On the Evils of Debate and the Character Destroying Influences Resulting Therefrom

[Viking]

Perhaps this piece found in the works of al-Ghazzali could give us some insight in the common traps when debating/discussing a subject matter. Ghazzali was adressing the scholars or other knowledgable people who debated issues but this could be [to some degree] applicable to many people on these boards. It is easy to fall victim to either one, some or all of the traits mentionned and as Muslims we should try our uttermost to avoid it. I hope this is beneficial because Allah SWT has access to our innermost thoughts and feelings that we might not make prevalent on these boards.

 

 

On the Evils of Debate and the Character Destroying Influences Resulting Therefrom

 

 

1.ENVY

 

The Prophet said: “As fire consumes wood so does envy consume good deeds.â€1 The debater persists in envy because at times he overcomes his adversary and other times he himself is overcome; at times his words are praised and at other times those of his opponent are applauded; and as long as there remains in all the world one known among men for his versatile knowledge and regarded by them more learned than the debater and endowed with keener insight, the debater will inevitably envy him and wish that the favours and admiration which that man enjoys might accrue to him instead.

 

Envy is a consuming fire; its victim is subject to torment in this world while in the world to come his torture will be more intense and painful. For this reason ibn-‘Abbas said, “Take knowledge wherever ye may find it, but accept not the opinion of one jurisprudent concerning another because they are as jealous of one another as the bulls in the cattle-yard.â€

 

 

2.PRIDE AND HAUGHTINESS

 

The Prophet said, “He who exalteth himself is humbled by Allah, and he who humbleth himself is exalted by Allah.â€2 Said he again quoting Allah, “Pride is my mantle and grandeur, yea it is my cloak. I shall smite anyone who would contest my sole right to them.â€3

 

The debater persists in exalting himself above his equals and peers and in claiming for himself a station higher than his worth to the extent that he and his colleagues fight over their seats in assembly halls and boast about the degree of their elevation or lowliness as well as their proximity to, or remoteness from the central seat.

 

1. Abu-Dawud, Adab, 44; ibn-Majah, Zuhd, 22:3.

2. Cf. ibn-Majah, Zuhd, 16:3; Matt, 22:12; Luke 14:11,18:14.

3. See ibn-Majah, Zuhd, 16:2.

 

 

3.RANCOUR

 

Another is rancour from which a debater is hardly ever free. The Prophet said, “The believer is free from rancour.†Several more traditions have been related in condemnation of rancour and they are well-known. Yet we do not know of a debater who, is capable of entertaining no rancour against anyone who would nod his head in approval of the words of his adversary, or who when the latter pauses in the midst of a sentence, would politely wait for him. On the contrary he would, whenever he is confronted with such a situation, entertain and foster rancour in his heart. He may attempt to restrain himself hoping thereby to disguise his feelings; but, in most cases, he fails as his feelings invariably reveal themselves. How can he refrain from rancour when it is inconceivable that all the audience should unite in favouring his argument and approve all his conclusions and deductions? Furthermore should his opponent show the least sign of inconsideration about what he was saying, he would entertain for him in his heart a hatred that would last throughout his life.

 

4.BACKBITING

 

Another is backbiting which was likened by Allah to the eating of carrion.1 The debater persists in “eating carrion†and is continually referring to the words of his opponent and traducing him. Because he endeavours to be right in what he says about his opponent, he inevitably cites only what shows the weaknesses of his opponent’s argument and the flaws in his excellences. Of such is traducing and backbiting, while lying is sheer calumny.

 

The debater, moreover, cannot keep his tongue from attacking the honour of anyone who turns away from him and listens to his opponent. He would even ascribe to him ignorance, foolishness, lack of understanding, and ********* .

 

1.Cf. Surah XLIXL: 12

 

 

5.SELF-JUSTIFICATION

 

Allah said, “Assert not then your own purity. He best knoweth who feareth Him.â€1 A certain wise man was once asked, “What truth is reprehensible?†He replied, “A man’s praising himself [even though it be justified].†A debater is never free from praising himself and boasting of his power, triumph, and excellence over his peers. In the course of a debate he would repeatedly say, “I am fully aware of all such things,†and “I am versatile in science, of independent judgment on question of law, and well-versed in the knowledge of tradition,â€and many other assertions besides with which he would sing his own praise, sometimes out of sheer arrogance and at other times out of the need to render his words convincing. It is also well-known that arrogance and self-praise are by law and reason condemned.

 

 

6.SPYING AND PRYING

 

Another is spying and prying into the private affairs of men. Allah said, “Pry not.â€2 The debater always seeks to uncover the errors of his peers and continually pries into the private affairs of his opponents. He would, when informed of the arrival in town of another debater, seek someone who could reveal the inside story of the man and would by means of a questionnaire attempt to bare his vices in order to expose and disgrace him whenever the need should arise. He even would inquire about the affairs of his early life and blemishes of his body in the hope of discovering some defect or disfigurement such as scalp pustule and the like. Should he fear defeat at the hands of his opponent, he would, in the course of the debate, allude to these blemishes, especially if his opponent should remain firm and stand his ground, and would not refrain from being outspoken if he were given to insolence and scorn. Both of these practices are regarded as clever ways of repelling the attacks of an opponent, as should be seen by the accounts of the debates of some of the illustrious and celebrated debaters.

