Use your tongue with wisdom and restraint
“What we say today is what we're planting for the harvest of tomorrow.”
A Muslim should treat speech as a weighty trust, using the tongue with wisdom, restraint, truthfulness, and kindness to draw nearer to Allah and protect people's hearts.
The khutbah in 5 steps
- Distinguishes legal free speech from the Muslim responsibility to restrain harmful words.
- Explains speech etiquette: respect people's status, speak good or remain silent, speak briefly, keep confidences, avoid arguments, speak clearly, and repeat important points.
- Warns against backbiting, spreading everything heard, lying, joking falsely, and using profanity.
- Teaches listeners not to interrupt and not to privately exclude someone in a group of three.
- Closes with an action item to say something uplifting after Jumu'ah and prayers for purified tongues and united communities.
In the khateeb's words
“What we say today Is what we're planting for the harvest of tomorrow”
“Before you amplify, clarify, and verify And even if you verified that information Why should you talk about it?”
For the dinner table
Today's khutbah was about how a Muslim should speak, because words are very heavy. A few words can raise us in Jannah, and careless words can pull us toward the Fire, even when we think they're no big deal. The khateeb taught us to speak to people according to their level, especially to be humble and respectful with our parents and teachers. He told us to say something good or stay quiet, to talk less, to keep people's secrets (even text messages), and to stop arguing just to win. He also warned against backbiting, passing on everything we hear, lying (even as a joke), cursing, interrupting, and leaving someone out of a conversation. His homework for all of us was simple: say something kind and encouraging to someone today, as a sadaqah from our tongue.
- What's one kind thing someone said to you this week that made your day better?
- When is it better to stay quiet than to say what you're thinking?
- How would you feel if two friends whispered or switched languages in front of you, and what could they do instead?
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