AN IDEAL MUSLIM AND THE EVIL OF THE TONGUE AND HAND

“A true Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hands Muslims are safe. And a Muhajir (emigrant) is the one who abandons all that God has forbidden.”
(Bukhari, Iman, 4; Abu Dawud, Jihad, 2)
The use of the Arabic definite article at the beginning of the phrases “Muslim” and “Muslims” denotes a special meaning. They actually refer to ideal Muslims, the sincere devoted believers who abstain from evil actions, who have totally absorbed themselves in an atmosphere of security and salvation. These people are totally different to those who claim to be believers or Muslims just because they were born into Muslim families. Their entire way of life portrays the idealistic sincerity of a true believer. Their thoughts and actions are a conveyance of perfection; therefore, when one says “a sincere believer,” the first person who comes to mind is a Muslim of perfection. This is the description of the Muslim portrayed in this hadith.
Besides the main topic of the hadith, one thing to be noted here is the language use.
Under normal circumstances, only a learned person taught by an expert knows such fine points of language. It is known that there was no question of such education for the Prophet of God; he was blessed with the ability of speech and preached that which the Almighty Creator taught him. This is why the teachings and expressions of Prophet Muhammad were conveyed in a manner of speech that was free from any kind of defect.
Again, if we turn to the contents of the hadith, a true Muslim is a figure of reliance and trust. This is true to such an extent that other Muslims attain a sense of security and unlimited confidence, having no doubts in the sincerity of such people and completely seeing them as trustworthy. To such people they entrust their families, the dearest and most valuable existence of their lives, with total assurance that no harm will befall them. Following a meeting or conversation with these people you feel a sense of security; you know these believers would neither gossip about you nor disclose secrets to others; indeed, they would even prevent others from doing so. Such a person approaches others with the same sensitivity and respect for their dignity as if it were their own honor that is in question; they feed and provide for others before themselves and dedicate to working for the benefit of those around them. This is just a short explanation of the vast qualities that the sincere believers mentioned in this hadith have.
A believer gives greetings to both those they are acquainted with and to complete strangers; such behavior sows the seeds of friendship and love in the soul (Bukhari, Muslim). On completion of the prayer the true believer’s greetings are accepted by all of existence, from the angels to the spirits; they bestow good tidings on both the apparent and the unseen; this is behavior that Muslims of sincerity perform and it is one that has never been conveyed to such an extent by others throughout history.
A person enters Islam adhering to the prayer, fasting, performing the Hajj and witnessing the unification of the Creator as commanded in the Qur’an “O you who believe! Come in full submission to God, all of you…” (Baqara 2:208). This means opening the soul to the vast ocean of bliss and contentment; nothing but goodness is expected from a person in this state.
Every word in this hadith is chosen with great care, as in all other sayings of the Prophet. There are, of course, many reasons for focusing on hand and tongue. There are two ways of harming those around us. We can cause others harm either directly or behind their back. Direct damage to humans is through actions; indirect damage is caused to one who is not present via the tongue, or in other words, with speech. A human can either violate the rights of others by assaulting them or violate the rights of others in their absence by gossiping and undermining their reputation and dignity. Both are immoral acts never to be performed by a sincere Muslim; a sincere Muslim acts benevolently toward others, whether it is directly or in their absence.
The Prophet mentioned the tongue, or speech, before the hand (actions). It is quite possible that there is the potential of reaction or retaliation when a deed is physical, whereas in case of gossip or slander, the response often remains unchallenged. Therefore, there is an ever-present possibility that a person could vilify another person, their environment or even cause a conflict between nations.
Defending oneself against harms to be done by tongue is much more difficult than defense against direct physical abuse, and it is for this reason that Prophet Muhammad mentioned speech before physical actions. Also, this demonstrates the importance of the values we have been given by God; in fact, protecting the dignity and reputation of other Muslims is so important that a believer is commanded to control both their tongue and hands.
One of the important moral concepts of Islam, which came with a universal notion of security and well-being, is a Muslim individual’s refraining from harmful things, whereas Islam’s other aspect is to ensure that no harm will befall others. Thus, a Muslim as an individual should distance themselves from affairs that could cause harm to both him and others; this is of great importance as it is not only the means of refraining from harming others, but it actually provides assurance and instills confidence in every sector and layer of society.
A true believer has a feeling of security in his or her heart. Such people inspire a feeling of security everywhere they go. They greet other believers with wishes of peace for when they come and leave. During salat they wish peace for all the righteous servants and they finish by greeting the angels on both sides. It would be unthinkable that a human who continues to live within this constant circle of well wishing could wander from the path of truth, a path that ensures well being, spiritually and/or materially, for humans in this world and the Hereafter, or unthinkable will be for them to participate in anything that would result in harm to them as an individual or cause harm to others.
Following these initial remarks in relation to the hadith, we can continue to explore these aspects that have great spirituality:
a- A sincere Muslim is the most reliable representative of universal peace on the earth.
b- A Muslim conveys the intense emotions experienced deep in their soul wherever they go.
c- A Muslim is perceived as the symbol of security and kindness, who never causes harm or distress to others.
d- A Muslim considers verbal abuse to be equal to physical abuse; namely gossip, slander and insult. Indeed, in many cases these can be a greater sin than physical abuse.
e- According to our faith, even if a believer perpetrates any of these evil sins they remain a Muslim; this is not a topic that delineates between blasphemy and belief.
f- As in every matter, a believer should have a broad horizon in matters of faith and the practice of Islam; they should not be content as ordinary Muslims but intend for perfection in faith. The above mentioned ones and even further meanings are included within the pithy statement of the Messenger of God.