The Importance of Truthful Speech and Its Impact on Effective Organizational Communications

One of the human abilities that sets him apart from other creatures is his power of speech. Language is a sign of God's greatness, and if not used correctly, it can lead to many harms. Therefore, in Islamic ethics, the preservation of language is highly recommended. Imam Ali (AS) has highlighted "truthful speech" as the first characteristic of pious people. In the Holy Quran, Allah has recommended speaking the truth in verses 70 and 71 of Surah Al-Ahzab. In social life, humans need strong and effective communication with others to achieve their divine and human goals. Islam emphasizes the improvement of individuals and society, and improving society is not possible without establishing successful and influential relations with people. One of the most important tools for successful communication with others is verbal communication. Understanding various types of speech, including truthful speech, and acquiring skills in using them can lead to better performance in this area. The characteristics of truthful speech include conformity to truth, reason, gentleness, and good company. The most important examples of truthful speech in human interactions are peace of mind based on faith, future-oriented thinking in speech, respect, empathy, and encouragement in speech, respect and appreciation in speech, rejection of superstitions, respect for people's rights, and honesty in giving advice, speaking based on evidence and reasoning, giving hope to wrongdoers, fair speech, and avoiding hostility and quarrelsomeness. The ways to achieve truthful speech are piety, wisdom, and silence. On the other hand, communication is a pervasive issue that affects all aspects and dimensions of individual, group, organizational, and social life. The way and quality of communication have a significant impact on solving problems, obstacles, conflicts within and outside the organization. Although communication is not always the goal itself, it plays a major role as the most important management tool in all management functions.