 

1. Surah LIII: 33

2. Surah XLIX:12.

 

 

7.REJOICE AT THE INJURY OF OTHERS

 

Another is to rejoice at the injury of others and feel depressed when they are glad. Anyone who does not desire for his brother Muslim what he desires for himself is far removed from the way of believers.1 Thus he who prides himself by parading his excellence is inevitably pleased at the injury of his peers and equals who vie with him for glory. The hatred which exists between them is like that which exists between fellow-wives. Just as the one wife would tremble and turn pale at the sight of her fellow-wife so would a debater at the sight of another: his colour would change and his mind become perplexed as though he had seen a mighty devil or a hungry lion. How unlike the companionship and friendliness which used to exist between the learned men of religion whenever they met is this, and how unlike the brotherhood, the co-operation, and the mutual sharing which were characteristic of them under fair and adverse conditions alike! Thus al-Shafi‘i said, “Among the virtuous and wise, knowledge is like a bond of blood relationship.†I cannot, therefore, understand how some men, among whom knowledge has engendered a deep-rooted enmity, have followed his rite. Or can you ever imagine any spirit of friendliness prevailing among them when they are concerned with achieving triumph and boasting of it? How unlikely! It is bad enough that such an evil fastens on you the traits of the deceitful and robs you of those of the believers and devout.

 

 

1. Cf. al-Bukhari, Iman, 6

 

8.DECEPTION

 

Another is deception, the evidence of whose blameworthiness is well known and need not be enumerated. Debaters are compelled to deception because when they meet their opponents, friends, or followers, they find it necessary to endear themselves to them by saying nice things which they do not mean, by feigning to have been anxious to meet them, and by pretending to be impressed by their station and position, while everyone present as well as the speakers and those to whom they have spoken to, know that the whole thing is untrue, false, fraudulent, and wicked. They profess their love with their tongues while their hearts seethe with hate. From it all we seek refuge in Allah.

 

The Prophet also said, “When people take to knowledge and ignore works, when they profess love to one another with their tongue and nurse hatred in their hearts, and when they sever the ties of relationship which bind them, Allah will visit His wrath upon them and curse them, He will render their tongues mute and their eyes blind.†The truth of this tradition, which was related by al-Hasan, has been verified as these conditions which it predicts have been witnessed and seen.

 

9.TO RESIST THE TRUTH AND DETEST IT

 

Another is to resist truth and detest it and to persist in disputing it so much so that the most hateful thing to a debater is to see the truth revealed by his opponent; no matter what it may be, he would do his best to refute and deny it and would exert his utmost in deception, trickery and fraud in order to disprove his adversary until contention becomes in him a second nature. He is thus unable to hear anything without immediately expressing his objection to it. This habit of his would even drive him to dispute the truths of the Qur’an and the words of tradition and would cause him to cite the one in contradiction of the other. Furthermore wrangling even in opposing wrong is prohibited since the Prophet called men to abjure it although they are right in their contention. He thus said, “Whoever was in error and should abjure wrangling, to him Allah would build a dwelling in the confines of Paradise; while whoever was in the right and should abjure wrangling, to him Allah would prepare a habitation in the heart of Paradise.â€1 Allah has also regarded as equal those who devise lies against Allah and those who call the truth a lie. He said, “But who acteth more wrongfully than he who deviseth a lie against Allah, or calls the truth when it hath come to him, a lie?â€2 and and again, “And who acteth more wrongfully than he who lieth against Allah and treateth the truth when it comes to him as a lie.â€

 

 

10.HYPOCRISY

 

Another is hypocrisy and flattering people in an effort to win their favour and mislead them. Hypocrisy is that virulent disease which, as will be discussed in the Book on Hypocrisy,4 leads to the gravest of the major sins. The debater wants nothing but to put himself forward before people, and to gain their approval and praise.

 

1. Cf. ibn-Majah Intro, 7: 7.

2. Surah XXIX: 68.

3. Surah XXXX 33.

4. See the Quarter on the Destructive Matters of Life, Bk. VIII

 

 

These ten traits are among the greatest secret sins. Others, who lack restraint may engage in controversies leading to the exchange of blows, kicking, boxing, tearing garments, plucking beards, cursing parents, denouncing teachers, and outright slander. Such people, however, are not considered respectable human beings. The prominent and sober among them do not go beyond the preceding ten traits. One may be free of this or that trait with regard to his inferiors or superiors, whatever the case may be, or with regards to people outside his community or his sphere of work. Yet in his attitude towards his peers, who are equal to him in position, the debater is guilty of all these traits. Each of these ten traits may give rise to ten other vices which we shall neither discuss nor explain at the present time. They include snobbishness, anger, hatred, greed, the desire to seek money and power in order to attain triumph, boasting, gaiety, arrogance, exalting the wealthy and those in authority as well as frequenting their places and partaking of their unlawful riches, parading with horses, state-coaches, and outlawed garments, showing contempt to people by being vain and ostentatious, meddling in the affairs of others, talkativeness, the disappearance of awe, fear, and mercy from the heart, absent-mindedness to an extent that the worshipper would no longer be aware of what he had prayed, or read, or who had communed with him during his prayer.

[Positive]

Viking this is beneficial piece of information.

 

There is nothing wrong with debating/discussing as long as we are aware of our limit and we do not step it over. But of course many times we will step our limits over and again this will give us a chance to take notice of the negative traits in us. This self reflection or taking notice of our traits helps us to become aware of our mental content and gives us chance to change harmful traits.

 

Debating/discussing therefore can be seen as a play ground which can enrich ones self reflection and can potentially make him better human being; that happens when we are interested to learn how we can do good deeds in line with our religion and the positive social norms in our society.

 

Thanks

 

The Awakener2

[Baashi]

A timely post.

[Coloow]

Assalamu calaykum,

 

Viking, mahadsanid. Many of us on these boards and at fadhi ku dirirs don't know what "a debate is", let alone how to debate.

 

It is not uncommon to see somalis claiming to participate in "dood cilmiyeeysan"- in essense arguing.

[Xudeedi]

Timeless and instructive.

 

I have experienced some of the things the article has in it in real life and in virtual cyber world.

 

Thanks