Explanation of the author's statement: "Know that it is recommended for every person of legal capacity to guard his tongue from all speech except for speech in which a benefit is evident"

The reader: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The chapter on the prohibition of backbiting and the command to guard the tongue. Know that it is recommended for every person of legal capacity to guard his tongue from all speech except for speech in which a benefit is evident, and when speech and silence are equal in terms of benefit, the Sunnah is to refrain from it, because permissible speech may lead to what is forbidden or disliked, and this is common in practice, and safety is not surpassed by anything. From Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said:

And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, then let him say what is good or remain silent.

من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فليقل خيرًا أو ليصمت

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2500Sahih (Darussalam)

Agreed upon. And from Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) was asked: 'Which of the Muslims is the most virtuous?' He said: 'The one whom the Muslims are safe from his tongue and his hand.'

قلت يا رسول الله أيُّ المسلمين أفضل؟ قال: من سلم المسلمون من لسانه ويده

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2504Sahih (Darussalam)

Agreed upon".

The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in the chapter on the prohibition of backbiting and the obligation to guard the tongue: Know that it is recommended for a person to guard his tongue and not to speak except with what contains religious or worldly benefit. This statement is derived from the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): which is the hadith that the author (may Allah have mercy on him) cited. When the two matters—remaining silent or speaking—are equal, safety is better. This means that if a person is unsure whether his speech contains good or not, it is better for him not to speak, because safety is not surpassed by anything. The one who remains silent is safe, unless the situation requires him to speak, in which case he should speak. For example, if he sees something wrong, he should not remain silent; he must speak, advise, and forbid this wrongdoing. As for when the benefit does not require him to speak, he should not speak, because that is safer for him. Then know that the saying of the Messenger (may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him): But good is of two types: good in the speech itself, such as reciting the Qur'an, glorifying Allah, saying Allahu Akbar, saying La ilaha illa Allah, teaching knowledge, and the like. This is clear. And good for other than the speech itself, meaning good in the speech and good for others, even though the speech is permissible, but it leads to a benefit, such as bringing hearts together, the relaxation of brothers, and their joy in your company. This is also from the good, because if a person remained silent from the beginning of the gathering to the end, people would be bored of him and dislike him, and they would say, "This is a man of a thick, heavy character." But if he speaks with what brings joy to them, even if it is permissible speech, it is from the good. As for one who speaks with words that make people laugh and they are lies, a warning has been reported regarding it: This is wrong. Speak with permissible speech in order to bring joy to their hearts, but lying speech is forbidden. Then he mentioned the hadith of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked which Muslim is best, meaning which of the Muslims is best. He said: meaning: he does not transgress against the Muslims, not with his tongue through backbiting, talebearing, cursing, or the like, and not with his hand, meaning he does not take their wealth or strike their flesh. Rather, he is a safe, trustworthy person who does not come to people except with what is good. This is the Muslim. In this is an encouragement for a person to be safe from his tongue and hand, an encouragement for people to be safe from your tongue and hand. Guard your tongue; do not speak about the servants of Allah except with good. Likewise, guard your hand; do not harm their wealth or their flesh. Rather, be safe so that people are safe from you, for this is the best of the Muslims. We ask Allah to guide us and you to what He loves and is pleased with.