Abu Hurairah relates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid, “He who believes in Allah and the Last Day must either speak good or remain silent.”
(Bukhari andMuslim)
The ability to speak is a GodGift. This does not mean we can use this ability to satisfy our whims and inconsistencies. The Prophet ﷺteaches us to speak the good or remain silent when there is no good words to say,for the tongue might be a cause to go to Paradise or Hellfire.
Silence is wisdom. Nowadays people tend to say anything for the sake of speaking. Only a few know that silence is one of the good deeds that will be heavy on the scale on the Day of Judgement. If we remain silent, we will save ourselves from falling into sins.
Good words always bring goodness in this life and the hereafter. They allow us to see the goodness of others and hence we have no hatred instilled in our heart. Applying this virtue helps us become more productive by making full use of our time which results from making remembrance of Allah, reading beneficial books or simply contemplating.
If we do not prefer silence, our tongue will trap us into backbiting, falling into speaking ill about others and saying things that might cause regret later on.
According to another hadith, each day all the other body parts ask the tongue to fear Allah concerning them.Theseahadith show the importance of becoming aware of the use of the tongue.