Silence

Ever heard the phrase: Speech is silver, silence golden? Here are a few pointers from the book The Kernel of Kernels on keeping silent and its benefits for the spiritual wayfarer.

Silence is of two kinds:

(1) general and mixed (mudaj), and

(2) special and pure (mutlaq).

The general and mixed silence consists of withholding the tongue from superfluous speech with people. Rather, the wayfarer must confine himself to the minimum that is possible, and this silence is essential at all times and throughout the course of wayfaring. Rather, it may be said that it is unconditionally commendable. And to this refers the statement of the Imam ( `a):

إنَّ شِيعَتَنَا الخُرْس

[Surely, our shi`ah are the mute ones.]

And so also is that which has been narrated from Hadrat Sadiq (`a) in the Misbah al‑Shari`ah:

 الصَّمْتُ شِعَارُ المُحِبِّينَ، وَفِيهِ رِضَا الرَّبِّ، وَهُوَ مِنْ أَخْلاَقِ الاَنْبِيَاءِ وَشِعَارِ الاَصْفِيَاء

[Silence is the motto of the lovers, and in it lies the Lord's pleasure, and it is of the etiquette of the prophets and the maxim of the elect.]

And it is mentioned in the tradition narrated by Bazanti, from Hadrat Rida (`a):

   الصَّمْتُ  بَابٌ مِنْ أَبْوَابِ الحِكْمَةِ، وَإنَّهُ دَلِيلٌ عَلَي‌ كُلِّ خَيْرٍ

[Silence is a door from among the doors of wisdom, and it is indeed the guide to all goodness.]

The second kind is special and absolute silence, which consists of withholding the tongue from speech with people while being engaged in exclusive verbal ahikar, and it is not commendable in cases other than that.