Healthy discussion

Discussions can be healthy, benign, or malignant. I received a text message which stated:

Great minds discuss ideas
Average minds discuss events
Small minds discuss people 1

Discussing ideas means to discuss ideas of worth which will spur one to action and lead to results rather than discussion for the sake of discussion. So, great minds discuss ideas [of worth] or else stay silent. Their presence uplifts others or at the very least does not cause harm such as the wastage of time. The great mind knows that greatness lies with Allah almighty and therefore dedicates their life in discussing Allah and his messenger (peace be upon him) and acting upon their commandments.

The average mind remains average for the very reason that discussion of events does not lead to the remembrance of Allah almighty.It just stagnates on news and does not transcend from being information to knowledge. Find the idea in the event and build for the guidance of Allah is all around for those who seek it.

The small mind discusses that which is beyond their control and useless. Their discussion is malignant which makes their small mind smaller and cancerous to those who partake in their discussion. The cure is silence 2, self evaluation, forgiveness and humility.

Take stock of your discussions for in the hereafter you must give account and all will know of your talk.

Muhammad Saifur Rahman
25 Safar 1434
8 January 2013

• 1. Anon, The purpose of the message is the last point that one should stop discussing people (ghibat) and not the first which one might construe as an encouragement to becoming armchair philosophers - one who sits around and acts like they're an expert on something, yet they've had no involvement or factual research of it (See Urban Dictionary)
• 2. من صمت نجا