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Speech Management
English · 7 min read
Right thinking and precise speaking are moral requirements: neglect of these matters can have very serious consequences. Since everything is known to God Almighty, everyone will be punished or rewarded according to how he speaks and behaves.
This being so, every man or woman must of necessity be very serious. In the firm belief that one day he will be presented before the all-knowing God, everyone must conduct himself with a deep sense of responsibility.
Everyone will face an unavoidable judgement issued by God Almighty. This Quranic teaching is very important, for it provides a great incentive to the building of a person as a righteous and healthy member of society.
Experience shows that sermons alone cannot suffice. No sermon, however powerful, can change people; every good sermon needs one more thing: fear of punishment. It is only fear of punishment that guarantees that people will develop the right kind of character.
Right thinking and precise speaking are moral requirements: neglect of these matters can have very serious consequences.
If you deliver sermons, people will find some excuse not to follow their teachings. It is only the fear of punishment that will make the content of those sermons of immediate personal interest. Such fear inculcates the right spirit. Even if you have a good excuse for wrong behaviour, don’t use it. Because if you use it, you shall have to pay a heavy price and the law is the law: it brooks no excuses.
Living in fear of punishment is not a negative feeling. It is a completely positive feeling. It turns you into a responsible person; it inculcates the spirit of self-discipline. It makes you an honest person, building into your personality a welcome predictability. And it saves you from all kinds of deviation.
A sense of accountability makes you manage your affairs in the best possible way. It compels you to make the best use of your time, energy and resources.
The Role of a Woman
According to Quranic as well as Biblical accounts, Moses was born into an Israelite family. The Egyptian king, Pharaoh, had ordered all the Israelite boys to be killed as soon as they were born. But God Almighty intervened and made Moses the exception. One part of his story is given in the chapter Al-Qasas (The Story) of the Quran:
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We inspired Moses’ mother saying, ‘Suckle him, and then, when you fear for him, cast him into the river, and have no fear and do not grieve, for We shall return him to you, and shall make him one of the Messengers.’ Then Pharaoh’s household picked him up—later to become for them an enemy and a source of grief for them: Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts were wrongdoers—and Pharaoh’s wife said, ‘He will be a joy to the eye for me and you! Do not slay him: he may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son.’ They did not realize what they were doing. Moses’ mother’s heart was full of anxiety—she would have disclosed his identity had We not strengthened her heart so that she might be a firm believer [in Our promise]. She said to Moses’ sister, ‘Go, and follow him.’ So she watched him from a distance, like a stranger, without anyone noticing her. We had already made him refuse all wet nurses. So his sister said to them, ‘Shall I tell you of a family who will bring him up for you and take good care of him?’ Thus We restored him to his mother, so that she might be comforted and not grieve any more, and so that she would know that God’s promise was true. But most of them do not realize this. (28:7-13)
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This part of Moses’ story gives us an interesting example of how a woman can play an important role. Moses’ sister, Mariam, just fifteen years old at the time, was able to enter Pharaoh’s palace—where it would have been impossible for a man to go. It was possibly because of her youth and femininity that she was able to do so. From this it would appear that sometimes a woman can play a more subtle role than a man. And the above incident gives a very fine example of this reality.
According to the Quran, men and women are born different from each other in nature. The Quran holds that men and women are both equal in the sense of being worthy of respect, but that they are different in the roles they play.
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Men can perform certain tasks better than women, and at the same time, women can perform certain tasks better than men. This is according to the creation plan of God. The Quran propounds the equality of men and women as human beings, but does not apply this rule for every kind of task to be undertaken. The above-mentioned story provides a good example of this.
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The Quran holds that men and women are both equal in the sense of being worthy of respect, but that they are different in the roles they play.
Human life has different aspects; it requires different abilities for different kinds of undertakings in every walk of life. That is why God Almighty created men and women with different qualities. This difference is exactly in consonance with specific needs. A good human life can be built only by accepting this reality of creation.
One of the important teachings of the Quran is what may be called ‘speech management’. That is, the use of words with an extreme sense of responsibility and not letting one’s tongue get out of control. This teaching is stressed in the chapter Al-Nisa’ (Women) of the Quran:
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There is no good in most of their secret talk, except in the case of those who enjoin charity and kindness, or reconciliation between people. If anyone does that, seeking the pleasure of God, We will give him an immense reward. (4:114)
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This Quranic verse does not pertain to specifically secret talk. It includes all kinds of talks and conversations. The power of speech given to man is a very rare quality. It is an exclusive boon for both men and women. But, every gift involves responsibility, and this is especially true in the case of the power of speech. One must use this power with great caution.
Speech, to be of proper value, must be used in those fields which are useful for mankind. Such use of speech is worthy of reward, while the misuse of speech is liable to punishment.
The art of speech management means the control of your tongue, thinking before speaking and calculating in advance the impact of what you have to say.
You should avoid negative talk, telling lies, misrepresentation of facts and any kind of utterances which may create a rift or suspicion between two people or two groups. Speech is most commonly misused when people do not know the difference between an allegation and a statement based on evidence.
If you want to say anything about anyone, first of all you have to examine whether what you have to say is supported by logic or not. If you have good reason to speak, then you may open your mouth, otherwise you should remain silent. Here the options are clear.
What is right speech? Right speech is that which is based on truth, which will stand up to objective analysis—being based on certified data which is positive in nature—and which will not create any unnecessary problems.
All human activities are related to speech in some way or the other. So, every man and woman must develop the art of speaking in a manner which is positive and which creates a healthy atmosphere in all important spheres—the family, society and the nation. Good speech is the basis of nation building.
The art of speech management means the control of your tongue, thinking before speaking and calculating in advance the impact of what you have to say.
People generally live without discipline; they dislike imposing any constraints on their activities. This is very true of speech. Right speech means disciplined speech, talking in a properly controlled way. That is, weighing every word before speaking. Futile speech is good for nothing, whereas well-considered speech is a source of the greatest good.
The art of speech management is the most vital art for a man or a woman. Without acquiring this art, a man is only half a man and a woman is only half a woman. Only those—both men and women—who have developed the art of right speech, can be said to be complete human beings.