The article is taken from Ihya ul Uloom ud Din by Imam Gazali
You should know and be sure that debates which are designed for the purpose of overcoming and silencing an opponent as well as for displaying one's excellence and honour, bragging before men, or for the sake of winning popular favour, are the source of all traits which are blameworthy before Allah and praiseworthy before His enemy, the Devil. The following evils arise out of modern debates.
1. One is envy. The Prophet said, "Envy consumes good deeds as fire consumes fuels." (Abu Dawood). A debater is never free from envy and hatred 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. This will cause envy in the heart of the debater. Ibn Abbas (razi Allah o tala anho) said, "Acquire knowledge wherever it is found and don't obey those who are inclined to disputes."
2. Another is pride. A debater persists in exalting himself above his equals and peers and claiming for himself a station higher than his worth to the extent that he and his colleagues fight over their seats in assembly hall. They would justify it on the ground that they are thereby maintaining the dignity of knowledge because the believers has been charged not to object himself. They thus consider humility, which Allah and his prophets commended and regard pride, which is reprehensible to Allah. Thus by the alteration of the words they cheat people.
3. Another is rancour. A debater is seldom free from the evil of rancour. The Prophet said: "A believer is free from rancour." 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.
4. Another is backbiting which is likened by Allah to the eating of carrion (49:12). 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 flaws his excellence. He ascribes to his opponent foolishness, ignorance and stupidity.
5. Declaration of Self-Purity: Allah says, "Don't attribute purity of yourself. He knows best who fears Him." (53:33). A debater is never free from praising himself from 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 well versed in the knowledge of traditions" and many other assertions sometimes out of arrogance and at other times out of the need to render his word convincing which are by law (Shariah) and reason condemned.
6. Another is spying and prying into the secrets of adversary. Allah says: Pry not (49:12). The debater always seeks to uncover the errors of his peers and continually pries into the private affairs of their opponents in order to expose and disgrace him whenever the need should arise.
7. Another is hatred, which exist between them like that which exists between fellow-wives. For them sight of his adversary is like of a mighty devil or a hungry lion. Their hearts are devoid of companionship and friendliness which used to exist between the learned men of Islam.
8. Another is hypocrisy. A debater expresses his friendship for his adversary outwardly but he cherishes hatred for him inwardly. The Prophet said, "When the learned men do not translate their learning into action, when they profess love for one another with their tongue and nurse hatred in their hearts, when they sever the ties of relationship, Allah sends curse upon them, makes their tongues mute and their eyes blind." (Tabarani).
9. Another is to turn away from truth: The most hateful thing to a debater is to see the truth revealed to his adversary and thus he takes to deception and deceit. He would do his best to refute and deny it and exert his utmost in deception, trickery to disprove his adversary until contention becomes his second nature. This habit will derive him to dispute the truths of Quran and Hadeeth. Despite the fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) has prohibited dispute even in opposing wrong. He said, "If a man in error gives up disputation a garden will be built for him in Paradise. If a man abjure disputation while he was right a house will be built up for him in the highest Paradise. Allah said, "Who is more wrongful that he who lies against Allah and treats the truth when it comes to him as a lie." (39:33).
10. Another fault of debate is show and flattering the people in an effort to win their favour and to mislead them. Hypocrisy is the greatest disease with which a debater is attacked and it is a major sin.
These ten evils are the secret major sins arising out of debates and disputations. Besides these major offences, there arise many other vices out these includes fights, snobbines, greed, desire to seek money and power, blows, exalting the wealthy and those in authority as well as frequenting there places and partaking of their unlawful riches, showing contempt to people by being vain and ostentatious, talkativeness, the disappearance of awe, fear, absent mindedness to an extent that the worshipper would be no longer aware of what he had prayer or read.
These are the consequences of disputation and debate, which are found even in the most religious and wisest among those who are involved in this activity. People consider it as the most honoured disciples of the day and numbered among the best meritorious works (Qarubat); nevertheless they were among the taboos at the time of the Companions. A true debater should behave like Hatim AlSamm who said, "I rejoice when my adversary is right, grieve when he is wrong, and endeavour not to act foolishly towards him."
