Be Mindful of Interrupting the Speech

It is from good manners to abstain from interrupting someone who is talking. He might be eager to continue his talk, but when someone interrupts, it distracts his listeners, and makes them bear a grudge against the interrupter.

This is supported by what has been reported by Abu Hurairah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu), who said:

“While the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was speaking in a gathering, a bedouin entered and asked: “When would the Hour (Doomsday) take place?” Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) continued his talk. Some people said Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) heard the question, but he did not like what the bedouin asked. Others assumed that Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had not heard the bedouin.

After the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) completed his speech, he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) inquired: “Where is the questioner who inquired about the Hour (Doomsday)?” The bedouin said: “I am here, O Messenger of Allaah.” The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “When Al-Amaanah (i.e., the trust or moral responsibility or honesty and all the duties which Allaah has ordained) is lost, then wait for the Hour (Doomsday).” The bedouin asked: “How will that be lost?” The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “When the power or authority comes into the hands of unfit people (i.e., they are nonreligious scholars), then wait for the Hour (Doomsday.)” [Saheeh Al-Bukhaari no. 59 and Ahmad no. 8512]

The narrator’s statement, “Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) continued his talk…” means, he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did not stop talking – and that is because it was the right of the people in the gathering [to listen to the speech of Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)], and not the questioner’s. Hence, it was appropriate that Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did not stop until he had completed his speech.

The interpreter of the Qur’an, Ibn ‘Abbaas (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhuma) said to Ikrimah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu): “Talk to the people once every Friday – but if you do not agree to this – then twice, and if you want more, then three times – but do not tire the people with this Qur’an. And do not let me find you coming to the people when they are talking about their concerns, interrupting them in their talk, and as such, disrupting them. Keep silent, and only talk when they ask you, and at a time when they want it…” [Saheeh Al-Bukhaari no. 6337]

Ibn ‘Abbaas (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhuma) has explained the reason behind the prohibition of interrupting people when they are engaged in talks and discussions. Interruption causes boredom and weariness for them. Ibn ‘Abbaas (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) also instructed Ikrimah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) with the good manner of (attentive) listening; if they asked him to talk, he may preach, because then, they will be more willing to listen to what he has to say.

Speak Slowly and Do Not Rush

Speaking quickly makes it difficult for the listeners to understand the words. Therefore, there was no rushing in the speech of Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam); everyone who sat with him understood his words.

Ummul-Mu’mineen, ‘Aishah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) narrated: “The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to talk so clearly that if someone wanted to count his words, he could do so.” [Saheeh Al-Bukhaari no. 3568]

In a narration of Muslim, ‘Aishah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) is reported to have said: “Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did not speak as quickly as you talk.” [Muslim no. 2493]

In another narration of Ahmad, she (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) explained: “The Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did not speak quickly like you do now; rather there is a separation (pause) in his speech such that those who sat with him would memorize it.” [Al-Bukhaari no. 3568, Muslim no. 2493, Ahmad no. 25277, At-Tirmidhi no. 3639 and Abu Dawoud no.3654]

Imam An-Nawawi (Rahimahullaah) said explaining her words: “He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did not speak as quickly as you do” – i.e., he did not talk too much or talk continuously. [Sharh Muslim vol. 8 (45/16)]

Ibn Hajar (Rahimahullaah) also explained: “Following up one sentence with another, rushing one statement after another, lest the listener is confused about what he has heard.” [Fathul-Bari (6/669)]

Talking in a Low Voice

Allaah (Ta’ala) says in Surat Luqman (31:19):

وَاغْضُضْ مِنْ صَوْتِكَ ۚ إِنَّ أَنْكَرَ الْأَصْوَاتِ لَصَوْتُ الْحَمِيرِ

“Lower your voice, for the ugliest of all voices is certainly the braying of donkeys.”

“Lower your voice” is a respect and good manner with Allaah and with the people.

“The ugliest of all voices” i.e., the rudest and the most awful “is certainly the braying of donkeys.”

If there was any good in raising the voice, then the donkey – who is known for its despicability and lethargy – would not have been associated with it.

Shaikh As-Sa’dee (Rahimahullaah) said: “No doubt, raising the voice on others is bad manners, and it depicts lack of respect for others.” [Tayseer Al-Kareem Ar-Rahmaan in Tafseer Kalaam Al-Mannan (6/160)]

Shaikh Taqi ad-Deen said: “When someone raises his voice to others, every mindful one knows that he lacks respect for others. Ibn Zayd said: ‘If raising the voice was good, then Allaah (Ta’ala) would not have attributed it to the donkey.'” [Al-Adaab Ash-Shar’iyyah (2/26)]

Words and Phrases to Avoid

Some words and phrases that are prohibited by the Sharee’ah have become easy on the tongues of some, and perhaps, many of them do not know the ruling concerning these words and phrases, or perhaps they know the ruling, but they blurt it out forgetfully, and the worst of them is the one who utters them intentionally while knowing its ruling.

