Man should not conceive the results and desires of members...

Man should not conceive the results and desires of members of the body like the tongue as his ultimate goals because the original aim is something much higher than these and speech is by far not the principal goal in man’s life. It is for this reason that the tongue has to be employed in the way of good and perfection.

In a hadith , Imam al-Sadiq ( ‘a ) states: “The charity of the tongue is giving advice to the Muslims and awakening the negligent as well as glorifying and invoking Allah much.”[^1] Talking is a means and because Allah’s goal in creating man is that he ought to attain human perfection and proximity to Him, he has to use the tongue to derive the best benefit, not to use it as a means of procuring misfortune.

He has to speak with wisdom and refrain from words which result in social and spiritual decline because a person’s words are symbols of his personality and status. Therefore, if man speaks without deliberation and does not take the fruits of his words into consideration, he reveals the inner essence of his self.

As Imam ‘Ali ( ‘a ) states: “Speak so that you may be known, since man is hidden under his tongue.”[^2] Elsewhere, Imam ‘Ali ( ‘a ) enumerates the ill effects of vain speech and the lack of thought in regard to the fruits of the words of the hypocrites: “The hypocrite speaks whatever comes to his tongue, without knowing what is in his favor and what goes against him.”[^3] In contrast to a believer who: “When a believer intends to say something, he thinks it over in his mind.

If it is good he discloses it, but if it is bad he lets it remain concealed.” ^4 Although we may generally know that we have to gain proximity to Allah by means of the tongue, the subject of discussion revolves around the manner of gaining this proximity.

In this regard, it has to be explained that words and speech sometimes fall in the category of worship of Allah, such as the words man utters at the time of supplication and ritual prayer where the words are considered to be either obligatory or recommended acts of worship. However, in other uses of the tongue are means of making others know what he has concealed within his heart and make them know his desires and intentions. In making others know his desires, man should have divine intentions.

He has to know what issues and what speech is pleasing to Allah and this can result in him becoming closer to Allah and can be a cause of gaining His reward in the hereafter.