The beauty of Japanese lifestyles
Woke up to a torrential rain. But it stopped by the time I stepped outside to a beautiful morning. Now it feels like home not cheeks snippy nippy cold like yesterday. The early morning here is strangely quiet although the workers have started their work but they move around without sound and whisper whenever they communicated. I observed them while waiting for my friend to get ready. What a strange culture— being quiet is noble as loud/noisy is rude.
Islam also emphasize the virtue of silence, controlling one’s speech, and avoiding unnecessary noise or loudness, which can be seen as rude or harmful:
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1. General virtue of silence and guarding the tongue:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ
“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 6475, Sahih Muslim 47)
This hadith encourages mindful speech and implies that unnecessary talk should be avoided.
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2. Silence as part of wisdom:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّ مِنْ حُسْنِ إِسْلَامِ الْمَرْءِ تَرْكَهُ مَا لَا يَعْنِيهِ
“Part of the perfection of a person’s Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2318, graded hasan)
This includes abstaining from irrelevant, excessive, or loud talk that disturbs others.
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3. Avoiding loud and harsh speech:
Allah says in the Quran:
وَاقْصِدْ فِي مَشْيِكَ وَاغْضُضْ مِن صَوْتِكَ ۚ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ الْأَصْوَاتِ لَصَوْتُ الْحَمِيرِ
“And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice; indeed, the most disagreeable of sounds is the voice of donkeys.”
(Surah Luqman 31:19)
This verse teaches moderation, including in speech volume, and likens excessively loud voices to unpleasant sounds.
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4. The harm of loud and noisy behavior in gatherings:
The Prophet ﷺ advised against interrupting others or speaking loudly over them. In a hadith, he said:
إِنَّ أَحَبَّكُمْ إِلَيَّ وَأَقْرَبَكُمْ مِنِّي مَجْلِسًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَحَاسِنُكُمْ أَخْلَاقًا، وَإِنَّ أَبْغَضَكُمْ إِلَيَّ وَأَبْعَدَكُمْ مِنِّي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ الثَّرْثَارُونَ وَالْمُتَشَدِّقُونَ وَالْمُتَفَيْهِقُونَ
“The most beloved of you to me and the nearest to me in the Hereafter are those with the best character. And the most hateful to me and farthest from me in the Hereafter are the thartharūn (those who talk excessively and improperly), mutashaddiqūn (those who speak arrogantly), and mutafayhiqūn (those who fill their mouths with speech to show off).”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2018, graded hasan)
These types of people are often loud, verbose, and rude in speech.
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5. Quietness and dignity in the believer’s character:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
الْبَذَاءُ مِنَ الْجَفَاءِ، وَالْجَفَاءُ فِي النَّارِ
“Foul speech is from ignorance, and ignorance is in the Fire.”
(Sunan Abi Dawud 4160)
“Foul speech” here includes rude, coarse, or loud vulgar talk, which opposes dignified, quiet behavior.
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6. The angel’s avoidance of noisy places:
The Prophet ﷺ mentioned that angels are disturbed by things that disturb people, including loud noises and unpleasant voices. This indirectly teaches Muslims to avoid creating disturbances.
