Some Examples of Speaking Pleasant Words in the Qur’an

There are a few other examples to show Muslims how to behave in the dialogue between the Prophet Jethro (pbuh) and the deniers. This dialogue is related in the Qur’an in this way:

And to Madyan their brother Jethro. He said, “My people, worship God! You have no deity apart from Him. Do not give short measure and short weight. I see you prospering and I fear for you the punishment of an all-encompassing Day. My people! Give full measure and full weight with justice; do not diminish people’s goods; and do not go about the earth, corrupting it. What endures with God is better for you if you are believers. I am not set over you as your keeper.” They said, “Jethro, do your prayers instruct you that we should abandon what ou

r fathers worshipped or stop doing whatever we want to with our wealth? Yet you are such a lenient, normal person!” He said, “My people! What do you think? If I do possess a Clear Sign from my Lord and He has given me His good provision, I do not want to oppose you in what way I am forbidding you. I only want to put things right as far as I can. My success is with God alone. I have put my trust in Him and I turn to Him.” (Qur’an, 11:84-88)

When we examine what he says, we see that the Prophet Jethro (pbuh) invited the people to believe in God and to adopt high moral principals and he did this with friendliness and humility. We can explain some of the reasons behind the things said in these verses:

l When the Prophet Jethro says “I am not set over you as your keeper” to the people, he does not want to dominate them; his only intention is to inform them of the truth that God has revealed.

l “You are clearly the forbearing, the rightly-guided”: These words of the deniers to the Prophet Jethro show his warm, gentle and courteous character and that this was particularly appreciated by the deniers.

l “My people! What do you think?” This expression used by the Prophet Jethro shows that he calls on the deniers to use their intelligence and conscience. In other words, he does not use insistent pressure, but questions their ideas from an opposing stance and invites them to consider and come to a conclusion based on their own free conscience.

l “I do not want to oppose you in what way I am forbidding you”. The Prophet Jethro’s prohibition here is not actually a prohibition. He explains that some acts are sinful and invites the people to abandon them. Moreover, when the Prophet Jethro says “I do not want to oppose you”, it is not his purpose to dispute with the people; he does not want to make them uncomfortable and incite a quarrel; he wants only to invite them to faith and the practice of high moral principles.

If you examine the Qur’an you will see that a warm, gentle and compassionate disposition characterised all the prophets. God reveals that the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was “tender-hearted and forbearing.” (Qur’an, 9:114) and in another verse, the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) moral principles are described in this way:

It is a mercy from God that you were gentle with them. If you had been rough or hard of heart, they would have scattered from around you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them, and consult with them about the matter. Then when you have reached a firm decision, put your trust in God. God loves those who put their trust in Him. (Qur’an, 3:159)