Another characteristic common to the speech of the faithful is that it is found to be a way of speaking which reflects true wisdom. Contrary to popular belief, not all who are thought wise are actually wise. Allah grants this blessing to those who believe in Him. What people often confuse with wisdom is intelligence, a talent which is never to be compared with the superiority of true wisdom. Some, though they are far from the morality of the Qur'an, may be very clever; having a talent for thinking quickly, a powerful memory or a keen ability to provide ready answers. However, in their speech we would not encounter the use of words that would reflect real wisdom. The Qur'an tells us that real wisdom, which enables one to distinguish right from wrong, only comes through fear of Allah and faith in Him:
You who believe! If you fear Allah, He will give you a criterion [by which to judge between truth and falsehood] and erase your bad actions from you and forgive you. Allah's favor is indeed immense.
This wisdom, which is gained by faith and the fear of Allah, is reThe Aspects of the Muslim Way of Speaking flected in all that the faithful say; in their speech, when they make a decision, when they determine a deficiency or a need, when they analyze people's characters, faults or good points, their wisdom is noticeable and recognized by others. Such wise speech is very direct though equally plain and simple; it is unambiguous and comprehensible, that it can be easily understood by anyone, from a young child, or an uncultured person to one with a high intellectual capacity. Thanks to this wisdom, the faithful can determine truths and important points about a subject which others, with far more knowledge and experience than they possess, fail to recognize. They are able to provide definite answers to a great many problems, for which no solution had been found, even though every method had been employed. They are able to point out a person's errors in the most accurate, the most convincing, and the simplest language possible. They avoid unfounded comments; taking into account the history and circumstances of an event, they assess its possible ramifications. Where views had come to be taken for granted, they offer new and innovative ideas, exhibiting their wisdom. When they do so they impress others upon which they have a genuine effect.
Their speech is not of an ordinary or common variety. Their chain of logic, the evidence they put forward, and the examples they give, are so accurate that the listeners find themselves unable to reject them. They can avoid becoming monotonous by talking about the same subject but varying their speech, by using different sentence structures, different words and offering different comparisons each time. They defy the familiarity of a listener with a subject by using different approaches on every occasion. In addition, they are able to describe something beautiful in the most striking and effective language. They can also express their love or respect for a person in the most beautiful way. In order to do so, they do not need to cast themselves in some special light, or any such effort; in return for their sincere submission to Him, Allah, Who inspired wisdom in these believers, shows them the most correct path and enables them to speak with wisdom.
