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The faults of the tongue (afat al-lisan)

آفات اللسان

'The faults of the tongue' is the title of a Ramadan series by Omar Abdelkafy, in which he counts among them reminding people of one's gifts, calling on other than God, cursing oneself and one's children, reviling the Companions and failing to cover a Muslim's fault, beside backbiting, talebearing, wrangling, lying and mockery, and ends with their remedy.

Depth

At a glance

Region
Global / Diaspora
Review

Ethics and character

Summary

'The faults of the tongue' is the title of the series Omar Abdelkafy gave in Nafahat Ramadaniyya, each episode on one fault. 1 2 3 In the last episode he lists the faults treated so far: backbiting, talebearing, wrangling, disputation, ingratitude for blessings, harm, lying, mockery, reviling the Companions and calling on other than God. 4 He says at the close that these were thirty episodes, quick headings for a large subject (needs_source: the archive holds only six episodes of this series). 5

The faults treated in the surviving episodes

The remedy, as he sees it

He holds that many of these faults are major sins, and that the first remedy is to hold God's sanctities in awe, then to reflect on the Qur'an's praise of those who remember God and use the tongue for good. 11 12 Among the means of cure he lists: remembering death and cutting short one's hopes, 13 14 much prayer, night prayer and supplication before dawn, 15 16 training oneself in silence for set hours of reflection, 17 the company of people of knowledge and piety, 18 seeking refuge from Satan, 19 being busy with one's own faults rather than other people's, 20 and many acts of obedience such as fasting Mondays and Thursdays and reading the Qur'an, and addressing one's tongue each day and bidding it fear God. 21

Knowing one's own faults

He says a person learns his own faults from four things: by presenting himself to a teacher learned in the Book and the Sunna and in people's hearts, to the Book of God, to the righteous brother who warns him, and from the tongues of his enemies, who may be right about one or two traits; he adds that what one finds ugly in others one should not do oneself. 20 22 23

The fruit of guarding the tongue

He holds that if people held their tongues, societies would be set right and souls made clear; this is his view at the close of the series. 5

Connections

Explore the connections

Subject of
Nafahat Ramadaniyya 1436 AH: the faults of the tongue (lecture series)

People and things also explored

Praying against oneself and one's children· Reviling the Companions (sabb al-sahaba)· Checking and spying (tahassus and tajassus)· Long hope (tul al-amal)· Suhba (companionship with the Prophet: who is a Companion, how companionship is proved, the uprightness of all Companions, and the ruling on insulting them)· Ghadab (anger)· Guarding the tongue· Love of the Companions and how to speak of them (in the Tahawi creed)

Sources

  1. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 3, at 00:00:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  2. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 4, at 00:00:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  3. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 5, at 00:00:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  4. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:00:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  5. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:10:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  6. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 1, at 00:00:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  7. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 2, at 00:00:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  8. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 2, at 00:12:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  9. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 4, at 00:00:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  10. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 5, at 00:00:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  11. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:01:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  12. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:01:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  13. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:02:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  14. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:02:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  15. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:03:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  16. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:04:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  17. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:05:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  18. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:05:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  19. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:07:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  20. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:07:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  21. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:09:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  22. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:08:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  23. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Nafahat Ramadaneya 1436 H, episode 6, at 00:08:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “The faults of the tongue (afat al-lisan)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/afat-al-lisan/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-11-01.

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Praying against oneself and one's children

Omar Abdelkafy counts praying against oneself, one's children and one's wealth among the faults of the tongue, warns that it may coincide with an hour of answer, and urges praying for guidance for the undutiful child and the wrongdoer instead of against them.