Covert Intellectual Gatekeeping

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

There’s one who says:

“It is said that some of you guys on this website are argumentative and sometimes scrutinising too much. Some even say you are rebellious and non-conformative”.

We politely say to him:

Akhi, Jazakallahu khayran for sharing your view. However, sadly, this is not an era of naivety. It is an era wherein we constantly witness – in some of the conversations – Intellectual Gatekeeping and other blameworthy strategies.

One reflects after reading some text messages from different people who seek to force their views on you without proof or during and after some conversation, thus, you clearly notice the following: Subtle dismissal, subtle patronising, subtle reframing, strategic dismissal, covert persuasion, one-upmanship, selective validation, lobbying, triangulation, relational aggression, covert, subtle social exclusion, strategic ambiguity, disingenuous persuasion, socratic posturing, covert influence, informal censorship, selective disclosure, strategic omission, selective transparency, etc All this can prevent us from genuinely listening to another person’s genuine concerns in a discussion, rather, it ruins a meaningful discussion. In this case, we adhere openly to what is explicit unless there are other concrete proofs that restrict or contextualise it. In this regard, we remind ourselves of this Ayah in the context of fruitful discussion. Allah said:

وَيْلٌ لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَ
الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ
وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ
أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُولَٰئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ
لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

Woe to Al-Mutaffifin [those who give less in measure and weight (decrease the rights of others)], those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, demand full measure, and when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due. Think they not that they will be resurrected (for reckoning), on a Great Day, the Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)? [Al-Mutaffifeen, 1–7]

In particular:

وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ

“And when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due.”

Imam As-Sa‘di, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

This noble verse shows that just as a person takes from the people what he is entitled to, it is also obligated to him to give them everything they are entitled to – whether related to wealth or mutual dealings; rather included in the generality of this verse are proofs and statements, because what usually takes place between those engaged in argumentation and discussion is that each of them is eager to establish his proofs, thus, it is obligated to a person to also make known the proofs possessed by the other person and examine the proofs of the other person just as he examines his own proofs. In relation to this affair, the justice of a person is known as opposed to whether he is afflicted with bigotry, his humility as opposed to being haughty, his common sense as opposed to foolish behaviour. We ask Allah bestow on us every good. [Tafsir As-Sa‘di]