[أم عبد الرحمن السلفية]

The Fitnah of Argumentation

Strength can also be a fitnah, just as dialogues and debates are fitnah in many situations. Today dialogues are commonly being propagated: debating with Christians, debating between people, debating between the religions, between math-habs, between sects, etc. This debating is a kind of fitnah!

Programs about this idea are currently being broadcast on television, since they have an effect on those with weak hearts. You see the different religions and sects - this one is worshipping something, and that one is worshipping something else. A person could become doubtful and be tried due to this. But the true believer knows that this variety and assortment is only a further proof that the Truth is only one way, and that those other people are as Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, says [17]:

( Laboring hard and weary, they will be put into a blazing hot Fire )

They wanted to follow the path to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, but they were mistaken. But as for the subject of debating - does a man debate or not? Does he argue or not? This is indeed a fitnah.

But who is the one who should debate them? The one who has knowledge, not just anyone! So it should be mentioned here that, as some of you know, some people that enter into debates with either the corrupt Muslims, the Christians, the Jews, or some other religion or stray ideology, they are occasionally defeated, or the opponent is stronger. So then the people are tried by this.

Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted, has clarified in this soorah that fitnah will spread if the dialogue is not done by the scholar arguing in a way that is better.

Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted, says [18]:

( And do not debate the People of the Book (the Jews and the Christians) except in a way that is better, except the oppressors from them. And say: "I believe in what was revealed to us and in what was revealed to you, and our God and your God is one, and we are submitting to Him." And thus we revealed the Book to you... )

Until He, the Mighty and Exalted, said [19]:

( Rather they are clear proofs in the chests of those who have been given knowledge )

So Allaah prohibits us from debating the People of the Book except in a way that is better. But who is to do the debating? The one who debates is the one who knows the Qur'aan, as Allaah says [19]:

( Rather they are clear proofs in the chests of those who have been given knowledge )

So based on this, whoever does not know the Qur'aan, the proofs found in the Qur'aan, the clear examples found in the Qur'aan, the evidences in the Qur'aan, how examples of debating have been given in the Qur'aan, examples of debating the wicked sinners, the people of arrogance, those who go beyond all boundaries, and all categories of people - whoever does not know all this, then he is not fit for debating.

So it is not for every individual to enter debates with them, using his own opinions and thoughts, rather this debating is to be done by the scholars. Hiwaar (debating), or mujaadalah as it has been named in the Qur'aan, is only for the people of knowledge, those who know the limits that Allaah sent down to his Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam).

So therefore fitnah could very well take place with argumentation. A man comes and says, "Debate with me! Why won't you debate me!?" So he begins by looking for a subject to debate about, what issue can he argue over… This is a way that the common people are destroyed!

So a man must look to his religion in a situation like this, and uphold and display the honor of his religion. He must know that the Qur'aan is the Truth, and whoever has it in his chest is upon the Truth, since the Qur'aan is the ongoing evidence against all the people!

It could be that a man does not know some of the proofs needed, and if that is the case, then verily he must say, as Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted, has said [20]:

( And say: "I believe in what was revealed to us and in what was revealed to you, and our God and your God is one, and we are submitting to Him." )

This is the general manner of debating them, and the specific and complete details are known to those who know the Qur'aan, and to those who know the Sharee'ah.

The Fitnah of the Dunyaa

Another fitnah from those mentioned in this soorah is that Allaah makes this life beautiful, with all of its vain pleasures and playing about, and all the things that are fun to enjoy in it. A person may indulge in these things and forget about the Next Life.

Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted, says in the latter part of the soorah [21]:

( And this worldly life is nothing but vain pleasures and playing about )

So many of the people are put to fitnah because of this life, with its vain pleasures and amusement, thinking these things will last, but they do not know the reality of life! Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic says after that [21]:

( And indeed the Next Abode is the Hayawaan, if they only knew )

Hayawaan is an extreme expression of the word hayaat (life), so the verse means that the Next Abode, Paradise and the Hellfire, is the truly complete and everlasting life. So whoever wants true delight and complete enjoyment and satisfaction, then it is in Paradise in the Next Life.

Whoever wants to be free from harmful things, then all of the harmful things are in the Hellfire. So whoever wants to flee from them, then he flees from the Hellfire.

A number of scholars, including Ibn Al-Jowzee, have said, explaining this, "Whatever Allaah mentions in the Qur'aan about the delights of the dunyaa, that is for you to look at the delights of this world and contemplate over the delights of the Next Life.

For every example of an enjoyable thing or something the people indulge in, it is a proof against you if you have not reflected over the delights of Paradise.

And every example of a harmful thing in the dunyaa, even if it is something that causes a slight amount of grief, or even something as light as a slight fever, verily they are examples that Allaah is using to remind you about the things in the Next Life, the punishment, torture, and deprivation (of the Hellfire)."

So whoever seeks the real, true life and happiness, then let him look for the everlasting happiness.

This worldly life, with its amusement and playing about, is only just that - vain amusement and playing about. So it is a source of fitnah.

Look to the people today and how they are being tried by the amusement and play of the dunyaa! Why have the hearts become hardened and unreceptive? Because the people have turned to amusement and play!

Why have they turned away from the Next Life? Because they have turned to amusement and play!

Why don't they have hardly anything memorized from the Qur'aan? Because they have turned to amusement and play!

The earnest, intelligent man is the one who looks into His Statement [21]: