Know when to speak

Bismillah.

Abu Abdullah Ahmad bin Asim al-Antaki says:
"The most harmful time for speech
is when silence would be better for you

and the most harmful time for silence

is when speech would be more fitting for you

and more necessary."

O son, do not be one who is talkative. You must know when to speak and when not to speak. A sign of one who has intelligence is that he knows the sign of intelligence is not in always having something to say.

Frankly, I was feeling somewhat 'numb' like I do not have an opinion or preference on what to say to you today. Then I was reminded by Shaykh Hisham's sohbet on one the four things Sayiddina Ali karamallahu wajhah had practised. He said, one should be silent and observe the surroundings before one make one's move. I think that is common sense and yet most people like I get clumsy and jumpy.

The Sufis on the other hand, observe the present moment attentively and only act upon getting an ilham or inspiration to say or do anything. They are truly the son of the moment and fulfill the rights of the moment as per the Divine order. That much I observe from our gurus, so let us all take heed. May Allah grant us tawfik to follow in the footsteps of His pious and gnostic servants. Ameen.

Jumaah Mubarrak! 

Salam warahmatullah.

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Pic credit: Haqqani Fellowship