عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:
«مَنْ كانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيصْمُتْ،
وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ جَارَهُ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ ضَيْفَهُ»
On the authority of Sayidunā Abū Hurayrah ʳᵃ, from the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, who said:
Whoever believes in Allāh and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent; and whoever believes in Allāh and the Last Day should honor his neighbor; and whoever believes in Allāh and the Last Day should honor his guest. (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1/68 #47)
So let him speak good, or else remain silent. The verb ṣamata–yaṣmitu (on the pattern of naṣara–yanṣuru and ḍaraba–yaḍribu) carries the meaning of silence; likewise aṣmata–yaṣmitu is used in the sense of remaining silent. The expression ṣamata–samita–biṣamtin also conveys the meaning of silence. The verbal noun taṣmīt, from bāb al-tafʿīl, means to cause someone to be silent.
Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī ʳʰ states that this phrase of the ḥadīth is from the jawāmiʿ al-kalim, because whatever proceeds from the tongue is either good speech, or evil speech, or something that ultimately returns to one of these two. Thus, the word “good” (khayr) encompasses every desirable aim and commendable utterance, whether it is at the level of obligation, necessity, Sunnah, or recommendation, or related to any of these. The Sharīʿah has granted permission for all such speech. Whatever lies beyond this consists of evil or matters connected to evil, concerning which the Sharīʿah has commanded silence.
In summary, a person characterized by faith should also be characterized by compassion toward the creation of Allāh. The manifestation of such compassion is to speak words of goodness to them and to adopt silence with respect to harmful speech. Allāh Taʿālā has granted the human being the tongue as a blessing, just as He has granted other limbs, and it carries innumerable benefits. Therefore, a believing person should safeguard this tongue from falsehood and employ it in the cause of truth.
The wording of one ḥadīth is as follows:
“عن عبد الله بن عمر أن كثرة الكلام بغير ذكر الله تقسي القلب”
On the authority of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar ʳᵃ: Excessive speech without the remembrance of Allāh hardens the heart. (al-Tirmidhī)
The essence of the matter is that just as the benefits of the tongue are countless, so too are its dangers countless. The most excellent means of protection from these dangers is silence and restraint. It is narrated in a ḥadīth: “Whoever remains silent is saved.” (al-Tirmidhī; Fatḥ al-Mulhim)
Ustādh Abū al-Qāsim al-Qushayrī ʳʰ states: “Silence at its proper time is a trait of real men, just as speech in its proper place is among the noblest qualities.” Faḍīl ibn ʿIyāḍ ʳʰ states that the one who regards speaking as an action will never engage in vain talk; that is, when one treats speech as an action, he will strive to avoid sinful actions. Dhū al-Nūn al-Miṣrī ʳʰ states that the person who firmly controls his tongue remains well protected from the tongues of others. (al-Nawawī)
A saying of the wise is: al-balāʾ muʾakkal bi-l-manṭiq—calamity is attached to speech; whoever remains silent remains safe. The discussion of the rights of neighbors has already passed in a previous ḥadīth. The gnostics say that if speaking is like silver in excellence, then silence is like gold; and the one whose silence is not beneficial, his speech is also futile.
The phrase ikrām ḍayfihi refers to hospitality and honoring the guest. Hospitality is among the etiquettes of Islam and among the noble traits of the Prophets and the righteous. It has been stated that hospitality for one day and one night is obligatory; however, the majority of jurists have not regarded hospitality as obligatory, but rather have counted it among the noble morals of Islam. (al-Nawawī)
Yes, if there is a fear of the guest’s death, then feeding him becomes obligatory. Similarly, if hospitality is stipulated in a covenant of protection (ʿahd al-dhimmah), then it becomes obligatory upon the dhimmī to host the mujahidīn.
Ibn Baṭṭāl ʳʰ states that hospitality is of three levels: on the first day, one should present food along with a gift to the guest; on the second day, one should feed him generously; and on the third day, one should show courtesy with whatever is readily available. Beyond three days, feeding the guest counts as charity. The scholars have written that those dhimmīs upon whom feeding was stipulated at the time of the covenant are obliged to provide hospitality; if they do not feed the mujahid guests, it is permissible to take from them by force. There is scholarly disagreement as to whether hospitality is obligatory upon city-dwellers for villagers, or upon villagers for city-dwellers. Imām al-Shāfiʿī ʳʰ states that it is obligatory upon both groups for one another. Imām Mālik ʳʰ states that hospitality is obligatory upon villagers, because when a traveler comes to a city, there are inns available, whereas when a city-dweller goes to the countryside, there are no inns; therefore, hospitality falls upon the villagers. Some people cite a fabricated narration: “Hospitality is obligatory upon the people of the countryside and not upon the people of the towns.” This narration is forged. (Fatḥ al-Mulhim)
In the ḥadīth of this chapter, there is an indication toward the inception and the culmination as well. The meaning is that the person who believes in Allāh Taʿālā as his Creator—Who created him without any prior example—and who also believes that, in terms of outcome, Allāh Taʿālā will recompense him, knowing that He alone created him and to Him alone he will return for recompense, such a person of sound belief will act upon the aforementioned qualities.
Taken from Tuhfat al-Munʿim Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1/397