Problematic Eight Discussion Behaviours

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Problematic Eight Discussion Behaviours

Wherever the problematic discussion behaviours described in this article are found, they can gradually and subtly give rise to performative advocacy, self-aggrandisement, informal power-building, rhetorical escalation, collective pronoun ambiguity, uncritical conformity, experiential overreliance, gatekeeping, assertion of epistemic superiority, zero-sum self-interest, confirmation bias, judge-shopping, procedural inconsistency, retaliatory framing, and covert unprincipled disengagement—all at the expense of fair play.

 

Problem One: Over-stringency 

The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: ”The over-stringent ones are destroyed.”

Imam Nawawi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: ”The over-stringent ones are those who look too deeply (into affairs) and are excessive- those who exceed the Hudood (prescribed legislated sharia boundaries) in their statements and actions.” [1]

Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, said that:

This applies to both speech and actions, and that in most cases some people in this state may become self-amazed and arrogant. [1.1]

 

Problem Two: Ghuluw In Speech

The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

“Beware of Ghuluw (extremism exaggeration, or excessive zeal) in religion, for those who came before you were destroyed due to extremism in religion”. [2]

Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

“Ghuluw is the act of exceeding the limit in something, by either praising or criticizing (dispraising) something beyond what it truly deserves, and similar actions.” [3]

Problem Three: Quarrelsome

“The most hated of men in the sight  of Allah is the one who is most quarrelsome”.

Al-Allamah Zayd Bin Hadi Al-Madkhali, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

A warning against argumentation, falling into evil behaviour and its severe (consequences), especially if the argumentation is based on falsehood. As for when it is based on truth, there is nothing wrong with that for the one who has a right to do so;  but he should be just in his argument so that he does not enter into oppression or error, and Allah knows best.

The hadith is a warning against lying during argumentation, falsehood and adorned speech until one changes falsehood into truth and truth into falsehood – not bothered about making an oath, lying or giving false witness. All this takes place from a person who is extremely quarrelsome, goes into excess in the matter and does not feel shy in the presence of Allah- neither fears punishment in this life nor in the next life. When it is the case that the extremely quarrelsome person is blameworthy, the person who has good conduct – if entitled to something – during an argument and other matters, will not utter except truth, and will not seek after anything except the truth- neither lies nor deceives the Shariah judge. This is from the characteristics of the people of Iman – those whom Allah praised in the Qur’an and the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, praised them in the pure Sunnah. [4]

Problem Four: Strategem

Imam Al-Barbahaaree, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: Al-Hasan (al-Basree) said, “The wise man does not argue or seek to overcome with stratagem rather he propagates his wisdom. If it is accepted, he praises Allah and if it is rejected he praises Allah”. [Sharh As-Sunnah]

Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Quotes:

The wise man is the one who possesses wisdom, and wisdom is to place something in its place. Similarly, the wise one means the one with understanding.

He does not debate (with) a fruitless debate that is devoid of benefit.

He propagates his knowledge and if accepted he praises Allah. This is what is sought after.  If it is not accepted, he is absolved of his responsibility and the proof is conveyed.

“He praises Allah” because he established and conveyed the proof, and fulfilled what is required of him, and the guiding of the hearts is in the hands of Allah. [5]

 

Problem Five: Blameworthy Debate to Merely Gain The Upper-hand

Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih, may Allah have mercy upon them, said:

O student of knowledge! It is obligated to you to abandon (blameworthy) debate and argumentation because debate and argumentation is a means to cutting off the path to what is correct, makes a person speak to give the upper hand to himself. Even if the truth is made clear to him, you will find him either rejecting it or misconstruing the truth -out of disliking it- to give himself the upper hand and compel his opponent to accept his statement.

Therefore, if you notice (blameworthy) debate and argumentation from your brother when the truth is very clear, but he does not follow it, flee from him like you would flee from a lion, and say, “I do not have anything other than the truth I have mentioned to you”. [6]

Problem Six: Conjecture and Guessing at The Unseen

Allah, The Most High, said:

سَيَقُولُونَ ثَلَاثَةٌ رَّابِعُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ خَمْسَةٌ سَادِسُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ رَجْمًا بِالْغَيْبِ ۖ وَيَقُولُونَ سَبْعَةٌ وَثَامِنُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ ۚ قُل رَّبِّي أَعْلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم مَّا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ ۗ فَلَا تُمَارِ فِيهِمْ إِلَّا مِرَاءً ظَاهِرًا وَلَا تَسْتَفْتِ فِيهِم مِّنْهُمْ أَحَدًا

[Some] say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; (others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth, guessing at the unseen; (yet others) say they were seven, the dog being the eighth. Say (O Muhammad): “My Lord knows best their number; none knows them but a few.” So debate not (about their number, etc.) except with the clear proof (which We have revealed to you). And consult not any of them (people of the Scripture) about (the affair of) the people of the Cave. [Al-Kahf 22]

Allah informed us of the differing between the people of the scripture regarding the number of the people of the cave- a differing out of guessing at the unseen, forging statements and speaking about that which they have no knowledge. Some of them said that the people of the cave were three in number and their dog was the fourth, and others said that the people of the cave were five in number and their dog was the sixth. Allah said that these two statements are tantamount to guessing at the unseen, thus this indicates that they are false. Amongst them were those who said that the people of the cave were seven in number and their dog was the eighth. This statement- and Allah knows best- is what is correct because Allah declared the first two statements false but did not declare this third one to be false, indicating that it is correct.

