later said, “Tt occurred to me that it is the date-tree, but I disliked to speak when Abu Bakr and ‘Umar # were there without any of them speaking (with the answer). The Prophet # [then] said,

‘It is the date-tree.’

1! Related by Bukhaaree (6142), Muslim (1669), At-Tirmidhee (1422), AnNassaaee (4713), Abu Daawood (4520), Ibn Maajah (2677), Ahmad (15664), Maalik (1630), and Ad-Daarimee (2353).

13) Do Not Interrupt Or Cut Off Someone While He Is Speaking

" Related by Bukhaaree (6044), Muslim (2811), Ahmad (4585), At-Tirmidhee (2867), and Ad-Daarimee (282). And the wording mentioned above is from Bukhaaree’s narration of the hadith.

“When the trust is lost, await the Hour.’ The Bedouin asked, ‘And how will it be lost?’ He #8 said,

“When the matter (i.e., positions of leadership) is entrusted to those who do not deserve it, then await the Hour.”

‘The portion of the hadith that is relevant to our discussion here is Abu Hurairah’s saying, ‘The Messenger of Allah #8 continued to speak.” He did not stop or allow himself to be interrupted, because the right to speak was with the person in the gathering who was already speaking - in this case, the Prophet #% - and not with the questioner.

In establishing the said ruling, we can also draw upon the saying of Ibn ‘Abbaas to ‘Ikrimah: ‘Speak to the people once a week,

: and if you refuse except to do otherwise, then twice; and if you want to address them even more often, then three times. And do not be the cause of people becoming bored by the Quran (by addressing them too often or for too long). And do not let me find you going to a people, while they are talking, and speaking to them (with a sermon), thus cutting off their talk and causing them to become bored. Instead, listen [to them and wait], and when they command [or ask] you [to address them], then speak to them while they are in a state of desiring to hear you...”"7!

14) Speak Slowly, Deliberately, And Succinctly

When you speak quickly or long-windedly, it is likely that your

listeners will understand a meaning other than the one you

intended for them to understand. The Prophet # spoke , deliberately and succinctly; in describing his way of talking,

‘Aaisha % said, ‘If a counter were to try to enumerate the things

spoken by the Prophet # when he spoke, he would be able to do

8) Related by Bukhaaree (59) and Ahmad (8512). P Related by Bukhaaree (6337)

so (i.e., so deliberately did the Prophet # speak, for the benefit of his listeners; and so careful was he in choosing his words).” In the narration of Ahmad, she 4 said, ‘The Messenger of Allah # would not speak quickly or hastily as you do; he would pause as he spoke, so that one who heard him could memorize what he said.”""]_ An-Nawawee and Ibn Hajr explained these narrations, saying that the Prophet #¢ would not speak long-windedly, nor would he # speak quickly, with one phrase or idea following immediately upon the one before it; thus he avoided confusing his listeners.

“And lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the voice (braying) of the ass.’’} (Quran 31:19)

In lowering your voice, you are showing good manners with people and with Allah 4%. Had there been any merit in the loud, harsh, shrill voice, the donkey would not be singled out with such a voice; and the baseness as well as the stupidity of the donkey is well known. To be sure, then, speaking with a loud voice is bad manners; and when one speaks in a loud, harsh voice, he shows that he has no respect for others. Ibn Zaid said, “Had speaking loudly been a noble way of utterance, Allah 3 would not have given that quality of voice to the ass.”

16) Words And Phrases That You Should Avoid :

Some people might say certain words or phrases that the Shariah prohibited; perhaps they don’t know the ruling of saying such — phrases - they represent the majority - or they know the ruling _ but forget. And worst of all are those who say those phrases on | purpose, with full knowledge that they are perpetrating a Haram

' The hadith, with its different wordings, is related by Bukhaaree (3568),

Muslim (2493), Ahmad (25677), At-Tirmidhee (3639), and Abu Daawood

forbidden) deed. We cannot enumerate all of those phrases and iwords in this book, but we will mention at least some of them.

But before we proceed, we need to keep something in mind. ‘Some people say that as long as one’s intention is correct, it does ‘hot really matter what he says, even if he makes serious mistakes egarding religious issues. This is not true; a person should be ‘areful to the utmost that his speech is limited to what is allowed 4n the Shariah, for one might say words that will be the cause of this destruction, though he does not perceive the implications of ‘what he says. Here are some words and phrases that you should ‘avoid in your speech:

a) Avoid using words which say or imply that another person is a disbeliever (Kaafir), an innovator in the religion (Mubadai’), or an evildoer (Faasiq), unless of course you have clear proofs to back up your claim.

The Prophet #¢ said,

“Whenever any man says to his brother, ‘O Kaafir (disbeliever),’ then it (it meaning the reality of being a disbeliever) returns and becomes binding on one of them.’"")

And this wording is from the narration of Abu Daawood:

abi GB SS Vy vas OS SG as by et yt th “Whenever any Muslim man rules that another Muslim man is

a disbeliever, then either that other man is a disbeliever or else he is a disbeliever.””

In this regard, there is a group of people whom Allah 4 has blinded - having blinded their minds and not their eyes - a group that indiscriminately attacks the honor of other Muslims, labeling them as disbelievers, innovators, or evildoers. It is as if,

"I Related by Bukhaaree (6104), Muslim (60), Ahmad (4673), At-Tirmidhee (2637), Abu Daawood (4687), and Maalik (1844). The exact wording used here is taken from Bukhaaree’s narration of the hadith,

in their minds, Allah 3% has made such attacks a form of worship for them. Yet were we to study the ways of our pious predecessors, the likes of the Companions and the Imams that followed their guidance - such as Abu Haneefah, Maalik, AshShaafi’ee, and Ahmad - we would find them to be very careful in this regard, especially when it came to calling another person a disbeliever. Unless clear proofs that allowed no room for doubt proved the disbelief of a particular person, and unless the proof i was established upon him (meaning, the proof was presented to ; him, and he was given a chance to recant his previous view), they : would not say with their tongues anything to indicate the/ disbelief of that person. Abu Bakrah 4 related that the Prophet i x gave the foriowing se sermon on the dey of An-Nahr: