The Etiquette of Debate - Portal Gems #25

Est. Read time: 2 min
Edition Number: 25
Adapted from: Surah Hujarat: Code of Conduct For a Muslim
Instructor: Mufti Abdul Rahman Waheed

Assalamu Alaykum,

Today we’re going through a gem from Mufti Abdul Rahman Waheed’s class on the tafsir of Surah Hujarat. In this gem, Mufti saab shares a teaching moment that his teacher had with him when he was first starting in the journey of knowledge. This entire course is available for free (without a portal subscription) on the Miftaah Portal website.

Hope you enjoy!

We begin in the Name of Allah ﷻ, the Most Merciful and Compassionate,
We ask that He ﷻ sends Peace and Blessings upon our noble and beloved
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

When I was 12 years old I got in an argument with somebody about something when I was first starting in the journey of knowledge. I became hafidh when I was 10, so I had just started the second year of Alim course when this happened. When my teacher saw me arguing, he pulled me to the side and he said:

“Abdul Rahman, when you're sitting with someone  and they say what you're doing is wrong the Prophet ﷺ said this - that's it, stop.

Even though  you may have 50 different interpretations of that Hadith. You may know whether the Hadith is sahih (authentic) or daif (weak). But the moment a person says the Prophet ﷺ said this -  just stop, put your ego down. He just presented you with the words of the Prophet ﷺ. You don't have to listen to him, but don't argue with him.

Don't become combative with the Prophet ﷺ’s words, leave that to the people of knowledge.”

After all these years this moment has stuck with me because its so easy to get in debates and get combative with the deen. We have to have respect and reverence for the words of Allah ﷻ and His Rasul ﷺ.

May Allah ﷻ grant us tawfiq.

أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم، فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرحيم

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