Only the one who is capable of giving a reply [but does not...

Only the one who is capable of giving a reply [but does not do so] can be called ‘silent’; otherwise ‘inarticulate’ is more appropriate a description. 19ـ إنَّما يَسْتَحِقُّ إسْمَ الصَّمْتِ المُضْطَلِعُ بِالإجابَةِ، وَإلاّ فَالعَيُّ بِهِ أَوْلى. When you speak a word, it controls you but when you withhold it, you control it. 20ـ إذا تَـكَلَّمْتَ بِالكَلِمَةِ مَلَكَتْكَ، وإذا أمْسَكْتَها مَلَكْتَها. Through silence, reverence increases. 21ـ بِالصَّمْتِ يَكْثُرُ الوَقارُ.

Sometimes silence is more eloquent than speech. 22ـ رُبَّ سُكُوت أبْلَغُ مِنْ كَلام. The cause of safety is silence. 23ـ سَبَبُ السَّلامَةِ الصَّمْتُ. Silence that is results in your safety is better than speech that is results in your reproach. 24ـ صَمْتٌ يُعْقِبُكَ السَّلامَةَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ نُطْق يُعْقِبُكَ المَلامَةَ. Silence that covers you with honour is better than speech that earns you regret. 25ـ صَمْتٌ يَكْسُوكَ الكِرامَةَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ قَوْل يُكْسِبُكَ النَّدامَةَ.

Silence that earns you reverence is better than words that drape you with disgrace. 26ـ صَمْتٌ يُكْسِبُكَ الوَقارَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ كَلام يَكْسُوكَ العارَ. Silence, the result of which is praised, is better than speech whose consequence is dispraised. 27ـ صَمْتٌ تُحْمَدُ عاقِبَتُهُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ كَلام تَذُمُّ مَغَبَّتُهُ. Your remaining silent until you are requested to speak is better than your speaking until you are requested to become silent.

28ـ صَمْتُكَ حَتّى تُسْتَنْطَقَ أجْمَلُ مِنْ نُطْقِكَ حَتّى تُسْكَتَ. The silence of the ignorant person is his covering. 29ـ صَمْتُ الجاهِلِ سِتْرُهُ. Blessed is the one who remains silent except from the remembrance of Allah. 30ـ طُوبى لِمَنْ صَمَتَ إلاّ مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللّهِ. Cling to silence, for it keeps you safe and saves you from regret. 31ـ عَلَيْكَ بِلُزُومِ الصَّمْتِ فَإنَّهُ يُلْزِمُكَ السَّلامَةَ، ويُؤْمِنُكَ النَّدامَةَ. The veil of wrongdoing is silence. 32ـ غِطاءُ المَساوي الصَّمْتُ.

Increased silence earns you reverence. 33ـ كَثْرَةُ الصَّمْتِ تُكْسِبُكَ الوَقارَ. Be a person of much silence without being inarticulate, for indeed silence is the embellishment of the scholar and the cloak [that hides the ignorance] of the ignorant. 34ـ كُنْ صَمُوتاً مِنْ غَيْرِ عَيّ، فَإنَّ الصَّمْتَ زينَةُ العالِمِ وَسِتْرُ الجاهِلِ. One who maintains silence is safe from reproach. 35ـ مَنْ لَزِمَ الصَّمْتَ أمِنَ المَلامَةَ.