3.   The spear of solitude and refraining from gatherings

If one possesses these three weapons, the nafs ammārah can be subdued and rectified.^[1]

O devotees of the Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم ! If we wish to maintain Ramaḍān’s spirit of devotion throughout the remaining 11 months, we must adopt these three actions: Number 1: The dagger of silence

The virtues of silence

Our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم elegantly declared, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent.”^[2]

The Companion Aswad رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ said, “I said to the final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم , ‘O Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم , advise me!’”

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم asked, ‘Can you control your tongue?’

‘If I cannot control my tongue, what shall I control?’, I replied.

‘Can you control your hands?’ asked the Prophet  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم .

‘O Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم , if I cannot control my hands as well, then what can I control?’ I enquired.

‘Then only say good from your tongue, and your hands should only be raised in goodness,’ replied the Prophet  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم .”^[3] 

Sayyidunā Anas ibn Mālik رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ relates how the final Prophet  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “The faith of a person is not correct until his heart is correct, and the heart of a person is not correct until his tongue is correct.”^[4]