عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ: أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِالْكَلِمَةِ مَا يَتَبيَّنُ فِيهَا يَزِلُّ بِهَا إِلَى النَّارِ أبْعَدَ مِمَّا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ» مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Indeed a servant utters a word, without considering it, by which he slips into the Fire farther than the distance between the east and the west." Agreed upon (al-Bukhari and Muslim).
الشرح · explanation
يَتَبَيَّنُ: يَتَفَكَّرُ أنَّهَا خَيْرٌ أمْ لا. يزل: يقع في الزلل ويسقط.
"Considering it": he reflects whether it is good or not. "Slips": he falls into error and tumbles down.
الدروس · lessons
على المرء أن يحفظ لسانه، ولا يطلقه بالكلام، وأن يوزن الكلام قبل إلقائه ومعرفة عواقبه. أنَّ موضوعَ الكلامِ هو مَا يُحدِّد أثرَه المترتِّب عليه، فقد يَخرُج المُسلِمُ من إسلامِه بسَببِ كلمةٍ، وقد يَنصُر اللّهُ الإسلامَ بكلمةٍ.
A person must guard his tongue and not let it loose with speech, weighing his words before uttering them and knowing their consequences. The subject matter of speech is what determines the effect that results from it; a Muslim may leave his Islam because of a word, and Allah may grant victory to Islam through a word.