Today's Quranic Verse: Good Speech

 *Today's Quranic Verse: Good Speech*

وَقُلْ لِعِبَادِي يَقُولُوا الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنْزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَانَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ عَدُوًّا مُبِينًا

And tell My (believing) servants to say only what is best. Surely, Shayṭān causes tensions and breaks ties between them, for he is  an open enemy to mankind [Isrā: 53].

In this verse, we learn:

- The Quran commands us to speak 'aḥsan' words: the best, and the kindest, and the most beautiful, words, at all times. The superlative is used, and context will tell us what words are the best in each given situation. This is the default, and this is the general rule. Sadly, all too often we take the exceptional situations as the norm. 

- Both Allah and His Messenger command this. Notice the unique phrasing in the beginning, which only occurs a handful of times: Allah commands the Messenger ﷺ to command us. The point being that there is a nobility given to this particular command that emphasizes it in a unique way. 

- Shayṭān is mentioned as wanting to cause division, to break up friendships and marriages and family ties. Shayṭān loves division and hatred - he is ever eager to divide the Ummah up! And this fact comes immediately after the commandment to speak good words to indicate an experienced reality: the PRIMARY way ties are broken, and hatred is established, and the Ummah is divided, is by nasty words. Speech is the key to build and to destroy relationships. So we are told to not give Shayṭān easy ammunition to use to break our ties of friendship and kinship and brotherhood.

- What makes this verse even more powerful is its cause of revelation: Umar b. al-Khaṭṭāb was cursed by a pagan, so in response he cursed him back and was very harsh with him. Allah then revealed this verse, thus demonstrating that even with those who reject the faith, the default is to respond to harshness with kindness. How much more so amongst our fellow believers then?! 

- By mentioning this command is to the 'servants of Allah' we are reminded that those who follow it - those who avoid vulgar speech and constant belittling and negating and harassing of others - are the true believers and worshippers of Allah. 

So examine your speech, and use this verse as a guiding principle. If you demonstrate good speech, even in the face of hostility, inshaAllah that is a good sign that you are from the true believers. And if you are always negative and hostile and sarcastic and toxic, realize you are not on a path that is of the true worshippers of and believers in Allah.

Credit: Yasir Qadhi