How do I control my tongue? What did the scholars say about speech?
Al-Ghazali gave the tongue its own book. He counted twenty-odd sins that issue from it — from backbiting to sarcasm to excessive joking — and traced each back to its root in the heart.
10 passages from 9 books in the library
Al-Ghazali devoted a whole book, the Evils of the Tongue, to guarding speech, since the tongue is naturally inclined to move and easily commits offenses like backbiting, lying, slander, gossip, self-praise, and foul language. The cure begins with vigilant self-examination: he urges the believer to reflect on the tongue's exposure to these sins and restrain it. He treats accepting slander as worse than slander itself, and ties guarding the tongue to fasting and seclusion, where one withholds it from idle chatter, lying, backbiting, and gossip.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 9 books by Imam al-Ghazali — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
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"afflictions of the tongue, such as backbiting, obscenity, lying, slander, and others."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"They should reflect on their tongue, acknowledging its exposure to backbiting, lying, self-praise,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"consider accepting slander worse than slander itself, because slander is merely a suggestion,"
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"fully. The 16th affliction is gossip. Allah Almighty says, A slanderer going about with gossip, and then"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"sins of the tongue like gossip, lying, dispute, self-praise either indirectly or directly,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"The tongue, naturally inclined to move, can easily commit offenses like backbiting, lying,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"guarding the tongue from idle chatter, lying, backbiting, gossiping, foul language,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"So neither does his hand resemble hands, nor his pen resemble pens, nor his speech resemble other speech, nor his writing other writings."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"Similarly, if one gives to avert gossip or slander, it is forbidden, and any money taken in this manner is unlawful."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"People may harm you through backbiting, suspicion, false accusations, deceitful demands, or slander."
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