While we were with the Prophet ﷺ on a journey, his riding camel moved ahead, and then my riding camel caught up to his until I thought that his camel had recognized the footsteps of my camel, until my knee touched his knee. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I have wanted to ask you about something repeatedly, but I was prevented by the status of this verse: {O you who have believed, do not ask about things which, if they are shown to you, will distress you} [Al-Ma'idah: 101].' He said: 'What is it, O Mu'adh?' I said: 'The deed that will admit me to Paradise and keep me away from the Hellfire.' He said: 'You have asked about something momentous, yet it is easy: The testimony that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer, giving the Zakat, establishing Hajj ,and fasting Ramadan.' Then he said: 'Shall I not inform you of the head of this matter, its pillar, and its peak? Jihad.' Then he said: 'Fasting is a shield, and charity extinguishes sins.' Then he said: 'Shall I not tell you of what is more significant for people than that?' He then took hold of his tongue and placed it between two of his fingers. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, is everything we speak held against us?' He said: 'May your mother be bereft of you! What else casts people onto their noses in the Hellfire other than the harvest of their tongues? You will remain safe as long as you remain silent. But when you speak, it is recorded for you or against you.