Guarding the Tongue: Speaking Only What Has Clear Benefitحفظ اللسان وعدم الكلام إلا بما ظهرت مصلحته

There is a good hadith, narrated by Abu Dawud and others: "I wish I had not spoken except about such-and-such, and that I had not addressed the people" — meaning he only spoke about what had a clear benefit and use. This points to guarding the tongue, as the Prophet ﷺ said in the two Sahihs, "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent," and as Allah says, "He does not utter a word except that with him is an observer, prepared [to record]."

So a person should only speak about what carries a clear benefit, and where the benefit is not clear, he should guard his tongue from it and occupy his time with remembrance of Allah, glorification, praise, and reading. There is no harm in speaking, at times, about permissible matters — this is perfectly fine. But if that permissible speech leads toward something forbidden, such as backbiting or gossip, then it becomes obligatory to withdraw from that gathering, limiting one's speech to only what is necessary, while devoting the rest of one's time to worship. Permissible conversation is not objectionable even if it lasts an hour or more, but if it leads toward the forbidden, it must be avoided.

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