Good Speech

The Parable of the Good Word

The Quran elaborates very detailed topics in a few short words. One such topic is the manner of speech. A good tree has several characteristics: growing, bearing fruit abundantly, casting shade, sustaining itself, and bearing fruit under all kinds of circumstances. A good person is never stagnant, and the signs of his faith constantly reveal themselves in speech and acts — continuous, not seasonal.

The 'Pure Word' includes monotheism, faith, correct and sound ideas. It is so fruitful that any person or community basing their life on it benefits every moment: clearness in thought, balance in temperament, strength in character, purity in morals, firmness in conduct, righteousness in talk, straightforwardness in conversation, good social behavior, nobility in culture, justice in economy, honesty in politics, nobility in war, sincerity in peace, and confidence in promises. It is the elixir that changes everything into gold.

Its roots are fixed — no threats, conspiracies, instigators, or despots can uproot it — and its branches reach heaven, unaffected by circumstance.

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَیْفَ ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا كَلِمَةً طَیِّبَةً كَشَجَرَةٍ طَیِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ تُؤْتِي أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِینٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا وَیَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ یَتَذَكَّرُونَ

“Do you not see how Allah presents a parable? A good word is like a good tree — its root is firm, and its branches are in the sky. It yields its fruits every season by the will of its Lord. Allah presents parables to the people, so that they may reflect.”

Ibrahim 14:24-25

The Parable of the Bad Word

The 'evil word' stands for any false creed adopted as a basis of one's life — atheism, heresy, disbelief, shirk, idol-worship, or any 'ism' not brought by a Messenger — and it has no stability because it is against the law of nature. The words, ideas, and deviant individuals attached to it have no roots, fruits, flowers, beauty, or shade; they are thorns in the eyes of others.

It is interesting that the Quran speaks in detail about the good tree while describing the evil tree in one short sentence. The distinction is apparent throughout religious, moral, intellectual, and cultural history: the Pure Word has always been one and the same and has never been uprooted, while there have been innumerable evil words — communism, the Mu'tazila, and others — each so uprooted that hardly anything remains of it except its name in the pages of history. Whenever the Pure Word has been adopted, its blessings benefited everyone around; whenever an evil word has been adopted, its evils spread chaos and disorder all around.

وَمَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِیثَةٍ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِیثَةٍ اجْتُثَّتْ مِن فَوْقِ الْأَرْضِ مَا لَهَا مِن قَرَارٍ یُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ فِي الْحَیَاةِ الدُّنْیَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ وَیُضِلُّ اللَّهُ الظَّالِمِینَ وَیَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ مَا یَشَاءُ

“And the parable of a bad word is that of a bad tree — it is uprooted from the ground; it has no stability. Allah gives firmness to those who believe, with the firm word, in this life and in the Hereafter. And Allah leads the wicked astray. Allah does whatever He wills.”

Ibrahim 14:26-27

The Gift of Speech

Try to imagine a world without speech, communication reduced to grunts and groans. Without words we would be deprived of Allah's ultimate gift — divine guidance, which has come to us through the language of the Quran and the words of His Prophet (SAW). Speech lets us communicate with our Creator through prayer and supplication, recite the Quran, comfort those in pain, urge good and forbid bad, and engage in da'wah.

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُ عَیْنَیْنِ وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَیْنِ وَهَدَیْنَاهُ النَّجْدَیْنِ

“Did We not give him two eyes? And a tongue, and two lips? And We showed him the two ways?”

Al-Balad 90:8-10

Every Word Is Recorded

We are responsible for all actions: what we say, listen to, go towards, write, and see. Just as we may misuse our eyes or ears, we may misuse our tongue for what is blameworthy. We lie, criticize, backbite, use vulgar language, exaggerate, brag, falsely accuse, mimic, and mock — irresponsible speech that can cause great harm.

"Not a single word is uttered by anyone except that there is an observer near him, ready to record" (Qaf 50:18). During the course of a day we say many things without realizing how harmful they are: remarks about looks, calling someone ugly, fat, stupid, lazy, worthless; abusive language; and worse, biting remarks made without knowledge about Islam, the Quran, the Prophets, or even about Allah — never stopping to think it is all being recorded for the Day of Resurrection.

یَوْمَ تَشْهَدُ عَلَیْهِمْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ وَأَیْدِیهِمْ وَأَرْ جُلُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا یَعْمَلُونَ

“On the Day when their tongues, and their hands, and their feet will testify against them regarding what they used to do.”

An-Nur 24:24

Prophetic Guidance on the Tongue

The Prophet (SAW) said: "Whosoever gives me a guarantee to safeguard what is between his jaws and what is between his legs, I shall guarantee him paradise."

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him say something good, or else remain silent" (agreed upon).

Abu Musa said the Messenger of Allah was asked, 'Which of the Muslims is the most virtuous?' He said, 'The one whom the Muslims are safe from his tongue and his hand' (agreed upon). He also said, "The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe," and, "Most of the sins of the children of Adam are on their tongues."

It has been said, "Silence is wisdom, whereas few act according to it," and, "Speak only when your words are more beautiful than silence."

Sins of the Tongue and the Path to Paradise

A person mindful of Allah refrains from sins of the tongue such as backbiting, slander, gossip, lying, swearing, cursing, and vain talk. Ask before speaking: 'Will this saying please Allah? Will it bring me closer to Him? Does it reflect obedience to Him?' If uncertain, remain quiet rather than risk contradicting Islamic belief or behavior — this doesn't forbid casual conversation, only careless speech.

Conversely, the Prophet (SAW) said: "A man may be so close to paradise that the distance between him and it is one arm's length, and he speaks a word and becomes distant from it further than [the city of] Sana." He also said, "The faith of a servant is not put right until his heart is put right, and his heart is not put right until his tongue is put right" — making the purification of faith conditional on the heart, and the heart's purification conditional on the tongue.

'Uqbah ibn Amr reported asking, 'O Messenger of Allah, what action will save us?' He replied: "Control your tongue, let your house be sufficient for you, and weep for your sins."

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِینَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ وَالَّذِینَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِ ضُونَ

“Successful indeed are the believers; those who are humble in their prayers; who avoid vain talk.”

Al-Mu'minun 23:1-3

Practical Tips for Guarding the Tongue

• Think before speaking — evaluate whether what you're about to say is beneficial or necessary; if your thoughts wander toward something unnecessary or hurtful, turn to dhikr instead.
• If you say something hurtful, simply apologize — this humbles you, makes you more careful next time, and can repair the relationship.
• Choose good company — it takes two to gossip; stay clear of circles that make backbiting easy.
• To atone for slander or backbiting, seek forgiveness from the person wronged, or if that's not possible, praise them in the same circles where you spoke ill of them.
• Evaluate how much of your talking time is productive versus unproductive, and train yourself in beneficial silence.
• Make it a habit to mention Allah's name in conversation, as protection against falling into the trap of careless speech.

Closing Admonition

We are focusing on our speech: Alhamdulillah we have freedom of speech in this country, but we must be responsible for what we say and evaluate its impact on others. Refrain from vain talk, stop spreading rumors, verify news before jumping to conclusions, stop backbiting one another, speak softly and gently, increase your knowledge of Islam, take the initiative to do da'wah for the love of Allah, and keep watch over your own mistakes and sins. May Allah accept our repentance for the irresponsible use of our tongues, eyes, ears, limbs, and intellect, and make us among those from whom others are safe.