412 — “O Mu‘adh, may your mother be bereaved of you! Is there anything that casts people upon their nostrils in Hell except what their tongues have uttered? Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak what is good or remain silent about evil. Speak good and you will prosper; remain silent about evil and you will be safe.”

Al-Hakim (4/286–287) narrated it through the route of al-Rabi‘ ibn Sulayman: ‘Abdullah ibn Wahb narrated to us; Abu Hani’ informed me, from ‘Amr ibn Malik, from Fudalah ibn ‘Ubayd, from ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit, may Allah be pleased with him:

“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, went out one day upon his riding camel, with his Companions before him. Mu‘adh ibn Jabal said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, will you kindly permit me to draw nearer to you?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ So Mu‘adh drew close to him, and they travelled together. Mu‘adh said, ‘May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah. I ask Allah to make our day come before yours. If something were to happen—though, Allah Most High willing, we do not anticipate anything—what deeds should we perform after you?’

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, remained silent. Then he said, ‘Jihad in the path of Allah.’ Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ‘Jihad is an excellent thing. Yet fasting and charity are more within people’s ability than that.’ He said, ‘Fasting and charity are excellent things.’ Mu‘adh then mentioned every good deed that the son of Adam performs, whereupon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ‘Yet there is something more beneficial to people than that.’ He said, ‘What, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, is more beneficial to people than that?’ The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, pointed to his mouth and said, ‘Silence, except for what is good.’ He said: