Sharing a Reminder With Our Younger Brothers and Sisters at Al-Markazus Salafi (Manchester): Do Not Engage With Those Who Employ These Tactics in Discussion and Debate
Allah, The Most High, said:
وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ تَنفَعُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
And remind (with this Qurʾān), for verily, the reminder benefits the believers. https://www.thenoblequran.com/q/#/search/51_55
In recent times, some bad behaviour has been witnessed regarding trustworthiness and truthfulness when discussing various topics. More than thirty years ago, some of us were already exposed — both abroad and in the UK — to the dubious methods of some people who utilised blameworthy tactics to merely prevail in arguments. However, by the Tawfīq of Allah, the strong and honest clarifiers among the scholars and students of knowledge made these matters very clear to us, while great scholars such as Imam Abdul Aziz ibn Baz, Imam Muhammad ibn al-Uthaymin, Imam Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani, Al-Allamah Rabee al-Madkhali, Al-Allamah Muqbil ibn Hadi al-Wadi’i, Al-Allamah Ubayd al-Jabiri, and many others were still alive, may Allah have mercy upon all of them. These clarifications were often conveyed to us in the English language during brotherly gatherings in houses and study circles. Through them, many of us greatly benefitted, until Allah blessed some – not myself and others- with opportunities to travel abroad and benefit directly from the scholars themselves, sitting with them in person and witnessing firsthand their methodology, humility, carefulness in speech and exemplary mutual dealings.
Much of what was transmitted to us thirty years ago came directly from people we personally knew and who were recognised for their honesty and trustworthiness. At that time, information was not easily accessible to most of us through the Arabic language itself, as many of us had not even completed Madinah Book 1. Nevertheless, we continued to benefit from the translations of brothers who had already attained a sound understanding of the Arabic language and the works of the scholars, such as Shaikh Abu Talhah, may Allah have mercy upon him and his wife, and Shaikh Abu Iyaad, may Allah preserve him, from the admonitions by Shaikh Abu Uwais, may Allah have mercy upon him, and those students of the senior scholars who visited the UK sometimes. As for today, not only do you have access to Arabic and Sharī‘ah curricula from various universities, but also to recorded lessons from scholars and students of knowledge — both senior and younger — in addition to direct access to scholars through phone calls or by travelling to the Muslim lands. However, despite the presence of many bona fide and trustworthy carriers of knowledge, and despite our direct access to them and their works, blameworthy behaviour has nevertheless increased, especially with the emergence of social media. For this reason, we must be cautious regarding how we engage and interact.
Among the bad behaviours now witnessed on social media— even from some of those attributed to knowledge — are the following:
Evasive Behaviour
Allah, The Most High, said:
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّٲمِينَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ شُہَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَوِ ٱلۡوَٲلِدَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَۚ إِن يَكُنۡ غَنِيًّا أَوۡ فَقِيرً۬ا فَٱللَّهُ أَوۡلَىٰ بِہِمَاۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعۡدِلُواْۚ وَإِن تَلۡوُ ۥۤاْ أَوۡ تُعۡرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرً۬ا
O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah; even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do. [An-Nisaa. 135]
وَإِن تَلۡوُ ۥۤاْ أَوۡ تُعۡرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرً۬ا
And if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do.
Meaning, Allah, Glorified be He and free is He from all imperfections, mentions two reasons that will inevitably lead to concealment of truth then He warned against them and issued a threat: the first of them is distortion and the second is to turn away from giving truthful witness. This is because when a proof that supports the truth is manifested and the one who wants to repel it finds no way of doing so, he refrains from mentioning it and thus becomes a silent devil, and sometimes he distorts it. Distortion is of two types -distorting words and meanings. Distorting words occur when one utters a word in a context in which it does not establish the truth – either adding to the word, omitting something from it, or substituting it with something else to the extent that the listener is made to believe something, whilst something else is intended, just as the Yahud [i.e. those Yahud who disbelieved in the Prophet and hated him in Madinah] used to distort words when giving Salam to the Prophet [i.e. saying As-Saamu Alayka (death be upon you), instead of saying Assalaamu alaykum)]. This is one type of distortion. The second type of distortion is related to meanings – distorting the wording, giving it an interpretation that is not intended by the one who uttered it and pretending not to know its unintended meaning; or dropping other meanings intended by it. [1]
Ambiguous Language and Meanings
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
The basis of Bani Adam’s misguidance lies in general wordings and ambiguous meanings, particularly when they encounter confused minds; so how about when accompanied by vain desires and fanatism? Therefore, ask the One (Allah) Who keeps the hearts steadfast to keep your heart steadfast in the religion He has ordained, and not allow you to fall into this darkness. [2]
He, may Allah have mercy upon him, also said:
“If the speaker falls short in his clarification and addresses the listener with vague terms that may encompass various interpretations, and the listener remains uncertain of the intended meaning; if this arises from the speaker’s inability, the listener is given from the speaker’s inability rather than his intent. If the speaker possesses the ability and he does not do so while it is obligated to him to do so, he gives the listener from his evil intent”. [3]
Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, as follows:
“It is incumbent that the expression conveys the intended meaning through the appropriate terminology. Should the term be explicit or evident, the objective is achieved. However, if the term possesses dual interpretations—one valid and the other erroneous—the intended meaning must be clarified. In instances where the term suggests a flawed interpretation, it should only be employed with an explanation that mitigates any potential misunderstanding. Furthermore, if the term may mislead certain listeners into grasping an incorrect meaning, it should not be used if it is known to carry such implications, as the primary aim of communication is clarity and understanding. Conversely, if the term accurately reflects the intended meaning but some individuals remain unaware of its significance without any negligence on the speaker’s part, the responsibility lies with the listener, not the speaker”. [4]
False Analogy and Judgment Based on Mere Resemblance
إِن يَسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ أَخٌ لَّهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ َ
If he (Bin Yamin) steals, there was a brother of his (Yusuf) who did steal before (him). [Yusuf. 77]
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
Allah informs about the brothers of Yusuf, peace be upon him, that when they discovered the king’s cup in the saddlebag of his brother, they said: “If he steals, then a brother of his had stolen before him”. They did not merge the basis of the matter and the subsidiary with a (sound) effective cause or (sound) proof. Rather, they attached one to the other without any proof that binds the two other than mere resemblance between him and Yusuf, thus, they said: “This one is analogised to his brother; there are a number of similarities between them, and that one stole, so this one (also) steals”.
