On Silence

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الصَّمْتُ لَيْسَ فَرَاغًا

Silence is not emptiness;

إِنَّهُ حَقْلُ تَجَمُّعٍ لِلْأَفْكَارِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَتَزَاحَمَ فِي اللِّسَانِ

It is a field for gathering thoughts before they crowd the tongue.

حِينَ تَسْكُتُ قَلِيلًا تَسْمَعُ بِوُضُوحٍ مَا يَقُولُهُ عَقْلُكَ وَمَا يُخْفِيهِ قَلْبُكَ

When you are silent for a while, you clearly hear what your mind says and what your heart hides.

يُمَهِّدُ الصَّمْتُ لِنِيَّةٍ أَدَقَّ فَيَجْعَلُ الْكَلِمَةَ أَصْدَقَ وَالحُكْمَ أَعْدَلَ وَالِاعْتِذَارَ أَسْرَعَ

Silence paves the way for a sharper intention, making words more truthful, judgments more just, and apologies faster.

مَنْ يُحْسِنُ الصَّمْتَ لَا يَهْرُبُ مِنَ الْحِوَارِ بَلْ يَخْتَارُ لَحْظَتَهُ كَيْ لَا تُفْسِدَ الْعَجَلَةُ مَا يُصْلِحُهُ الْبَيَانُ

He who masters silence does not flee dialogue, but chooses his moment so that haste does not spoil what clarity mends.

وَهَكَذَا يُصْبِحُ الصَّمْتُ بَدَايَةَ الْبَلَاغَةِ لَا نَقِيضَهَا

Thus, silence becomes the beginning of eloquence, not its opposite;

سَكِينَةٌ تَفْتَحُ بَابًا لِلْمَعْنَى قَبْلَ أَنْ يَطْرُقَهُ الصَّوْتُ

A calmness that opens a door to meaning before sound knocks on it.