The harm of profuse speech without remembrance of Allah

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Heart Hardened Due to Excessive Speech

Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, started:

This is one of the first corruption due to excessive speech. If a person’s speech is too much without remembrance of Allah, it hardens his heart because he’ll be heedless of the remembrance of Allah.

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ
وَلَا يَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ

Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) to be affected by Allah’s Reminder (this Qur’an), and that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] before, and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened? And many of them were Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).

ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً

Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness. [Al-Baqarah 74]

The heart hardens, even though it is a soft (piece) of meat, but, it can harden or get even worse until it becomes harder than stones. This has been mentioned based on Qur’aanic text:

ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ

Then, after that, your hearts were hardened.

This was after the children of Israel witnessed the great lesson (or sign) regarding the murdered person who was brought back to life, which should have softened the hearts but they did not benefit from it.

ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ الأَنْهَارُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ الْمَاء وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللّهِ

Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness. And indeed, there are stones out of which rivers gush forth, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which split asunder so that water flows from them, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which fall down for fear of Allah]. [Al-Baqarah 74]

Therefore, if you want to soften your heart, abandon excessive speech and busy yourself with the remembrance of Allah, for indeed that will soften your heart. [1]

The Shaikh also stated:

It is obligated to a person to restrain their tongue from excess speech. They should not make their tongue tired and wasting time, instead one should be engaged in remembrance of Allah because profuse remembrance of Allah is good if that is done through at-Tasbeeh [uttering ( سبحان الله), at-Tahleel [uttering (لاإله إلا الله ), at-Takbeer [uttering (الله اكبر), teaching beneficial knowledge, calling to the path of Allah and giving admonitions. This is the means through which Allah raises the status (of a person) and a tree planted for them in paradise. An increase in remembrance of Allah has no limits. Whenever it is possible for you to increase, then increase in remembrance of Allah.

اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا

Remember Allah with much remembrance.

[Al-Ahzaab 41]

وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

And remember the Name of Allah much (both with tongue and mind), so that you may be successful. [ Al-Anfaal 45]

From the signs of Iman is to remember Allah a lot and from the signs of hypocrisy is to remember Allah very little. Allah stated about the hypocrites:

وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَىٰ يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little. [Al-Nisaa 142]

Little remembrance of Allah is from the signs of hypocrisy and remembering Allah a lot is from the signs Iman. So if you want to speak a lot, let it be through remembrance of Allah, let it be through at-Tasbeeh [uttering ( سبحان الله), at-Tahleel [uttering (لاإله إلا الله ), at-Takbeer [uttering (الله اكبر), At-Tahmeed [uttering (الحمد لله ), recitation of the Qur’an and this is the best of Dhikr, by way of teaching beneficial knowledge, bringing about reconciliation between the people, giving admonitions, enjoining good and forbidding evil. There are many opportunities for remembering Allah (The Mighty and Majestic). [1]

وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَىٰ يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen by men, and they do not remember Allah but little. [Al-Nisaa 142]

Among their characteristics is that when they stand up for prayer, and if they offer the prayer, which is the greatest physical act of obedience to Allah, they stand with laziness, with lack of enthusiasm and being uneasy. “And to be seen by men”, this is what their hearts conceal and is the initial reason behind their deeds, to be seen by men. They intend to be seen by men, praised and honoured, but not out of carrying out acts of worship sincerely for Allah. Due to this, they do not remember Allah but a little because their hearts are filled with Riya. For indeed remembrance of Allah and what it necessitates cannot be (established) except by a believer whose heart is filled with love for Allah and His Greatness. [2]

(1) An Excerpt from It’haaf at-Tullab Bi-Sharh Mandhoomah Al-Aadaab pages 85- 86

(2) An Excerpt from Tafsir As-Sadi