Imām Al-Barbahārī (d. 329H) on debating and being amazed with one’s debating skills

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Imām Abu Muhammad Al-Hasan Ibn `Alī Ibn Khalaf Al-Barbahārī (d. 329H) stated:

“And know that there would not be heresy, nor disbelief, nor doubts, nor innovation, nor misguidance, nor confusion in the religion except due to rhetoric and the people of rhetoric and due to argumentation, debating and disputation and those amazed by themselves. How can a man embark upon debating, disputation and argumentation whilst Allah, the Most High, stated:

مَا يُجَادِلُ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا

“No one disputes concerning the signs of Allah except those who disbelieve…”

So upon you is to submit and be pleased and content with the narrations and to withhold [from debating, etc] and be silent.”

Al-`Allāmah Sālih al-Fawzān commented on these lines:

“The explanation of this has already preceded and warning against it. So his saying: “So upon you is to submit and be pleased and content with the narrations and to withhold [from debating, etc] and be silent” i.e. that upon you is to submit to the speech of Allah and the speech of His Messenger (salallāhu `alaihi wassallam) – and to withhold from argumentation and doubts for you have been forbidden from such matters – rather that will only increase confusion. Take the speech of Allah and the speech of His Messenger and be content with that so that you are guided and feel at ease away from whisperings, doubts and delusions. And that you establish yourself upon sure-sighted knowledge – and Allah has revealed this Qur’an as a clarification of every matter.”

(It-hāful-Qārī, Vol 1/394, point 80, of Shaikh Al-Fawzān)

Comments:

Unfortunately, today we find ignorant hizbī youth who regard themselves to be of the calibre of Ibn Abbās (radiyallāhu `anhumā)  – they are deceived by delusions of grandeur and amazed with abilities that they do not possess – they race around the country looking for groups of people to debate. They humiliate themselves and deceive the people into thinking that they are upon Salafiyyah. This is nothing more than an infraction into the ranks of the Salafis designed to corrupt the minds of the weak-willed, weak in resolve and the weak in knowledge. These types of people have appeared for centuries in the garbs of Salafiyyah – they are infiltrators who snatch away the weak and straying lambs. So be warned.

 

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.