The Benefits of Silence and Forgiveness in Islam: An Explanation of Verse 4:148 of the Quran
According to Islam, staying silent has many benefits, such as:
Strengthening the heart by avoiding negative emotions like ego, grudge, or hate. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or keep silent.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6018)
Protecting from sins and wrong ideas. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever is silent has been saved.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2501)
Allah says in verse 4:148 of the Quran:
لَّا يُحِبُّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْجَهْرَ بِٱلسُّوٓءِ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْلِ إِلَّا مَن ظُلِمَ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ سَمِيعًا عَلِيمًا
“God does not like that evil should be mentioned in public except by one who has been done an injustice. And God is all-hearing, all-knowing.”
This verse teaches us that:
- Allah does not like people to speak evil words out loud, unless they have been wronged by others.
- Allah is aware and knowledgeable of everything that people say and do, and He will reward or punish them accordingly.
- Those who have been wronged should not exceed the limits or lie about the wrongdoers, but rather seek Allah’s help and justice.
- Those who wrong others should repent and seek forgiveness from Allah and the wronged person.
Muslims should try to follow Allah’s attributes of patience, forgiveness, and mercy in their dealings with others.An authentic Hadith states,
مَا نَقَصَ مَالٌ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ، وَلَا زَادَ اللهُ عَبْدًا بِعَفْوٍ إِلَّا عِزًّا، وَمَنْ تَوَاضَعَ للهِ رَفَعَهُ الله
(No charity shall ever decrease wealth, and Allah will only increase the honor of a servant who pardons, and he who is humble for Allah's sake, then Allah will elevate his grade.)