In the name of Allah
The All compassionate, the All-Merciful
27th Ramadan 1446 (28th March 2025)
Islamic Universal Association
20 Penzance Place, Holland Park
London, W11 4 PG
Imam Ali (a.s.)’s advice in the Nahjal-Balagha – Part 75
In Islam, the power of the tongue cannot be underestimated. It has the potential to propel us towards Allah (s.w.t.)’s pleasure or drive us away from Him. Our tongue has enormous influence on our actions and that is why Imam Ali (a.s.) in Sermon 176 highlights its importance. A relevant extract from his Sermon reads:
“Maintain one’s tongue. A man should control his tongue because the tongue is obstinate with its master. By Allah, I do not find that fear of Allah benefits a man unless he controls his tongue. Certainly the tongue of a believer is at the back of his heart while the heart of a hypocrite is at the back of his tongue. This is because when a believer intends to say anything, he thinks it over in his mind. If it is good he discloses it, but if it is bad he lets it remain concealed. While a hypocrite speaks whatever comes to his tongue, without knowing what is in his favor and what goes against him.
The Prophet of Allah – peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his descendants – has said: “The belief of a person cannot be firm unless his heart is firm, and his heart cannot be firm unless his tongue is firm.” If one can meet Allah, the Sublime, with hands that are not smeared with the blood of Muslims and his tongue is safe from exposing them, he should do so.”
The tongue is an endowment that Allah (s.w.t.) has bestowed upon man for purposes of communication and to express one’s needs. Although it is small in size, it is like a double-edged sword; it can do much good but it can also do much harm. One, who uses it to comply with the commands of Allah (s.w.t.) and the teachings of the Holy Quran, can earn blessings in this world and in the hereafter. However, the one who uses his tongue in disobedience to Allah (s.w.t.) would be heading towards destruction. According to the Holy Prophet (s.a.) “Blessed is the man who speaks good or keeps silent in the face of evil and is secure”
Ayahs 17 and 18 of Surah Qaf provides: “Two (guardian angels) appointed to scribe, are seated on man’s right and one on his left.
Man shall not utter a word but what is already written by a trusted watcher.”
The two guardian angels refer to the two angels appointed by Allah (s.w.t) to record all of man’s deeds. When one stands for judgment on the Day of Resurrection, the scroll in which one’s deeds are recorded will be unfolded and it will be said: “Read your book! On this Day, your soul suffices as a reckoner against you. The followings traditions are recorded in Majma Al-Bayan relating to this Ayah:
- Abi Amama has narrated that the Holy Prophet (s.a.) has said that the angel seated on the left will wait for 6 hours before recording man’s evil deeds to see if he repents or seek Allah (s.w.t.)’s forgiveness.
- According to another tradition the angel who is on the right has power over the angel on the left. He will tell him to wait for 7 hours to see if the evil deed is erased through repentance before recording it. An evil deed is recorded as a single evil deed whereas a good deed is recorded as ten good deeds and the doer will get ten times its reward.
Second Sermon
Eide Fitr
Today is the last Friday of the month of Ramadan and Muslims all over the world are preparing to celebrate Eide Fitr on the 1st of Shawwal. Its significance stems from the special meaning it holds for the entire Muslim community in the remembrance of Allah (s.w.t. and it fosters brotherhood and interactions like Eide Qurban, Eide Mabath and Eide Ghadir, which are also special days of rejoicing and unity.
Imam Ali (a.s.) advised Muslims on the day of Eide Fitr as follows: “O people! Verily this day of yours is the day when the righteous are rewarded and the wretched are losers. It is a day which is similar to the Day of Resurrection when you will be standing before your Lord in awe. Therefore, when you come out of your homes to go to places of worship to perform your Eid prayer, remind yourselves about the day when you will rise from your graves to meet your Lord. When you take your places for prayer, remind yourselves of standing in the presence of your Lord in the divine court. Moreover, when you return to your homes after prayer imagine that the judgement has been pronounced and the joy or the anguish you will experience when proceeding to your eternal abode in paradise or hell.
O Servants of Allah! Verily the minimum reward for those men and women who fasted during Ramadan is precisely what the angel announces to them on the last day of the month of Ramadan: ‘O servants of Allah! Rejoice at the glad tiding that all your previous sins have been forgiven. Therefore, be careful of your duties and responsibilities to Allah on this day and the days to follow’.”
(The book of Amaali Sadooq, page 100)
The valuable points of the above sermon are provided hereunder:
- The believers will be rewarded for having completed their duty as ordained by Allah (s.w.t) by fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. Hence Allah (s.w.t) has forgiven all their sins.
- They now have the opportunity to start with a clean slate but they should be careful of their duties and obligations henceforth.
- Eide Fitr is similar to the Day of Resurrection when everyone will be standing before Allah (s.w.t.) in awe.
- Muslims should visualise whilst travelling to the mosques to perform their Eid prayer, the day when they will rise from their graves to meet with their Lord. When they take their place for prayer they should imagine that they are standing in Allah (s.w.t.)’s divine court.
- After prayer they should bring to mind that the judgement has been pronounced and the joy or misery they would then feel.
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