9. Refrain from the common evils of the tongue

People getting together and communicating with each other often leads to falling into various sins related to the tongue such as slandering, lying, insulting and cursing. These habits are grievous sins that eat away at our rewards and the Barakah in our lives: make it a habit to ensure whether anything you are about to say may constitute any of these sins. And, if you were to indulge in joking, let the jokes be true. Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) has said:

“A slave (of Allah) may utter a word which pleases Allah without giving it much importance, and because of that Allah will raise him to degrees (of reward): a slave (of Allah) may utter a word (carelessly) which displeases Allah without thinking of its gravity and because of that he will be thrown into the Hell-Fire.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

One should abstain from using its speech for talking malevolence such as falsehood and backbiting etc. First, speaking lies is strictly prohibited in Islam, and Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) always preached about being truthful in every matter. It is common observation that when we come into conversation, we tend to use fabrication of words just for sake of making jokes and fun, but that is not the way of our religious instructions.

Also, it has been seen that we use to enjoy spitefulness against the ones who are present and talk about them in front of our so called friends. This act is highly forbidden because one day we will be talking ill about someone, and on the other, we might be sitting with him and chatting unwell about someone else, and so the satanic action continues. Allah SWT has regarded this action as one of the most nauseating things to do in the Holy Quran as:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَحِيمٌ

“O you, who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.” [Quran, 49: 12]