Speak good or remain silent
“Whoever believes in Allah on the last day should speak good or remain silent.”
True communication is disciplined communication: believers should speak good, purposeful, accurate words, remain silent when speech is harmful, and speak up when truth or justice requires it.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Congratulates the author and team and introduces the book's teachings on communication and silence.
- Profiles Imam al-Suyuti's scholarship, perseverance, and prolific authorship.
- Explains disciplined living and defines Islamic silence as avoiding useless or false speech.
- Distinguishes when silence is obligatory, forbidden, or praiseworthy.
- Presents three practices: speak good, speak with purpose and accuracy, and avoid evil speech.
- Concludes with examples from Abu Hanifa, prayers, congratulations, and an invitation to take the book.
In the khateeb's words
“Silence is good but not at the wrong time Speaking is good but not at the wrong time”
“Whoever believes in Allah on the last day Should speak good or remain silent”
“If you're reporting information Make sure it's accurate”
“Be forgiving towards people And don't be preoccupied With protecting your reputation”
For the dinner table
Today’s khutbah celebrated a new book, Husnu al-Samti fi al-Samt, about communicating wisely and knowing when silence is better. The speaker described Imam al-Suyuti’s scholarship and perseverance, then connected the book’s theme to everyday discipline in speech, sleep, food, and social life. We should say what is good, speak with purpose, verify what we report, and avoid gossip, slander, false testimony, and ego-driven arguments. Silence is not always virtuous: we must speak when someone needs help or when truth and justice require our testimony. The family takeaway is to pause before speaking and let our words reflect faith and benefit others.
- When has staying quiet helped you avoid hurting someone?
- How can we check whether a story is true before sharing it?
- What could you do when an argument starts becoming about your ego?
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