QV08.....How should we speak?

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We were discussing the essentials of Islam. As a third commandment, the holy Quran says –

“Speak fair to the people”. 

What does ‘fair’ mean? Does it mean speaking sugar coated words as we see nowadays?

 
The holy Quran summarizes how one should speak fairly as follows

“Wa laa talbisul haqqa bilbaatili wa taktumul haqqa wa antum ta'lamoon”

“Cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is).” (Quran 2.42)

An excellent definition of speaking fair is given by the commentator of Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. As you know, ‘Satya’ or speaking truth is one of the foremost requisites of a person who wants to follow the path of Yoga. How is this Satya defined? The well-known Yoga Sutra commentator Vyasa says

“Satya is about being consistent between words, and thoughts.

One should convey only that which he has seen, heard and inferred, and only that which he has in his mind. In other words, there should not be conflict between his words and thoughts.

The purpose of communication is to convey right information. So, it should be free from deceit. It should not be misleading nor should it be meaningless. It should not provoke violence.

One should always speak the truth that is in the interest of all.”

Speaking fair is not just mandated for a Yogi. Even a common man is expected to speak fair to others. Let me quote another ancient sage of India who says

“One should always speak the truth and speak only in a way that pleases others.

Truth that displeases others should be avoided (does not mean that one should lie - but only avoid telling harsh truths). So also, the untruth, even if it pleases someone (no lies to please somebody)”. (Manu Smrthi 4.138)

Why is speaking fair so important?

If you look around in our current society, most of our problems have their roots in dishonesty.

Whether it is a politician, a self-styled Guru, or a merchant, or even a common man, we often come across ‘unfair way of speaking’. That leads to mutual distrust and associated uncertainty. Speaking sweetly may help you in the near term, but in the long run, it is only the honesty that can help you.

That is the reason why all ancient societies have stressed on ‘speaking fair’. And that is what even the Quran mandates. A society built on honesty is more peaceful and easy to live in.

Quranic verses episode 8

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Based on verses from Holy Quran. The interpretation is by Dr.King. The Quran recitations are from various sites such as Quran.net, Quran411.com and so on.