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Respected readers, have you ever paused to think about what our life truly is? Is it not like a giant fair where hundreds of faces pass by us every day, some for a long time and others for just a few moments? Yet, among them, there are a few who leave behind just a single sentence, a phrase that remains forever etched on the walls of your mind even after the dust of time settles upon it.
I am reminded of an elderly farmer whom I met in a remote village. It was a time of drought, and the crops were scorching under the heat. Out of deep empathy, I asked him, "Uncle, these circumstances are so difficult. There is no water for the land, and on top of that, the sun is raining fire. So, what will you do now?" He was sitting right on the ground at the edge of his field. He looked into my eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "Son, whenever the land stops breathing, a farmer has to give it artificial respiration and pull water from the veins of the earth with his own hands. Only those who have no hands wait for destiny."
This sentence kept echoing in my ears. I felt that it was not merely about water or seasonal heat; rather, it was a powerful, comprehensive philosophy of courage, action, and self-reliance.
Even amid the hustle and bustle of cities, such hidden gems exist. I was sitting in the emergency ward of a government hospital in Karachi. An elderly man who had accompanied another patient, and who looked unwell himself, handed his glass of water to a poor laborer. When I said to him, "Please drink it yourself, as your own condition does not look good either," he smiled and replied, "Son, the measure of pain is the same. The easiest way to lighten my own pain is to share someone else's."
How profound, respected readers! What do you think, was this sentence any less than a book written by a great philosopher? Not at all! It was a lesson in practical humanity spoken by an ordinary man. However, such sentences do not always offer hope. Sometimes, they hold up a mirror in which the face of our social apathy is clearly reflected.
In an affluent neighborhood, a poor motorcyclist met with an accident in front of a luxury car. The owner of the car stepped out, visible anger written across his face. Instead of checking on the poor man's injuries, he hissed at him immediately, "Who gave people like you the right to come onto the road? This path does not belong to your father, where you end up lying around after getting injured!" This sentence, along with the hatred and class pride hidden within it, sank into me like poison. Have we divided our cities and roads according to the depth of our pockets? Is the passport to humanity now a bank balance?
Sentences like these are, in truth, a genuine record of our collective conscience.
That farmer was the voice of the majority of our country: hardworking, unbroken by hardships, possessing determination and loyalty.
That elderly patient was a spark remaining in our fraying human relationships: a spark of empathy, sincerity, love, and humanity.
Meanwhile, that wealthy man was a tragic reflection of our deteriorating social state: a divide that, if not bridged in time, will continue to widen day by day.
Respected readers, after sharing these stories from the world, I now turn to you and invite you to reflect and self-evaluate which class you belong to. I have a question for you: tell me, how many people did you talk to last week? How many sentences became etched upon your heart?
Another problem of ours is that we do not listen to such things with the ears of the heart. We merely hear the sounds. The purpose of our conversation has become responding, not understanding. We fail to see the love or hardship gleaming between the lines, or perhaps because we live in a digital age, that is why we are drifting away from the deepest ocean of human connection.
We had a history teacher who used to say, "Son, always keep the choice of your words in your own hands because words never die. They enter the heart of the listener and never leave. I have seen nations rise and fall on the foundation of single words and sentences. These are the magical, impactful moments that make individuals immortal or turn them into a cautionary tale."
Then he would recite this Arabic couplet:
"Jarahat as-sinani laha ti'am, wa la yaltamu ma jaraha al-lisan."
That is to say, the wounds caused by spears and arrows can heal, but there is no remedy for the wounds inflicted by the tongue!
So, respected readers, my question to you now is this: when we speak, are we conscious of the fact that every word leaving our mouth possesses the power to alter the direction of someone's life? Can an encouraging sentence build a young person's future? And can a contemptuous word shatter someone's self-confidence? Therefore, it is my humble request to you that next time a rickshaw driver, a shopkeeper, or an office peon speaks to you, pause for a moment, look at his face, and listen to his voice. It is possible that the lesson of your life is hidden within his words.
These very daily encounters, these seemingly ordinary dialogues, are in truth the brick and mortar of our moral foundation.
So promise today that before you speak, you will take a breath and think about whether the word about to leave your mouth will become a wound in someone's heart or a soothing balm upon it. Because every day, through our words, each of us is becoming either a savior in someone's life or their executioner!!