This is tantamount to (an attempt) to connect a correlated resemblance and an analogy by mere outward imagery that is devoid of the effective cause that would necessitate sameness. It is a corrupt analogy. A shared kinship and blood brotherhood is not a (valid) cause for being the same in theft, even if it were the case the theft had truly occurred. Nor is there any evidence establishing sameness between them in this matter. Thus, the connection was made merely on the basis of type of resemblance that is devoid of a (sound) cause and its evidence. [5]
Relentless Repetition
Gustave Le Bon, in his work “The Psychology of Crowds,” asserts that when we aim to gradually instill ideas and beliefs into the collective spirit of the masses, the methods employed by leaders vary significantly. They primarily resort to three fundamental techniques: affirmation, repetition, and contagion. While the impact of these methods may be slow, it is undeniably enduring. Political leaders advocating for a specific cause are well aware of the power of affirmation, just as industrialists recognise the importance of advertising their products. However, advertising only gains influence when coupled with repetition. Napoleon famously stated that there is but one serious form of rhetoric: repetition. Repetition possesses a certain authority that influences rational and well-informed individuals. It allows ideas to embed themselves in the recesses of the unconscious mind, gradually transforming into beliefs that are accepted as truths, ultimately becoming self-evident realities. When these ideas solidify into truths through repetition, they can spread among the masses. For instance, any disturbance among a flock of sheep quickly affects the entire group. This does not require a singular point of origin; the revolution in France in 1848 began in Paris and swiftly extended to a significant portion of Europe, destabilising the monarchies in its wake. The repetition that leads to belief in a particular issue, and consequently its spread, poses a significant risk not only in imposing opinions but also in shaping thought processes, emotions, and feelings. As a result, one may observe that the masses at one point may disdain a certain literary work, only to later take pride in it after several years, or vice versa. This phenomenon can similarly be applied to ideas and beliefs. [6]
All of the issues mentioned above and many others do take place during exchanges on social media or text messages. Sadly, even some people with the title “student of knowledge” have manifested their share of this blameworthy behaviour in the name of defending knowledge and truth. You find someone being verbose and accompanying their arguments with beautiful quotations from well-known scholars and, at times, from the Salaf, to the extent that a reader may say, “This is well written and thoroughly researched.” However, when examined by one who has solid background knowledge of the matter, it becomes clear that the writer employed misleading semantics, overloaded the discourse with impressive quotations, and attempted to divert the reader from the actual issue that must be addressed first and foremost. In the past, many had the opportunity to sit together, examine matters carefully, and discuss them with honesty, even if an immediate solution was not found or complete agreement was not reached. As a result, there was far less opportunity for the use of these blameworthy methods that can now reach thousands of people instantly. As for at present, a person can easily sit behind a computer and utilise evasive tactics, calculated silence, and deliberate changes of subject.
Finally, we must also be cautious of the behaviour of those who intentionally confuse generalities with specifics, the restricted with the unrestricted, the manifestly clear with the ambiguous, reality with slight ignorance, aggravated ignorance, delusion, doubt, and preponderant assumptions, especially when these distinctions are blurred in order to evade responsibility. We advise our youth at Al-Markazus Salafi to always discuss with the likes of the Imam of the Masjid – Shaikh Kamaal and other well-known upright and truthful Salafi elders outside of Manchester and abroad – regarding any issues you think they can address for you. As for returning to the scholars when the need arises, this is not in need of elaboration, because it is the way of every Salafi. In addition to this, you are all free to ask any Alim about issues based on Sidq, Ta’aawun upon Bir and Taqwah. May Allah preserve you all.
[1] Bada’i at-Tafsir Al-Jami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim. 1/300-303
[2] As-Sawaa’iq Al-Mursalah 3/927
[3] As-Sawaa’iq Al-Mursalah 2/503
[4] As-Sawaa’iq Al-Mursalah 2/503
[5] I’laam Al-Muwaqqi’een 1/198]
[6] The Psychology of crowds 132-136
