Every word matters

 

It has almost exceeded a  month and a half that I have written anything and posted here. Not that I haven’t written anything at all- I have had quite a lot of ideas and a variety of topics in my mind-perhaps, none of my recent ideas have been able to reach the level of a properly organized ‘write-up’.

However, a late-night piece of reflection couldn’t hold me resist my temptation of trying to put this out on record.

As a result of this weirdly uncomforting writing gap, I began to ponder onto the reasons of why can it be unexplainably difficult to write at times. Busy schedule, deadlines, weather changes. Various reasons popped up into my mind. But I should not dismiss this one reason that was in every way more convincing than the rest.

William Zinsser, in his book, On Writing Well, says: Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. If you find that writing is hard, it is because it is hard.

When I feel that my brain is unable to find appropriate words for my thoughts, I am taken over by the idea of not conveying them outright. Writing is, and should be, carefully crafted and meticulously built. Meaning, I do not want to write, without thinking. It is probably because I strongly adhere to the idea of ‘every word matters’ when it comes to putting it on paper.

The question is: Why are we not careful about our words, when it is not on paper?

What makes it effortless to say word after word without giving every word it’s due consideration period? In our everyday conversations, we have forgotten that words have been conferred with a certain sense of sanctity. Each enjoys a meaning. A distinct feeling that it shares, not even with it's synonyms. A single change in words and their alignment can change the entire context of a matter, invite or avoid a potential conflict, raise morale or despair a youth full of energy. What it takes is careful, or rather, (if I really am careful), painstaking usage.

Since the last few years, I have been blessed with the opportunity to have read books on Jurisprudence and Principles of jurisprudence. I learned that a mere change in the words of a matter that is exactly the same when another word was used can twist the ways and dimensions of looking at it. Common examples of it can be found in matters of divorce, marriage, transactions, oaths etc...

No one can deny the efficacy of words. The listening of good words can have long-lasting and a life-changing impact. Maybe, this could also be one of the reasons we have to raise our voice to our own hearing while praying. Most of us are unaware of Arabic, but the reading and listening of Quran, is nevertheless encouraged and rewarded.

Likewise, a careless and impatient usage of words produces nothing, but clutter. Good talking means patient talking. We may waste or negatively use our words if we constantly stay under the urge to say everything and anything.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: The one who stayed silent, succeeded.

I was thinking of this hadith and an insight came into my mind. Staying silent, when you do not have the ability to be careful with the word usage is being responsible enough to not add to the clutter around. In easy words, do not contribute to pollution atleast, if you cannot take steps to improve it.

It is also known from the sunnahs of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that when he would talk, his speech was so meticulous that the listener could easily count his blessed and wisdom-filled words.

May Allah make us all wise enough to count our words when said for a purpose. May He bless us with the patience to contain our words when they do not serve a purpose.