⛰️ #9 | Reflections on the Parable of Good Words in the Quran

Reflections on the Parable of Good Words in the Quran

Good speech is a rather common trait that comes to mind when someone thinks about a nice individual, let alone a righteous one. It’s an innate feeling that someone who speaks good words is probably a pretty good person.

However, we often forget the heavy weight good speech has in our faith, due to it being hard to maintain during times of frustration, anger, or even in playful speech.

Allah reminds us of the significance of this simple characteristic in Surah Ibrahim through a tangible metaphor:

Do you not see how Allah compares a good word to a good tree? Its root is firm and its branches reach the sky, ˹always˺ yielding its fruit in every season by the Will of its Lord. This is how Allah sets forth parables for the people, so perhaps they will be mindful. And the parable of an evil word is that of an evil tree, uprooted from the earth, having no stability. Allah makes the believers steadfast with the firm Word ˹of faith˺in this worldly life and the Hereafter. And Allah leaves the wrongdoers to stray. For Allah does what He wills.

(Ibrahim 14:24-27)

In these beautiful ayaat, Allah tells us that a good word is like a good tree, and similarly, an evil word is like an evil one.

Words that are rooted in faith and in goodness are enough to keep a tree standing tall and prosperously. The one who leans on this tree does not have to worry about it falling on him or her, and instead reaps the fruit of its blessings and is content under its shade.

On the other hand, a word rooted in falsehood and evil will uproot a tree and consequently, lead to its death, leaving with it either falling on top of the one who leans against it, or forcing him or her to carry the burden of keeping the tree superficially standing.

Imagine having an unstable tree for every evil word spoken -- how burdensome will that be for the ones under them?

Eventually, the person will be unable to keep them all upright, and at least one will crush them.

These ayaat are reminders that only those who speak words rooted with the “Word of faith” will remain steadfast and strong like the good tree both in this world and the next.

May Allah protect us from being like the straying, burdened wrongdoers, and allow us to grow in our faith, steadfast and upright, reaching towards the heavens. Ameen!!