Chapter 88: About Keeping Religious Speeches Brief

Translation: [ A speaker should be keen to convey his words to the audience in the way that his speech would reach their hearts and have its effect. It is said that a heartfelt speech reaches the heart, while that of the tongue does not reach anywhere except the ear.

Translation: For this reason, the Messenger of Allah used to speak little. He used to speak so little that it was easy to count his words. He would repeat the speech thrice raising his voice or lowering it in the way that served his aim.

Translation: Narrated A'isha: " The Prophet used to talk so clearly that if somebody wanted to count the number of his words, he could do so. " (Bukhari)

Translation: When advising the commanders of the armies and the governors, Abu-Bakr used to direct them: " If you preach to them, preach to them briefly, for talking too much makes people forget. "

And now, let us read what Imam Al-Nawawi compiled on the same concern.]

Allah said:

Translation: " Invite mankind (O Muhammad!) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the Koran) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided. * " (16: 125)

Translation: 330. Narrated Ibn Mas'oud: The Prophet used to take care of us when preaching by selecting a suitable time, so that we would not get bored. (He abstained from pestering us with religious talk and knowledge all the time). " (Bukhari).

Translation: 331. Narrated Mu'aweya ibn Al-Hakam: ' Allah's Messenger ﷺ said: " Talking is not befitting during the prayer, for it (the prayer) consists only of glorifying Allah, declaring His Greatness, and the recitation of the Koran. " (Muslim)

Translation: 332. Narrated Al-Irbadh ibn Sariya: ' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivered an eloquent speech that caused our eyes to shed tears and our hearts to be greatly moved. A man said: " This is a speech of a man who will depart from this life soon. What would you recommend us Messenger of Allah! " He said: “ I recommend you to the fear of Allah, and hearing and obeying even if an Ethiopian slave is your ruler. For he of you will live long, will see great disputes. And keep away from innovated practices, for they are misleading. Let he of you who would witness this, adhere to my Sunna and that of the rightly guided caliphs. Stick to it very firmly " (At-Termizi)