1. One is envy. The Prophet said, "Envy consumes good deeds as fire consumes fuels." (Abu Dawood). A debater is never free from envy and hatred 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. This will cause envy in the heart of the debater. Ibn Abbas (razi Allah o tala anho) said, "Acquire knowledge wherever it is found and don't obey those who are inclined to disputes."
2. Another is pride. A debater persists in exalting himself above his equals and peers and claiming for himself a station higher than his worth to the extent that he and his colleagues fight over their seats in assembly hall. They would justify it on the ground that they are thereby maintaining the dignity of knowledge because the believers has been charged not to object himself. They thus consider humility, which Allah and his prophets commended and regard pride, which is reprehensible to Allah. Thus by the alteration of the words they cheat people.
3. Another is rancour. A debater is seldom free from the evil of rancour. The Prophet said: "A believer is free from rancour." 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.
4. Another is backbiting which is likened by Allah to the eating of carrion (49:12). 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 flaws his excellence. He ascribes to his opponent foolishness, ignorance and stupidity.
5. Declaration of Self-Purity: Allah says, "Don't attribute purity of yourself. He knows best who fears Him." (53:33). A debater is never free from praising himself from 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 well versed in the knowledge of traditions" and many other assertions sometimes out of arrogance and at other times out of the need to render his word convincing which are by law (Shariah) and reason condemned.
6. Another is spying and prying into the secrets of adversary. Allah says: Pry not (49:12). The debater always seeks to uncover the errors of his peers and continually pries into the private affairs of their opponents in order to expose and disgrace him whenever the need should arise.
7. Another is hatred, which exist between them like that which exists between fellow-wives. For them sight of his adversary is like of a mighty devil or a hungry lion. Their hearts are devoid of companionship and friendliness which used to exist between the learned men of Islam.
8. Another is hypocrisy. A debater expresses his friendship for his adversary outwardly but he cherishes hatred for him inwardly. The Prophet said, "When the learned men do not translate their learning into action, when they profess love for one another with their tongue and nurse hatred in their hearts, when they sever the ties of relationship, Allah sends curse upon them, makes their tongues mute and their eyes blind." (Tabarani).
9. Another is to turn away from truth: The most hateful thing to a debater is to see the truth revealed to his adversary and thus he takes to deception and deceit. He would do his best to refute and deny it and exert his utmost in deception, trickery to disprove his adversary until contention becomes his second nature. This habit will derive him to dispute the truths of Quran and Hadeeth. Despite the fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) has prohibited dispute even in opposing wrong. He said, "If a man in error gives up disputation a garden will be built for him in Paradise. If a man abjure disputation while he was right a house will be built up for him in the highest Paradise. Allah said, "Who is more wrongful that he who lies against Allah and treats the truth when it comes to him as a lie." (39:33).
10. Another fault of debate is show and flattering the people in an effort to win their favour and to mislead them. Hypocrisy is the greatest disease with which a debater is attacked and it is a major sin.
These ten evils are the secret major sins arising out of debates and disputations. Besides these major offences, there arise many other vices out these includes fights, snobbines, greed, desire to seek money and power, blows, exalting the wealthy and those in authority as well as frequenting there places and partaking of their unlawful riches, showing contempt to people by being vain and ostentatious, talkativeness, the disappearance of awe, fear, absent mindedness to an extent that the worshipper would be no longer aware of what he had prayer or read.
These are the consequences of disputation and debate, which are found even in the most religious and wisest among those who are involved in this activity. People consider it as the most honoured disciples of the day and numbered among the best meritorious works (Qarubat); nevertheless they were among the taboos at the time of the Companions. A true debater should behave like Hatim AlSamm who said, "I rejoice when my adversary is right, grieve when he is wrong, and endeavour not to act foolishly towards him."
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