06/12/2026
Summary of the Friday Khutbah (Sermon) today; Titled: The Harvest of the Tongue and the Danger of Words
Mu’adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
I said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me about a deed that will admit me to Paradise and keep me away from Hell.”
He said, “You have asked about something great, but it is easy for the one whom Allah makes it easy for: Worship Allah alone and associate nothing with Him, establish prayer, give zakah, fast Ramadan, and perform Hajj.”
Then he said, “Shall I guide you to the gates of goodness? Fasting is a shield, charity extinguishes sins as water extinguishes fire, and a person’s prayer in the middle of the night.”
Then he recited the verses: “They forsake their beds and call upon their Lord in fear and hope…”
Then he said, “Shall I tell you about the head of the matter, its pillar, and its highest peak?”
I said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.”
He said, “The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is prayer, and its highest peak is striving in the cause of Allah.”
Then he said, “Shall I tell you what controls all of that?”
I said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.”
He took hold of his tongue and said, “Control this.”
I said, “O Prophet of Allah, will we really be held accountable for what we say?”
He replied, “May your mother grieve over you, Mu’adh! Are people thrown into the Fire on their faces—or on their noses—for anything other than the harvest of their tongues?”
Dear brothers and sisters,
One of the greatest blessings Allah has given us is the ability to speak. Yet the tongue is one of the most dangerous parts of the human body. It is small in size, but its impact is enormous.
In this hadith, Mu’adh ibn Jabal asked the Prophet ﷺ about a deed that would lead him to Paradise and keep him away from Hell. The Prophet ﷺ mentioned the pillars of Islam and many good deeds. Then he concluded with something very important. He held his tongue and said:
“Control this.”
This teaches us that many acts of worship can be damaged by careless speech. A person may pray, fast, and give charity, yet destroy much of his reward because of what he says.
Mu’adh was surprised and asked:
“Will we really be held accountable for what we say?”
The Prophet ﷺ answered:
“Are people thrown into the Fire because of anything other than the harvest of their tongues?”
This means that many people enter punishment because of the sins they commit with their speech.
How many families have been broken by harmful words?
How many friendships have ended because of gossip?
How many hearts have been hurt by insults and mockery?
Allah says:
“Not a word does a person utter except that an observer is ready to record it.”
Everything we say is being recorded.
Among the major sins of the tongue are:
* Lying
* Backbiting
* Gossip and spreading rumors
* Insulting others
* Mocking people
* False testimony
* Hurtful speech
In our time, the danger is even greater because words are not only spoken. They are also written in text messages, emails, comments, and social media posts. We are accountable for all of them.
Dear believers,
The wise Muslim thinks before speaking. He asks himself:
“Will these words please Allah?”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent.”
Some practical ways to protect our tongues are:
1. Remember that Allah is always watching us.
2. Think before speaking.
3. Increase in the remembrance of Allah and reading the Qur’an.
4. Stay away from gatherings of gossip and backbiting.
5. Review your words at the end of each day and ask Allah for forgiveness.
The righteous people of the past used to say:
“I have never regretted staying silent, but I have often regretted speaking.”
So let us protect our tongues, because safety is in controlling them, and destruction is in letting them run freely.
O Allah, purify our tongues from lying, backbiting, gossip, and harmful speech. Make our words a source of goodness, guidance, and remembrance of You.
Ameen.
Imam Dr. Khaleal
