When the lips are silent, the heart has a hundred tongues. Be silent like an oyster shell. For that tongue of yours is the enemy of the soul. – Rumi
Not only our bodies but also our minds and souls delight in silence. If we allow ourselves to remain calm, we develop a deeper awareness of our environment and ourselves. Silence not only promotes introspection but also critical and sustainable reflection. We recognize coherences and find the strength to shape our lives – whether on an individual, professional, or even societal level. Silence is also a real creativity booster. When we do nothing, we let our thoughts run free and find inspiration for novelty. We can look at problems from a different perspective and find innovative solutions. Also, we dare to think the unthinkable and once a thought is conceived it can become a reality. Silence widens the scope of how novelty can be nurtured.
We’ve been blessed with a very precious gift; the gift of talking, gift of being able to express our feelings, emotions, ideas or plans into something called words. But, alas, as with every gift, overusing it may lead to unexpected results. Speaking and listening in a balanced way are imperative in our world. The noise of useless words that many of us are throwing away in an attempt to get a grip on someone else’s attention, creates a thick fog that makes it really difficult to actually understand each other. Ironically, the more we talk, the less we’re able to communicate. Really listening means not only giving others the time to speak, but also the exercise of borrowing their perspective. Listening basically means to see things from their point of view. When we speak less, we do more. It’s obvious. Our focus switches from talking to doing. If you could refrain yourself from talking for five minutes a day, you will have gained huge amount of time for yourself. There are number of verses in Quran where Allah the Almighty focuses and encourages people on thinking and pondering.
Of all the lessons we need to learn about is the use of tongue, the most important one may be the most difficult to practice. We must be vigilant not to speak falsehood. We must think about what we are talking and the possible consequences of our words before we go ahead and speak. The Quran says ‘O you who believe ! Fear God and speak a word that is right. He will set right for you your sins 33:70. When we have nothing beneficial to say, silence is golden. Before we speak ,we should known is it true or is it necessary.
Listen to the Proverbs: “In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise and he who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction”.
He who has knowledge spares his words.
Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.
Shams has aptly said ‘My silence comes from nobleness. I have answer for every word , but I first look the word if it is word.” If we talk less we would probably be more honest, for those who are always talking tend to pass along information they cannot be sure of, and to put it nicely, shade the truth or exaggerate things in order to keep their stories interesting. If we can learn how to use tongue, talk less and listen more, we will have more friends and fewer enemies, because we will not be as prone to hurt people’s feelings and we will be appreciated for our ability to listen.
Before saying anything in anger we need to take time to make certain we have the facts straight; be certain and know that what we are going to say; and be sure we will not regret it later. We may have good reason to be angry with our friends, spouse, brother or sister etc but is there a compelling reason to say anything? If something must be said, while still seething? Instead of angry words, we should try to hold back .
Tongue is misused everywhere. Tongue breaks heart, shatters it into shards like a mirror. We can repair toys not mirror. When we don’t weigh words carefully, they lower our status and stature. Tongue hurls insulting outburst. Do not forward things you do not know or you are not sure about, our one sentence, which makes us feel empowered, is making someone cry in solitude. Learn to hold tongue.
As Quran reminds us tongue will be speechless and rest of the body will be witness. We harm someone’s reputation by reporting something which he was never involved in just to show the might. It is a personal loss. Tongue enslaves us. It leads us astray. Don’t scream. The more one talks, the less the words mean. Tongue is the first introduction of an individual. The way you speak the attitude and tone reflects the person you are and impacts everything around you. Use it wisely because words can hurt or they can heal; they can edify and encourage or they can discourage and even enrage. These words of wisdom are not intended to suggest that we never question or criticize the beliefs, teachings and actions of others. You’ve probably observed this in others many times. May be even in yourself. Whether it’s at work, with friends or in some type of social situation, many people speak their minds before thinking. There are many who “fly off the handle” and don’t stop to think about the repercussions of their words. I cringe when this happens because I know people are going to get hurt, and later on people will be sorry for what they said. But the damage is done. Choose the words carefully that you speak because they have the potential of accomplishing or destroying anything. Just one negative comment can ruin a person’s day or sometimes life. So always think before you speak. It will make all the difference
As Benjamin Franklin said, “Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.