Wisdom in speech versus foolish impulsivity

40. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The tongue of the wise man is behind his heart, and the heart of the fool is behind his tongue.

As-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: This sentence has a strange and beautiful meaning. It means that the wise man does not speak with his tongue except after consulting his mind and exercising his imagination, but the fool quickly…