Silence and God-Realization

Traditions tell of how the Prophet of Islam usually observed silence. (Musad Ahmad, Hadith No. 20810) Many traditions have been recorded on this subject. For example: “Hold fast to silence.” (Sunan al-Darmi, Hadith No. 2484).

“A believer is one who either speaks good or remains silent.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 6018).

“Anyone who observed silence, saved himself.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 6481).

“My silence should be contemplation.” (Musnad al-Shihab al-Qudha’i, Hadith No 1159).

Observing silence means not only to remain quiet but also to contemplate. When a believer remains silent, he will ponder on his Lord. This is maarifah, or the discovery and realization of God. Silence is the door to maarifah. True silence leads man to true maarifah.

Silence gives man the opportunity to save himself from distractions. It brings greater clarity to his experiences and observations. He transforms ordinary facts into meaningful facts. He travels from the outer world to the inner world. He establishes his contact with God and His angels at the psychological level. All these factors strengthen man’s God-realization. Contemplation is the source of God-realization and without silence, the process of contemplation is not at all possible. Silence brings a person close to God. It provides the opportunity for him to achieve God-realization from the entire universe and this journey continues non-stop.