We cannot enumerate all those words and phrases, but we will briefly mention a few:

1-                  Some people say: “Correct words are not important as long as the heart is sound.”

Reply: If by ‘correct words’, he means in the Arabic language, then it is correct. It is not important – if the Aqeedah is correct – that the correct words are used if the meaning is understood. As for, if by ‘correct words’, one means allowing words/phrases that mean Kufr and Shirk, then this statement is not correct, rather rectifying it is important. We cannot allow a person to let his tongue say anything, even if his intention is correct. Rather, words are to be restricted to what is legislated in the Islamic Sharee’ah – said by Ibn ‘Uthaimeen. [Fatawa Al-Aqeedah (Daar Al-Jeel, Maktabah As-Sunnah), second edition 1414H, p.730]

2- Words of Kufr (disbelief) and Bid’ah (innovation) and Fusuq (disobedience)

It is known that the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “If a man says to his brother, O Kafir (disbeliever)!’ Then surely one of them is such (i.e., is a Kafir).” And in the narration of Abu Dawoud: “When any believing man calls another believing man an unbeliever; if he is actually an infidel, then it is fine; otherwise, he (the one who says it) will become an infidel.” [Reported by Al-Bukhaari no. 6104, and the words are his. Muslim no. 62, Ahmad no. 4673, At-Tirmidhi no. 2637, Abu Dawoud no. 4687 and Maalik no. 1844]

A group of people, whose insight Allaah has blinded, label people with Kufr, Bid’ah and Fusuq as if Allaah asked them to worship Him in that way, doing that with an expanded breast (without any feeling of guilt). The Salaf from the Sahabah and those who followed their guidance from the scholars of Islam like Abu Hanifa, Maalik, Shafa’ee and Ahmad, were very hesitant of this, especially Takfeer (labeling people with Kufr) – to the extent that they never uttered it unless they saw a clear proof and all obstacles were removed and the Hujjah (plea) was established. Abu Hurairah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated: “Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said on the day of Nahr (10th of Dhul-Hijjah): ‘Verily! Your blood, property and honor are sacred to one another (i.e., to Muslims) like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours, and in this city of yours. It is incumbent upon those who are present to inform those who are absent because those who are absent might comprehend (what I have said) better than the present audience.'” [Reported by Al-Bukhaari no. 67 and the wording is of Al-Bukhaari. Muslim no. 1679, Ahmad no. 19873, and Ad-Daarmi no. 1916]

3- Saying of a man: “The people are ruined”

Abu Hurairah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “When you hear a man say: ‘The people are ruined,’ he himself is the most ruined of them all.” ‘Fa huwa ahlakuhum’, i.e., he (alone) is the most ruined of them and not that they are, in reality, ruined. ‘Fa huwa ahlakahum’, i.e., he made them ruined, not that they are truly ruined. [Sharh Muslim, vol. 8, 16/150]

An-Nawawi (Rahimahullaah) said: “The scholars have agreed that this dispraise (of Allaah’s Messenger) is for the one who utters these words out of contempt and to show disrespect while holding his own self superior over them, and to show their state as ugly/ repugnant because he is unaware of Allaah’s Secret in His Creation. They said, if he says this out of sadness and sorrow due to the negligence in the Deen that he sees in himself and in the people, then there is nothing wrong in it – like the saying (of Abu Ad-Dardaa’ to his wife) “The only good thing I know about the people of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is that they pray in congregation.” [Mishkat Al-Masabih no. 1079]

This is how Imam Maalik explained it and the people have followed his understanding. Al-Khattabi said: “This means, the person keeps finding faults in the people and says that the people have been ruined, etc. If he does this, then he is the most ruined of them, i.e., in the worst situation amongst them – because of the sin he is committing by finding faults in them and backbiting them, and perhaps, it was his self-admiration that has caused him to think that he is better than them – and Allaah Knows Best.” [End quote] [Sharh Muslim, vol. 8, 16/150]

Source:

The Book of Al-Adaab, compiled by Fu’ad ibn ‘Abdul-Aziz Al-Shalhoob