Knowledge and Communication

99% of the population is afraid of public speaking, and of the remaining 1%, 99% of them have nothing original and interesting to say. Words have incredible power. They can make people's hearts soar, or they can make people's hearts sore.

Knowledge: People assume they know things that they don’t, and speak about it like they know what they’re talking about.

Most people don’t know what they’re talking about. They move their mouth and say things because they don’t want to admit they don’t know. Or they think they know, but it’s just confabulation [confabulation refers to the production or creation of false or erroneous memories without the intent to deceive, sometimes called "honest lying".] and biases. So ignore them unless what they say resonates with some real wisdom inside of you. Assume they’re a fool and find out the truth for yourself.

If they truly know nothing about the subject and are just speculating incorrectly, then it's called "ignorance", or more correctly: "ignorant speculation". However, be aware that telling someone that they're engaging in "ignorant speculation" is likely to make them angry, and they'll protest the fact that they're "ignorant". "Ignorant" carries a slight connotation of "stupidity." While technically they're quite different, many people don't completely understand the difference, and assume you're calling them stupid.

Ideally the media would only allow people who actually do know what they're talking about to occupy the airwaves, but in reality no such filter exists.

The world suffers a lot. Not because the violence of bad people. But because of the silence of the good people.

Al-Baqara (The Cow) 2:83 وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا 

and you shall speak unto all people in a kindly way

Hadith: Speak to the people according to their level of understanding. Do you wish that Allah and His Messenger be denied?     

عن علي بن أبي طالب -رضي الله عنه- قال: "حدثوا الناس بما يعرفون، أتريدون أن يُكذَّب اللهُ ورسولهُ؟".  

[صحيح.] - [أخرجه البخاري.]

‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Speak to the people according to their level of understanding. Do you wish that Allah and His Messenger be denied?" [Sahih/Authentic] - [Al-Bukhari]

Explanation

The Commander of the Believers ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) gives us advice, saying that one should not talk to common people except about what is well-known and benefits them regarding the fundamentals of their religion and the rulings related to it of monotheism, and clarification of the lawful and the unlawful. What is otherwise should not be spoken about with them in order not to distract them, especially things for which there is no need, or which may lead to rejecting the truth because they are confusing to them and too difficult for them to comprehend.

Imam Ali (as) said, “Verily part of worship is to talk to people in a gentle manner and to spread the greeting of peace among them” (Ghurar al-Hikam). 

Unfortunately we live in a profane (nonreligious) society that many of us have subconsciously grown to tolerate and accept. While we may not use cursing to get our points across to others, we find little issue with degrading, humiliating, and disrespecting others who may disagree with us.

Holy Prophet Muhammad  al Mustafā (salla llāhu ʿalayhi wa-alehe wa-sallam) said: ‘The one to be the most harshly judged on the Day of Resurrection will be the capable yet idle [people]. If work is endeavor (attempt, venture), idleness is corruptive.’

Imām Musa ibn Ja‘far al-Kazim (alayhi salām) said: 'Verily  Allāh, most High, hates the servant who sleeps much; verily  Allāh, most High, hates the idle servant.'

Holy Prophet Muhammad  al Mustafā (salla llāhu ʿalayhi wa-alehe wa-sallam) said: ‘There are two things most people are tested with: health and idleness.’

Holy Prophet Muhammad  al Mustafā (salla llāhu ʿalayhi wa-alehe wa-sallam) said: ‘Verily Allāh hates the healthy-bodied idle person, who is neither concerned with his worldly life, nor the Hereafter.’

Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘From idleness comes desire.’

Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘Know that the world is a place of trial wherein there is no time a person can afford to be idle, for that time will be a source of regret for him on the Day of Resurrection.’

Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘How deserving man is of having an hour where no one disturbs him!’

Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘If work is endeavor, then continuous idleness is corruptive.’

Imam Zayn al-Abidin (a.s.) said in his supplication, '… and divert our hearts from every other act of remembrance through Your remembrance, our tongues from every other act of thanksgiving through [being preoccupied with] thanking You, our limbs from every other act of obedience through [being preoccupied with] obedience to You! If You have ordained for us idleness in an occupation, make it an idleness of safety, wherein no ill consequence visits us nor weariness overtakes us as a result! Then the writers of evil deeds may depart from us with a page empty of the mention of our evil deeds, and the writers of good deeds may leave us happy with the good deeds of ours which they have written.'

Imam Zayn al-Abidin (a.s.) said in his supplication, 'O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, and spare me the concerns which distract me, employ me in that which You will ask me about tomorrow, and let me pass my days [engaged] in that for which You have created me!'

Imam Zayn al-Abidin (a.s.), in his supplication said, '… and grant me health for the sake of worshipping [You], and idleness for the sake of reclusion (privacy, total isolation from the world).'

Imam Zayn al-Abidin (a.s.) said in his supplication on the day of ‘Aarafa, 'Let me taste, through some of Your boundless plenty, the flavor of being free for what You love, and striving in what brings about proximity with You and to You, and give me a gift from among Your gifts! Make my commerce profitable and my return without loss, fill me with fear of Your station, and make me yearn for the meeting with You.'

Imam al-Kazim (a.s.) said, 'Verily Allah, most High, hates the servant who sleeps much; verily Allah, most High, hates the idle servant.'