Riyad as-Salihin, 1511
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who believes in Allah and the Last Day must either speak good or remain silent." <b>[Muslim]</b>.
وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال:
من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر، فليقل خيرًا، أو ليصمت
((متفق عليه)). وهذا صريح أنه ينبغي أن لا يتكلم إلا إذا كان الكلام خيرًا، وهو الذي ظهرت مصلحته، ومتى شك في ظهور المصلحة، فلا يتكلم.
References1 variant
- In-Book Reference
- Book 17, Hadith 1
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
<b>Guidance from the Hadith:</b><br>
1) Silence is better than useless speech.<br>
2) Speaking good words and refraining from speaking evil is one of the requirements of believing in Allah Almighty and the Last Day.<br>
<br>
The Hadith explicitly indicates that one should speak only when it is good to speak, i.e. when his speech would result in realizing an interest. When he is not sure about that, then he should not speak.