The blessing of Speech!

We human beings have been blessed with the ability to speak as one of the ways to communicate. The ability to communicate is not unique to our species. Majority of animals, birds, fishes, insects, etc also communicate with one another. But there is a difference between their communication and our communication.

Species other than human beings may only communicate for basic needs. For example in the animal kingdom, mostly animals communicate each other for food, mating and sometimes for gathering their herds or cautioning their herd against danger. But we human beings use the ability of speech for a large number of reasons.

Different languages, different dialects and complementing these are our facial expressions, our handmade gestures, our body language and most importantly – our eyes. This gives our ability to speak an endless spectrum, an infinite pallet, just like for painting we have a pallet of colors but which is limited, but with speech it is infinite.

Talking, praising, flattery, complaining, criticizing, scolding, public speaking, sermons and preaching, teaching, joking, expressing love, consoling, justifying, dialogue-baazi, thanking,…..etc. there are so many different ways in which we speak depending on the person we are talking to or the subject of conversation. Whether we are addressing a gathering of thousands or just answering to a small child, or speaking to our parents (even in that we speak differently to our father and mother) or speaking to our spouse.

The achievements (both positive and negative) made by man through speech are far greater than any other achievement in any other field. Pick up our history and one can find many examples, pick up today’s newspaper you will still find many more examples.

Speech can heal wounds faster than any medicine.

But it can also cause far greater damage than any ammunition.

Speech can inspire and infuse entire nations to stand together.

But it can also break the very same nations by making gullible public believe in fictional reasons.

Speech can console a broken heart and give it strength to pick up the pieces walk towards the future.

But it can also extinguish the candle of hope and push individuals to end themselves.

Speech can enlighten, educate and satisfy human curiosity and hunger for knowledge.

But it can also be used to poison young minds and damage a person for life.

Speech can help bring peace to troubled souls.

But it can also be used to shatter a calm and composed person.

Speech can help you express love, care and spread warmth and friendship in this world

But it can also be used to make person feel utterly lonely even though they are amongst a crowd.

Speech can be used to ease the burden of a friend’s heart and mind

But it can also be used to pile up huge unwanted feelings on someone.

Speech at times can be used to forgive and ask forgiveness.

But it can also be used to complain and blame others

I had the honor to be the student of some very great human beings. One of them is Mr. Sharad Kumar under whom I attended the Engineering Mechanics tuition classes (outside college) in my First year of engineering in Nagpur. His one line/ dialogue, always stuck in my mind and even though so many people around me have uttered the same line before him, somehow his way of saying has stuck in my mind. He used to ask the class a question and as you know every class in the world, irrespective of the course or age group, will have some student(s) who like to shout out the answer before others. So in our class also couple of students would shout out the answer. If the answer is wrong then they would still try to answer the second time (in the same breath) but Mr. Sharad Kumar would stop them from answering the second time and say, “Bandook se nikli hui goli aur zubaan se nikli hui baat, kabhi wapas nai aasakti.” (Translation: the bullet fired from a gun and the words uttered from the mouth can never come back)

So true! The above line is so very much true. I have observed people all around me, and even experienced it myself. We say so many things in the heat of the moment, intentionally and unintentionally. And sometimes the unintentional stuff that comes out of our mouth, we so very badly wish that it would not have come out. But it has already come out and caused irreparable damage. 

Breaks peoples heart, breaks relationships, breaks trust, just because we said something which later on we try to sheepishly cover up by saying, “I didn’t really mean what I said.”

Our speech is controlled by us and its upto us as to how we utilize it. And of course at times you might be misinterpreted and misunderstood by the other person, but then again once you realize that, the onus lies on you to clarify the same without any prejudice or malice. Friendships have been sunk, families have been torn apart just for the sake of a simple misunderstanding which was left as it is and despite people not being ‘dumb’ on either side, nobody took the initiative to speak up to sort things out. But everyone is up for gossiping and spreading rumors and animosity. Nobody wants to bring the two persons in front of each other and make them talk to clear out the matter

At times it may seem all frustrating, so much confusing, just like Aamir Khan pointed out in the film “PK”, “wouldn’t it be much simpler if we could just read each other’s thoughts?” But then again, would we want anyone to know what we are truly thinking? The ability of speech helps us hide our thoughts, which may be very ugly and bitter, and still speak sweet as honey talks.  I thank Almighty Allah for this blessing of speech, ask forgiveness for if I have used it for the wrong reasons.

I ask Allah to grant me the serenity to remain silent and the courage to speak the truth and most importantly, the wisdom to know the difference.