Ṣamt
Definition
Samt — deliberate silence — is al-Ghazali's primary prescription for the tongue's diseases: when in doubt about whether speech is beneficial, remain silent. He presents silence not as passivity but as an active spiritual discipline — the person who governs their tongue by maintaining deliberate silence in moments when speech would be doubtful, harmful, or simply unnecessary is exercising one of the most powerful tools of spiritual protection available. The Prophet ﷺ practised long silences and advised his companions to keep their tongues in check; al-Ghazali argues that this practice alone would eliminate the vast majority of tongue-sins from the lives of most Muslims.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
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