WELL-WISHING, PERSONAL REMARKS
In the Quran, the terms naseeha (advice) and nasih (the advisor) are used for those who call others to the truth (Quran, 7:68, 11:34). This indicates that the words of a caller to God should be words of advice, meaning that the motivation behind their speaking or writing should be solely for the purpose of reform and goodwill. There should be no other underlying motive when speaking about others or writing about them.
The words of an advisor come from a sense of responsibility. They think before speaking and research before writing. Their motivation is that if they remain silent, they may be held accountable before God. They do not speak for fame, self-expression, or worldly gain; they speak because they believe it is their duty. When they speak about others, they are also praying for them with sincerity in their hearts.
In contrast, the other form of speaking or writing is personal remarks or criticism. The Quran says: “And those who disbelieve say, ‘Do not listen to this Quran, and make noise in it so that you may overcome.’” (41:26). Abdullah ibn Abbas explained walghaw feehi as: ‘Ayyiboohu—meaning, “They criticized it, made it seem bad in the eyes of others, so that people would turn away in anger.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 4, p. 98)
While advice comes from a spirit of goodwill, personal remarks come from a spirit of malice. Personal remarks and accusations are driven by negative emotions such as hatred, jealousy, and ego. The aim is not to reform, but to bring others down and discredit them.
Advice is not only permissible but also a virtuous act. In contrast, personal remarks and criticism are clearly prohibited, as they only add to a person’s wrongdoing. Advice is a sign of a healthy society, while personal remarks are a characteristic of a corrupt society.
In a society where there is an atmosphere of advice, people will regard each other as their own. There will be a sense of trust, and people’s hearts will be filled with respect and love for one another. No one will regard others as strangers or look at them with suspicion. No one will attempt to exploit another.
Moreover, in such an environment, if one person makes a critical remark about another, the listener will not take it personally. Instead, they will hear it as a simple comment. This will allow for open dialogue between them, where both individuals set aside their egos and strive to reach the pure truth. Afterward, they will accept what is correct.
In contrast, personal remarks only lead to harm. If the person being criticized reacts angrily to the critic’s words, a fight will start, which is one of the most serious evils. Even if the listener is calm and remains silent after hearing criticism, they are still not free from harm. First, the critic has wasted their time, which could have been used for something productive. Second, they have established the harmful practice of making baseless accusations against others in society.
In this context, the teachings of Islam are reflected in the hadith: “Whoever believes in God and the Last Day should speak good, or remain silent.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 47). “Good speech” here refers to words based on established facts, aimed at constructive benefit, and motivated by a sincere desire to express the truth. It should be for the sake of God, not for any human benefit.
A person who is sincere and God-conscious thinks before they speak. If they feel their words are truly valuable, they will speak them; otherwise, they will remain silent.
