Hadith 15: speak good or stay silent

The hadith. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or stay silent. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honour his neighbour. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honour his guest."

Source: hadith no. 15 of An-Nawawi. Reported by Al-Bukhari (no. 6018) and Muslim (no. 47).

"Speak good or stay silent". Before speaking, one simple question: is what I am about to say good? If yes, I say it. If not, or if I do not know, I stay silent. Silence is not weakness: it is often wisdom. And speaking good is not only avoiding bad: it is also encouraging, thanking, advising, teaching, reconciling.

Speech online. Writing is also speaking. A comment, a voice message, a story: the same hadith applies. Before posting: "Is it true? Is it useful? Is it kind?"

Honouring one's neighbour. The neighbour has rights: not harming them (noise, rubbish, prying), helping them, sharing with them, greeting them. This applies to all neighbours, whatever their religion.

Honouring one's guest. Welcoming them with a smile, offering them a drink and food according to one's means, making them feel at ease.

The link between the three: faith in the Last Day makes us attentive. Whoever knows he will answer for his words and actions takes care of his tongue and of those around him.

And you? For one day, try the three-question rule (true? useful? kind?) before every message you send. How many messages did you end up changing or not sending?

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The three sentences of the hadith all start with "whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day…". Faith is not just an idea: it shows in the tongue and in the way we treat those around us.

A single word can weigh a great deal. The Prophet ﷺ said that a person may say a word that pleases Allah without paying it much attention, and Allah raises him by many degrees; and he may say a word that displeases Allah without paying it attention, and it makes him fall into Hell (Bukhari 6478). In another hadith of the collection, he asks Mu'adh: "Are people thrown into the Fire for anything more than what their tongues reap?" (Tirmidhi 2616, hadith no. 29 of An-Nawawi)

The neighbour has a special place. The Prophet ﷺ said that Jibril kept urging him about the neighbour, until he thought the neighbour would be made an heir (Bukhari 6014, Muslim 2624).

The hadith does not ask us to be silent all the time: it asks us to choose. A word of encouragement, a thank you or a reconciliation is better than silence.

Lessons to draw from it • Before speaking or posting, I ask myself: is it true, useful and kind? • If what I am about to say is not good, I stay silent: silence is often wisdom. • I respect my neighbours, whatever their religion: no nuisance, respect and help. • I welcome my guests with a smile and put them at ease.

Key points to remember • فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ (Bukhari 6018, Muslim 47). • A single word can raise someone up or bring them down (Bukhari 6478).

The main message Faith in the Last Day shows in our tongue and in how we treat others: speak good, or stay silent.