THE POWER OF SILENCE

Umar Farooq, the second Muslim Caliph, is said to have remarked, ‘Destroy falsehood (batil) by keeping silent about it.’ (see, Abu Nuaym Al Asbahani, Hilyatul Awliya Wa Tabaqatul Asfiya, vol. 1, p. 55)

According to the law of nature, truth is destined to live and falsehood is doomed to die. And so, to put an end to falsehood, it is enough just to keep silent about it. To talk about it or to demonstrate against it is only to give it life. To ignore falsehood and to remain silent on it causes its death.

Remaining silent on falsehood simply means to ignore it. It means not to express any reaction to it in any way whatsoever. It means not protesting against it. Only those who have realized how the laws of nature function in this matter  can respond to falsehood in this way. Those who are bereft of this realization agitate against falsehood, and, in doing so, become a cause for giving it life.