Khutba on Truth and the Tongue

الحَمْدُ للهِ، الحَمْدُ للهِ الذي خَلَقَ الإِنْسانَ، وجعل له العقل واللسان، وأنطقه وعلّمه الكلام، نَحْمَدُهُ تعالى ونستعينه، ونشكره تعالى ونستغفره ونستغيثه، نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، مَنْ يَهْدِ اللهُ فلا مضل له، ومَنْ يُضلِلْ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ، ونَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ  وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، له الملك وله الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير، ونشْهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَنَا ومولانا مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُه وَرَسُولُهُ، وحبيبه وصفيه، بلغ الرسالة وأدّى الأمانة ونصح الأمّة، النبي الأمي الذي أرسله الله بالهدى والدين الحقّ، بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة، صلى الله عليه وسلم وعَلَى آلِهِ وأَصْحابِهِ ومَنْ تَبِعَهم بإِحْسانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ.  

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَيَا عِبَادَ اللهِ اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون، يا أيها الذين آمنوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا، يُصْلِحْ لَكُم أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا، يا أيها المسلمون اتقوا الله فيما أوصى وأمر، وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر.

One of the most impressive qualities of the human being, a quality which elevates him above his fellows and sets him apart is courage. True courage is rare enough that when we see it we immediately recognise it and applaud it, regardless of where we find it, even if it is amongst our rivals or enemies. In the present day, the most common place to find it is on the sports field, whether in the batsman bravely facing down the fast bowler or the rugby player putting his whole body on the line to prevent a try. But courage in the pursuit of what actually brings about meaningful change, courage in pursuit of the truth in a world where falsehood reigns supreme, that is rarer than hen’s teeth, and when it is seen it is to be treasured and its people raised up and followed. For that courage is not purely physical or instinctual, it is courage after reflection. It is courage whereby the risks and consequences are known, and yet none of those concerns prevent that one from moving forward. And aside from those with nihilistic tendencies, it is courage that can only come from absolute trust in Allah. It is the courage shown to us by the Messenger of Allah and by His Companions. No threat held them back and no odds did they consider too great to overcome. They did not fear falsehood or the enemies of Allah, they feared what their Lord would say to them if they ignored it and let it stand unchallenged. Their fear was reserved for their Lord. Allah says,

الَّذِينَ يُبَلِّغُونَ رِسَالاتِ الله وَيَخْشَوْنَهُ وَلا يَخْشَوْنَ أَحَدًا إِلا اللهَ

the translation of which is, “those who convey Allah’s Message and fear Him, fearing no one except Allah.” Now in the present day, the strongest weapon the human being has in the struggle for truth is the tongue. It was once possible to also put one’s body on the line on the battlefield, but intentions have been muddied and the distinction between truth and falsehood has been blurred by many of those who claim to be fighting on behalf of this umma and in the way of Allah.
To speak the truth and champion the deen, to strip away the lies and cut to the chase – that is no small matter, especially when all the apparati of state and modern-day society are lined up against you. And there are very few who are willing to do it. The majority are happy towing the party line and maintaining the status quo, fearful of what others will think of them, fearful that they will be tarred with a brush that might make them pariah in the societies they call home. That fear, real or imagined, paralyses them and causes them to obscure truth and promote falsehood, hiding away or apologising for elements of their deen that appear barbaric and unpalatable to modern humanist sensibilities. We have seen examples of this in the Amman declaration and the letter against ISIS published a couple of years ago, which while noble in intent suffered from its abandonment of truth in favour of appeasement. And this fear also prevents them from speaking up on behalf of those who have been denied a voice, a number increasing by the day as legislation becomes more draconian and basic civil liberties are stripped away.
And that is why it is so impressive to see those who do stand up and make themselves heard, those who say the truth no matter how bitter, those who defend those who cannot defend themselves even when they are accused of something indefensible. Abu Dharr said, relaying a list of instructions given to him by the Messenger of Allah,

وَأَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَقُولَ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُرًّا، وأمرني ألا أخاف في الله لومة لائم

“He commanded me to say the truth even when it was bitter, and commanded me to not fear the blame of any blamer.” Our own Shaykh has never been afraid to speak the truth, as his books and articles bear witness, and he has never been afraid to recognise and affirm those who do the same and champion them. Such people are the true leaders of this umma, they are the sabiqin – those who have gone out in the front and put their necks on the line. They are the mujahidin. The Prophet said, 

أفضل الجهاد كلمة صدق عند سلطان جائر

“The best form of jihad is speaking the truth to the unjust ruler.” Speaking out against injustice wherever they find it. Those who do this, we must step and join them – we must not leave them to struggle on their own. Even if we cannot find it within ourselves to speak as they do, we must offer them our support. We must make sure that the right audience hears them. We must give them the benefit of our knowledge, wisdom and nasiha so that their brave words can always be directed in the best possible way and in the best possible direction. And we must work to elevate them so that their voices can be more widely heard, and raise them up and offer them our allegiance on that basis. Indeed, as part of the first pledge of allegiance of this community, the Companions agreed to,

نَقُولَ بِالْحَقِّ أَيْنَمَا كُنَّا لاَ نَخَافُ فِي اللَّهِ لَوْمَةَ لاَئِمٍ

“Speak the truth wherever we are and not fear the blame of any blamer.” Speaking the truth is part of our contract with our Lord and His Messenger. It is our most effective tool and our most effective weapon, for no amount of falsehood can stand in its way. Truth has a way of cutting through everything and all it requires is one word to expose the reality and wake this umma from its slumber. Allah says, 

بل نقذف بالحق على الباطل فيدمغه فإذا هو زاهق

the translation of which is, “Rather We hurl the Truth against falsehood and it cuts right through it and it vanishes clean away!” It is like the boy who said the king has no clothes when everyone else was frightened and embarrassed to speak or the staff of Musa when everyone was bewitched and seduced into believing the magic of the magicians to be real. Do not be seduced by the illusions, do not be intimidated. Do not be fooled by those who twist the Words of Allah and manipulate them to suit their own ends and maintain their own status and position. They are not our guides and leaders – their way only leads to ruin and perdition and the disappearance of millat Islam without a trace. No, it is in truth and with the people of truth that our success and our future lies. Allah says,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ

the translation of which is, “O you who believe have taqwa of Allah and be with the truthful.”

أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرَّحيم

الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، صلى الله وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه، والتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته وأحذركم وإياي عن معصيته ومخالفته.

As we have seen from the first khutba, the tongue has the potential to be our greatest weapon and our most effective tool, it has the potential to raise us up in the eyes of our Lord and bring us into His most innermost circle, but it also has the opposite potential. For if we misuse it, it can destroy us and drag us down, and push us out to the furthest reaches and down into the deepest trenches of the Fire in the Hereafter, It is dangerous indeed. The Prophet said to Muadh ibn Jabal,

ألا أُخبرُك بملاكِ ذلك كلِّه؟" فقال معاذ: "بلى يا رسولَ الله"، فأخذ بلسانِه وقال: "كُفَّ عليك هذا"، فقال: "يا رسولَ الله، وإنَّا لمؤَاخذون بما نتكلَّمُ به؟" قال: "ثَكِلَتْكَ أمُّك يا معاذ، وهل يَكُبَُ الناسَ في النار على وجوهِهم إلا حصائدُ ألسنتِهم؟"

“Should I not tell you about that upon which this whole matter rests?” Mu‘adh replied, “Yes,” so the Prophet took hold of his tongue and said, “Restrain this.” So Mu‘adh asked, “Messenger of Allah, will we be taken to task for what we say?” The Prophet  replied, “May your mother be bereaved of you, Mu‘adh! Is there anything other than that which is reaped by the tongue that causes men to be dragged through the Fire on their faces!?”
And the Prophet said,

أكثرُ خطايا ابْنِ ءادمَ مِن لسانِه

And the Prophet said, “Most of the wrong actions of the children of Adam come from their tongues.” The tongue wags and we find ourselves saying things that we may never have intended to say, especially if we keep the company of those who let their tongues run loose. This is not the way of the mumin. The mumin guards his tongue, the mumin measures his words. The Prophet said,

إن لسان المؤمن وراء قلبه فإذا أراد أن يتكلم بشيء تدبره بقلبه ثم أمضاه بلسانه

“The tongue of the believer lies behind his heart – for whenever he wants to say something he reflects upon what he is going to say with his heart before letting his tongue speak.” And if your heart tells you those words are harmful or without benefit, then do not let them pass. Instead, remain silent or replace them with something good like dhikr of Allah. The Messenger of Allah said,

من كان يؤمنُ بالله واليومِ الآخر فليقلْ خيراً أوِلْيصمُتْ

“Let whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day say something good or remain silent.” That is the way of the Muslim. The Prophet said,

المسلمُ من سلمَ المسلمونَ من لسانهِ ويده

“The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand other Muslims are safe.” This applies especially in times of fitna, in times of great change and upheaval, in times when there is a changing of the guard. It is all too easy to let yourself get carried away in the heat of the moment and say something you later look back on and regret. Always remember that the only circumstances in which it is acceptable to speak badly of another Muslim are to warn against a false belief or wrong action that that person is promoting or with proof in front of a qadi. Otherwise all you are doing is slandering him or backbiting, even if what you say is true. And backbiting is akin to cannibalism, eating the flesh of your Muslim brother. Allah says,

وَلَا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ

the translation of which is, “Do not backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat his brother’s dead flesh? No, he would hate it.” It poisons your heart and poisons the hearts of those to whom you speak. And their only antidote to your poison is to speak out in the defence of the one against whom you are speaking. The Prophet said,

من رد عن عرض أخيه بالغيب رد الله عن وجهه النار يوم القيامة

“If you defend the honour of your brother in his absence, Allah will defend your face from the Fire on the Day of Qiyama.” This is the job of the Muslim, to always speak well of our brothers, and defend those who are not present. Our words should heal and connect, not poison and rip apart. We put our brothers back together when they have fallen down, we do not put the boot in and deepen their woes. We use our tongues in ways that strengthen this umma, not in ways that weaken it. That is how it should be and that is what we ask our Lord. May Allah make our tongues instruments for truth and not instruments for falsehood. May He make them the means for us to gain His Pleasure and not His anger. May He make them witnesses for us on the Day of Rising and not witnesses against us. May He protect our community from those who misuse them and use them to spread lies and discord. And may He make them a means of reuniting the Muslims and healing their divisions.

إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُهَا الذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً. 

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ  أَجْمَعِينَ. وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، وعن أم المومنين عائشة التي أمرنا الله في سورة النور أن ندافع عنها، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً اِلأَنْصَارَ مِنْهُمْ وَالمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَعَنِ التَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ وَلِاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ المُسْتَقِيمِ، وَأَصْلِحْهُمْ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ. 

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى شَيْخِنَا، وَعَلَى أَمِيرِنَا، وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمَرَاءِ وَزُعَمَاءِ المُسْلِمِينَ. 

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى المُسْلِمِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا تُحِبُّهُ وَتَرْضَاهُ يَا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ. 

اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلَامَ وَالمُسِْلمِينَ، وَاخْذُلِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ، وَانْصُرِ المُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ. وَاجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وَكَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلَى. 

رَبَّنَا ءَاتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقَِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ. 

إِنَّ اللهَ يَامُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَّكَّرُونَ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ. وَقُومُواْ إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللهُ.