Another important gem we learn from the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) and the early generations is that power comes with conciseness.
During the time of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), he received a letter from a man named Musaylimah, who claimed prophethood as well, and wished to divide up the area. In response, the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) wrote:
“From Muhammad the Messenger of Allah to Musaylimah the liar. To proceed. Verily, the land belongs to Allah, and He inherits it to whom he wishes. And the outcome will always be for the believers.”
Subhanallah, such a short letter, in which he ripped Musaylimah apart and made it clear that he would be part of no such alliance.
Similarly, when Iyaad ibn Ghanim sent a letter to Khalid bin Walid (رضي الله عنهما) outlining his situation and requesting military assistance, the letter he received in response said only: “You, I seek.” And when Iyaad ibn Ghanim looked up, he saw the army on the horizon.
Take heed of this lesson: power comes with conciseness. When you need to speak out, especially when you’re in positions of leadership, do your best to apply this practice.
Some tips to help you keep it “short and sweet”:
- Think before you speak! Before you say a word, make sure you think about what exactly you need to say.
- Avoid Fluff! Unless you have a strong reason to expand on your core message, leave it at the bare minimum.
- Practice, practice, practice! The more you practice, the easier it gets.
And you can apply this practice to emails, letters, speeches, discussions, everything.
Wallahu ‘alim.
Muhammad Alshareef. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Conquest: History of the Khulafa. University of Toronto, Toronto. November 2005.