The Quranic Principle of Good Speech as Viewed by Commentators and Its Part in Managing Social Conflicts

Social conflict is any form of conscious hostile behavior, thinking and feeling that occurs at different levels of social relationships. This social problem has numerous and sometimes irreparable personal and social consequences. The purpose of the present study is to examine the position and role of the Quranic principle of "good speech" in the management of social conflicts. In this descriptive-analytic study, the commentary on the verse 83 of Baqarah "speak kindly to mankind" has been examined by commentators. Then, the position of "good speech" in regulating social relations and conflict management is examined. The principle of "good speech" is one of the comprehensive guidelines of the Qur'an regarding the regulation of the form of social relations among individuals. There are disagreements among the commentators on the realm of the three words "qulu", "annas" and "hasana". The chosen theory is that these three words are absolute and have not been abrogated by any verse or narration. According to this view, as well as the commentators' interpretation of this verse, "good speech" has a very broad meaning in terms of the address, the addressed, and the dimension and includes many religious teachings and, thus, plays an important role in regulating relationships and in managing conflicts.