RAMADAN PREPARATION 2022 – DO NOT LET THE TONGUE RUIN FASTING

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL

In Ramadan – the easiest part of it is not eating and not drinking. Even in some parts of the world where people are suffering from poverty through war or famine, people can last the whole day without eating or even drinking. May Allah Grant them patience and may Allah Provide them with His Sustenance. However, especially in 2022, with social media ruling many people’s lives, and to many extent, also ruining people’s lives, controlling the tongue is more difficult than fasting in Ramadan. 

A wise Arab proverb says, “Every war begins with words.”

This proverb holds true not just between nations, but even between family members and friends. How many a war have we engaged in which the tongue was our sharpest and most brutal weapon?

Abu ‘Ubaydah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Fasting is a shield, as long as you do not damage it.”

In another narration, the Prophet said, “By lying or backbiting.”

Source: Sunan al-Nasā’ī 2235

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 

مَنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ قَوْلَ الزُّورِ وَالْعَمَلَ بِهِ فَلَيْسَ لِلَّهِ حَاجَةٌ فِي أَنْ يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ

“Whoever does not leave evil words and deeds while fasting, Allah does not need him to leave food and drink.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1903

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Bukhari

Let us now examine from the Qur’an and hadiths about the evil of the tongue

From the Quran

Allah ordered Muslims to defend, help and stand by each other,
مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ 

Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is the Messenger of Allah. And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves (Surah al Fath 48:29)

Defending (Rebutting) backbiting is a characteristic of a believer. Allah says in the Qur’an:

وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا اللَّغْوَ أَعْرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا لَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَا نَبْتَغِي الْجَاهِلِينَ

And when they hear Al-Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk), they withdraw from it and say: “To us our deeds, and to you your deeds. Peace be to you. We seek not the ignorant.                      (Surah al Qasas 28:55)

From the Hadeeth:

1. Abu Mousa Al-Ash’aree narrated that Prophet Mohammad (SAW) said:

“I asked the Messenger of Allah: Who is the best Muslim? The Messenger of Allah replied, “He is the one from whom Muslims are safe from the evil of his tongue and hands.”                   (Muslim)

2. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “Who protects his tongue from unlawful utterances and his private parts from illegal sexual intercourse, I shall guarantee him entrance into Paradise.” (Bukhari and Muslim) 

3. Once Mu`âdh b. Jabal, the illustrious Companion, asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) to inform him of some good work that would admit him into Paradise and distance him from the Hellfire. The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned to him the virtues of many good deeds, then said: “Shall I inform you of the foundation of all of that?” 

Mu`âdh said: “Certainly.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) took hold of his own tongue and said: “Restrain yourself from this.”

Mu`âdh then asked: “O Prophet of Allah! Are we held to task for the things that we say?”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “May your mother be bereaved of you, O Mu`âdh! Does anything topple people headlong into the Hellfire save the harvests of their tongues?”                                                                                                 (Sunan al-Tirmidhî (2616) and Sunan Ibn Mâjah (3973))

4. And Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudree narrated that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:

“When man wakes up in the morning each day, all parts of the body warn the tongue saying, ‘Fear Allah as regards us for we are at your mercy; if you are upright, we will be upright and if you are crooked, we become crooked.”            (at tarmidhi)

HOW DO I CONTROL MY TONGUE DURING RAMADAN?

1. Understand the hadiths above and the words of the Qur’an (seek knowledge).

2. Look at yourself first and correct yourself before you judge others.

3. Purify the hearts – by seeking forgiveness from Allah, doing more dhikr, etc – in order to remove feelings of envy, hasad, etc.

4. Seek forgiveness from others before Ramadan begins.

5. Forgive others before Ramadan begins, and don’t get angry – it is a sign of Taqwa:

وَسارِعوا إِلىٰ مَغفِرَةٍ مِن رَبِّكُم وَجَنَّةٍ عَرضُهَا السَّماواتُ وَالأَرضُ أُعِدَّت لِلمُتَّقينَ

الَّذينَ يُنفِقونَ فِي السَّرّاءِ وَالضَّرّاءِ وَالكاظِمينَ الغَيظَ وَالعافينَ عَنِ النّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ المُحسِنينَ

“And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqun (the pious)

Those who spend [in Allah’s Cause – deeds of charity, alms, etc.] in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (the good-doers).” 3: 133-134

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6. Spend more time in Ramadan in acts of worship rather than having too many iftar parties and socialising in Ramadan – recite more Qur’an, doing more adhkar.

7. Always think before you speak.

8. Always have good opinion of others – you do not know the whole story of people’s circumstances and what other good deeds they do. 

• The story of Imam Hanafee and his neighbour who drinks

9. Surround yourself in good company who understand the Deen.

وَاصبِر نَفسَكَ مَعَ الَّذينَ يَدعونَ رَبَّهُم بِالغَداةِ وَالعَشِيِّ يُريدونَ وَجهَهُ ۖ وَلا تَعدُ عَيناكَ عَنهُم تُريدُ زينَةَ الحَياةِ الدُّنيا ۖ وَلا تُطِع مَن أَغفَلنا قَلبَهُ عَن ذِكرِنا وَاتَّبَعَ هَواهُ وَكانَ أَمرُهُ فُرُطًا

“And keep yourself (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) patiently with those who call on their Lord (i.e. your companions who remember their Lord with glorification, praising in prayers, etc., and other righteous deeds, etc.) morning and afternoon, seeking His Face, and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose affair (deeds) has been lost.” 18: 28

10. Refrain yourself from using too much social media in Ramadan.

11. Stay away from talks which involve talking about other people.

12. Seek refuge from shaytan.

13. Do more volunteer deeds, such as sunnah fast, sunnah prayers, sadaqah, so that Allah will Guide us more, in accordance to the hadith Qudsi:

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said: Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him. It was related by al-Bukhari.

14. Improve the salah (29: 45)

إِنَّ الصَّلاةَ تَنهىٰ عَنِ الفَحشاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ

“…Verily, As-Salat (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha’ (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed, etc.)…”

15. Ask Allah for Guidance and to Increase Taqwa.

16. Make du’a to Accept fasting.

17. Don’t forget to payh zakat al fitr at the end of Ramadan – to rectify mistakes made in Ramadan.

Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, obligated Zakat al-Fitr as purification of the fasting person from vain talk and misbehavior, as food for the poor. Whoever pays it before the Eid prayer, it is accepted as Zakat. Whoever pays it after the Eid prayer, it is part of voluntary charity.

Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1609

Grade: Hasan (fair) according to Ibn Qudamah

Always remember the wise saying:

‘Allamah Ibn Rajab Al Hambali (rahimahullah) has cited this as the statement of Imam Abu Bakr Al Warraq Al Balkhi (rahimahullah):

“Rajab is the month to sow the seeds. Sha’ban is the month to irrigate the crop and Ramadan is the month to reap the harvest.”

Use this month of Rajab inshaAllah to sow our seeds by controlling our tongue so that by Ramadan inshaAllah we will get the full reward is our harvest. 

May Allah Ease our tasks to control our tongue.