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to the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah and he speaks in a
way that will help people to continue through the day more joy-
fully and lively. We may compare this behaviour of believers to the
good fruit tree in the verse above.
However, some people prefer not to speak about the good
qualities of others but want to humiliate them by pointing out their
errors and shortcomings. As we pointed out, in the verses in Surah
Ibrahim, our Lord draws our attention to this and compares this
kind of language to a corrupt tree that bears no fruit. Just as a harsh
word destroys a good relationship, it will also dampen the enthusi-
asm of the other party and be the cause of sorrow and regret.
On the other hand, when a believer speaks with someone giv-
ing him advice about how to remedy his shortcomings or pointing
out his errors, he will take care to choose the best words. In doing
this he will be fulfilling the following command of Allah:
Say to My slaves that they should only say the best. Shaytan
wants to stir up trouble between them. Shaytan is an outright
enemy to man. (Surat al-Isra': 53)
As Allah says in this verse, Shaytan tries to get people not to
say good things to one another and, in this way, to make them ene-
mies. When a negative word is spoken, Shaytan immediately starts
to introduce suspicions to pry each side apart. A person who feels
uncomfortable because he has been addressed unpleasantly will be
24 Hours in the Life of a Muslim
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