This differing is one that neither carries any benefit nor are the people benefited by knowing the number of the people of the cave. It contains neither a benefit related to religion nor the worldly affairs and that is why Allah stated:

قُل رَّبِّي أَعْلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم مَّا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ ۗ

Say (O Muhammad):My Lord knows best their number; none knows them but a few]; and they are those who know what is correct and known for being upon what is correct.

فَلَا تُمَارِ فِيهِمْ إِلَّا مِرَاءً ظَاهِرً

So debate not (about their number, etc.) except with the clear proof (which We have revealed to you)] – Meaning, based upon knowledge, certainty and about that which contains benefit. As for debating based on ignorance and guessing at the unseen or about that which has no benefit- either the debater being obstinate or the affair being debated having no benefit- neither any religious nor worldly benefit, such as the number of the people of the cave and what is similar to it, too much debate and continuous research regarding it is a waste of time, and it makes the hearts have a strong love for that which has no benefit.

 وَلَا تَسْتَفْتِ فِيهِم مِّنْهُمْ أَحَدً

And consult not any of them (people of the Scripture, Jews and Christians) about (the affair of) the people of the Cave] – Meaning, because their speech regarding it is based on guessing at the unseen, and conjecture can be of no avail against the truth.

This proves that it is not permissible for a person to issue a verdict when he is not worthy of it- either due to his inability to issue a verdict in that affair or due to fact that he does not care what he says about the affair because he does not possess that fear of Allah that would stop him from speaking about affairs that are unclear to him, which may harm him in the afterlife. Therefore, when it is the case that he has been forbidden from giving verdicts in the likes of this affair, then prohibiting him from giving verdicts is of a greater prohibition. Also this Ayah proves that a person maybe prohibited from giving a verdict in some matters but not in other matters so he gives a verdict in that which he is worthy of giving a verdict and not in other affairs because Allah has not prohibited him from giving a verdict completely; rather they were prohibited from giving a verdict regarding the affair of the people of the cave and what is similar to it. [7]

Problem Seven: Narrating a Lot of Opinions to Drown the Truth or Deliberately Isolating Important Details

When reporting a difference of opinion on a matter, one should accommodate the statements (or arguments or views) in that context- clarify what is sound and what is false, mention the beneficial points in that difference of opinion and its fruitful outcomes so that the disagreement and differing is not prolonged in that which has no benefit, thus preoccupying one with other than what is more important.

As for the one who transmits difference of opinion, but does not accommodate the statements of the scholars, he has fallen short because it may be that what is correct is found in that which he left out, or he transmits difference of opinion but neither establish its proofs nor clarifies the correct statements, he has also fallen short. If he deliberately portrays something wrong as something correct, he has lied deliberately, and he is mistaken if it was based on ignorance. Also, the one who transmits difference of opinion in that which there is no benefit or merely transmits the wording of a number of statements (views) and then summarises them in one or two statements in meaning, then indeed he has wasted a long time and prolonged engagement in that which is not correct”. [8]

Problem Eight: Beautified Deceitful Expressions

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

If you ponder upon the statements of the people of falsehood, you will indeed find them clothed with expressions and presented in a good light with sophisticated terms, which are quickly accepted by those deprived of sound discernment-to the extent that the wicked sinners would give (good) names to the greatest types of wicked deeds. [9]

[1] Saheeh Muslim Number:2670 and Sharh Saheeh Muslim16/180 or page 220

[1.1]https://alathar.net/home/esound/index.php?op=codevi&coid=126682

[2] Sahih Al-Jami 2680

[3] Iqtidaa As-Siraat Al-Mustaqeem 1/289

[4] An Excerpt from at-Taleeqaat Al-Maleehah Alaa Silsilah Al – Ahadith As-Saheehah. 1/26

[5] An Excerpt from It’haf Al-Qari Bitta’liqaat Alaa Sharh As- Sunnah Lil Imam Barbahaaree. 2/265-266

[6] An Excerpt from Sharh Hilyah Talib Al-Ilm page 246

[7] An Excerpt from Tayseer Al-Kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan.

[8] Manhaj Al-Bahth Al-Ilmi Wa Kitaabah Fee Uloom Ash-Shariah 21- 22

[9] An Excerpt from As-Sawaa’iq al-Mursalah 2/438 by Imam Ibn Al-Qayy

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