[Explanation]

These hadiths set out the excellence of good character. Imām al-Nawawī—may Allah have mercy on him—included them in Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn under the chapter entitled “Good Character.” Among them is the narration of Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked, “Which matter admits the greatest number of people into Paradise?” meaning: what most often becomes the cause for entering Paradise? He replied, “Taqwā of Allah (mindfulness of Allah) and good character.”

“Taqwā of Allah” is an all-embracing term that covers doing whatever Allah has commanded and refraining from whatever He has prohibited. This is the essence of taqwā: that you carry out Allah’s orders and leave His prohibitions. The word is derived from wiqāyah (protection), for it is something a person adopts to shield himself from Allah’s punishment, and nothing shields one from that punishment except obedience to the commands and avoidance of the prohibitions.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said that the two things which cast the greatest number of people into the Fire are the mouth and the private parts. By “the mouth” he means the speech of the tongue, for a person may utter a single word, paying it no attention, yet because of it he plunges into the Fire for seventy autumns—seventy years—Allah’s refuge is sought. For this reason the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to Muʿādh ibn Jabal, “Shall I not inform you of what governs all of that?” I said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He took hold of his own tongue and said, “Restrain this.” I asked, “O Messenger of Allah, are we really held accountable for what we say?”—that is, will we be taken to task for our speech? He replied, “May your mother be bereaved of you, Muʿādh! Are people cast on their faces—or he said, on their nostrils—into the Fire for anything other than the harvest of their tongues?”