In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

The Hardening of a young man’s heart due to (excessive speech):

Shaikh Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) says that this is among those first corrupt affairs related to excessive speech. If a person’s speech is too much without remembrance of Allaah, then indeed it hardens his heart. That is because he will be heedless of the remembrance of Allaah, and if he is heedless of the remembrance of Allaah, his heart will become hard. And the hearts that are most distanced from Allaah is the hardened heart, which is not softened through the remembrance of Allaah.  [Glorified and Exalted Be He]. [Allaah said]:

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ

وَلَا يَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ

Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) to be affected by Allah’s Reminder (this Qur’an), and that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] before (i.e. Jews and Christians), and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened? And many of them were Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).

[Allaah said]: [ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً -Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness] [Surah Al-Baqarah Ayah 74]. The heart hardens, even though it is a soft (piece) of meat; however it can harden or even worse until it becomes harder than stones. This has been stated by way of Qur’aanic text: [ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ – Then, after that, your hearts were hardened]- that was after the children of Israel witnessed the great lesson (or sign); – regarding the murdered person who was brought back to life, which should have softened the hearts but they did not benefit from it. [Allaah said]: [ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ الأَنْهَارُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ الْمَاء وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللّهِ – Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness. And indeed, there are stones out of which rivers gush forth, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which split asunder so that water flows from them, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which fall down for fear of Allah] [Surah Al-Baqarah Ayah 74] . Therefore, if you want to soften your heart, then abandon excessive speech and busy yourself with the remembrance of Allaah, for indeed that will soften your heart. [Ref 1]

Shaikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) also said: It is obligated on a person to restrain his (or her) tongue from excess Speech. He (or she) should not make his (or her) tongue tired and waste time, but one should be engaged in remembrance of Allaah because profuse remembrance of Allaah is good, if that is done by way of At-Tasbeeh [uttering ( سبحان الله), At-Tahleel [uttering (لاإله إلا الله ), At-Takbeer [uttering (الله اكبر), teaching beneficial knowledge, calling to the path of Allaah (The Mighty and Majestic) and giving admonitions. This is the means by way of which Allaah raises the status (of a person) and a tree planted for him (or her) in paradise. An increase in remembrance of Allaah has no limits. Whenever it is possible for you to increase (in remembrance of Allaah), then increase in remembrance of Allaah. [Allaah] said: [اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا-Remember Allah with much remembrance] [Surah Al-Ahzaab Ayah 41]

[وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ -And remember the Name of Allah much (both with tongue and mind), so that you may be successful. [Surah Al-Anfaal Ayah 45]. From the signs of Imaan is to remember Allaah a lot and from the signs of hypocrisy is to remember Allaah very little. Allaah stated about the hypocrites: [وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَىٰ يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا – And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little. [Surah An-Nisaa Ayah 142] [Ref 1]

Little remembrance of Allaah is from the signs of hypocrisy and remembering Allaah a lot is from the signs Imaan. So if you want to speak a lot, let it be through remembrance of Allaah – by way of At-Tasbeeh [uttering ( سبحان الله), At-Tahleel [uttering (لاإله إلا الله ), At-Takbeer [uttering (الله اكبر), At-Tahmeed [uttering (الحمد لله ), recitation of the Qur’aan and this is the best of Dhikr – by way of teaching beneficial knowledge, bringing about reconciliation between the people, giving admonitions, enjoining good and forbidding evil. There are many opportunities for remembering Allaah (The Mighty and Majestic). [Ref 2]

Faa’idah from Imaam Sadi (rahimahullaah) regarding the Ayah:

[وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَىٰ يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا – And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little. [Surah An-Nisaa Ayah 142]

Among their characteristics (i.e. the Munaafiqoon) is that ‘when they stand up for prayer’, and if they offer the prayer, which is the greatest physical act of obedience to Allaah, ‘They stand with laziness‘- with lack of enthusiasm and being uneasy. ‘And to be seen of men’; this is what their hearts conceal and this is the initial reason behind their deeds – to be seen of men. They intend to be seen of men, praised and honoured, but not out of carrying out acts of worship sincerely for Allaah. And due this, ‘They do not remember Allaah but a little’ because their hearts are filled with Riyaa. For indeed remembrance of Allaah and what it necessitates cannot be (established) except by a believer whose heart is filled with love for Allaah and His Greatness. [Abridged and slightly paraphrased. See Tayseer Al-Kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam Al-Mannaan of Imaam Sadi]

Ref 1: An Excerpt from It’haaf At-Tullaab Bi-Sharh Mandhoomah Al-Aadaab’ page 86. Paraphrased. See text below:

Ref2 :An Excerpt from It’haaf At-Tullaab Bi-Sharhi Mandhoomah Al’Aadaab’ page 85. Paraphrased. See text below::