SOUND SPEECH

lip service but is his sincere opinion. He is free of hypocrisy. There is no difference between his thinking and his speaking. A person having these qualities is a great asset for his society. His sound thinking is a guarantee that he will not create problems for his fellow beings. He will live as trustworthy person. He will be free of the self-centred mentality. He will follow his conscience rather than his own interest. He will adopt a principled character. His sound thinking will make him sound in every aspect of life. However, in any situation, if such a person were to—forgetting himself in the course of conversation—raise his voice in anger and argue with his companions unnecessarily, he will soon become conscious of his mistake. Ashamed of having gone to extremes he will turn to God for forgiveness. One example of the form of such supplication is in the following words of the Prophet: “Glory be to You, O Lord, and praise, I bear witness that there is no God save You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance”. Such a person will have all that passed in that meeting forgiven for him by God. (At Tirmidhi). But it is not a mechanical recital of these words which will earn God’s forgiveness. This will happen only if one utters them in all earnestness and with a keen awareness of their meaning. The sentiments they convey must be endorsed both by heart and intellect. The Prophet was describing the action of a person who stands in fear of God; a person of sincerity. According to the Quran, sound speech or right speech is divine speech; it is like speaking the language of Paradise. Paradise is the place where only right thinking persons will find entry, so the one who follows this principle, will get a double blessing of God. He becomes a good member of a society in this world and in the Hereafter, he will be accepted as a successful member of the society of Paradise. o A sound thinker always speaks in the language of nature and nature is common to both the speaker and the listener.