He (‘a) said about the one whom he reproached...

He (‘a) said about the one whom he reproached: His tongue is like honey but his heart is a prison for rancour. 35ـ وقالَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السّلامُ ـ في حَقِّ مَنْ ذَمَّهُ: لِسانُهُ كَالشَّهْدِ ولكِنْ قَلْبُهُ سِجْنٌ لِلْحِقْدِ. The tongue of a virtuous person is enthralled by the continued remembrance of Allah. 36ـ لِسانُ البَرِّ مُسْتَهْتَرٌ بِدَوامِ الذِّكْرِ. If you restrain your tongue, it will save you and if you set it free, it will ruin you.

37ـ لِسانُكَ إنْ أمْسَكْتَهُ أنْجاكَ، وإنْ أطْلَقْتَهُ أرْداكَ. Your tongue demands from you that which you have accustomed it to and your soul requires from you that which you have familiarized it with. 38ـ لِسانُكَ يَسْتَدْعيكَ ما عَوَّدْتَهُ، ونَفْسُكَ تَقْتَضيكَ ما ألِفْتَهُ. One whose tongue is sweet [and polite], his friends increase. 39ـ مَنْ عَذُبَ لِسانُهُ كَثُرَ إخْوانُهُ. One who protects his tongue honours himself. 40ـ مَنْ حَفِظَ لِسانَهُ أكْرَمَ نَفْسَهُ.

One who does not control his tongue regrets. 41ـ مَنْ لَمْ يَمْلِكْ لِسانَهُ يَنْدَمْ. One who imprisons his tongue remains safe from regret. 42ـ مَنْ سَجَنَ لِسانَهُ أمِنَ مِنْ نَدَمِهِ. One who sets his tongue aright adorns his intellect. 43ـ مَنْ قَوَّمَ لِسانَهُ زانَ عَقْلَهُ. One who makes his tongue his master has decreed his own death. 44ـ مَنْ أمَّرَ عَلَيْهِ لِسانَهُ قَضا بِحَتْفِهِ. One who restrains his tongue is safe from regret. 45ـ مَنْ أمْسَكَ لِسانَهُ أمِنَ نَدَمَهُ.

One who sets his tongue free demonstrates his own foolishness. 46ـ مَنْ أطْلَقَ لِسانَهُ أبانَ عَنْ سُخْفِهِ. Guarding the tongue is part of faith. 47ـ مِنَ الإيمانِ حِفْظُ اللِّسانِ. One who does not guard his tongue has not completed his faith. 48ـ ما عَقَدَ إيمانَهُ مَنْ لَمْ يَحْفَظْ لِسانَهُ. Without a tongue, the human being would be nothing more than lifeless statue or a wild beast. 49ـ مَا الإنْسانُ لَوْلاَ اللِّسانُ إلاّ صُورَةٌ مُمَثَّلَةٌ أوْ بَهيمَةٌ مُهْمَلَةٌ.

Nothing attracts the heart of a human being more than a [sweet and eloquent] tongue, and none beguiles the soul more than Satan. 50ـ ما مِنْ شَيْء أجْلَبَ لِقَلْبِ الإنْسانِ مِنْ لِسان، ولاأخْدَعَ لِلنَّفْسِ مِنْ شَيْطان. Do not move your tongue except to say that which will earn you reward and that which behoves you to speak [of] openly. 51ـ لاتُجْرِ لِسانَكَ إلاّ بِما يُكْتَبُ لَكَ أجْرُهُ، ويَجْمُلُ عَنْكَ نَشْرُهُ.