A Guide to Best Worship Allah

14: Worship of Salaf (Part Eight)

6. Avoid Argumentation:

Despite the humongous amount of knowledge and comprehension the Salaf possessed, they were people who were far from being argumentative. Their wisdom permitted them to take part in debates only when necessary or when the good of indulging in it far outweighed the good of being silent. They were people who chose to voluntarily subdue their ego, instead of giving in to the base desire of argumentation in order to prove their loftiness.

It is reported that Bilāl b. Saʿd - Allāh have mercy on him - said:
If you see a man being obstinate, argumentative and impressed with his own opinion, then his loss is complete.
(Abū Nuʿaym, ʿHilyatu Al-Awliyāʾ 5:228)

It is reported that Ma'rūf Al-Karkhī - Allāh have mercy on him - said:
When Allāh chooses good for a person He opens the door to action for him, and closes the door to argumentation; and when Allāh chooses evil for a person he opens the door of argumentation and closes the door to action.
(Al-Khaṭīb Al-Baghdādī, Iqtḍā Al-'Ilm Al-'Amal, article 123)

Yūnus reports: Maymūn b. Mihrān once wrote to me saying:
Beware of dispute and argumentation about the religion, and do not argue with a scholar nor an ignoramus. As for the scholar, he will withhold his knowledge from you, and will not be concerned with what you do. As for the ignorant person, he will only cause roughness in your heart and he will not obey you [anyway].
(Al-Dārimī, Al-Sunan no. 302.)

Ma'n b. 'Īsā reports:
Mālik b. Anas was once returning from the mosque, leaning on my arm, when a man called Abū Al-Juwayrīyah who was accused of Al-Irjā' caught up with him.
He said. "O Abū ʿAbdullāh, listen to something I have to say and debate with me and let me tell you my opinion."
[Imām] Mālik said, "And what if you overcome me?"
The man replied, "If I defeat you, you follow me."
Mālik asked, "And what if another man comes and defeats us?"
He replied, "Then we follow him."
To this, Mālik - Allāh's mercy be upon him - said, "O servant of Allāh, Allāh sent Muḥammad ﷺ with a single religion, but I see you moving from religion to religion. ʿUmar b. ʿAbd Al-'Azīz said, 'Whoever makes his religion the object of argumentation will frequently change it.'"
(Al-Ājurrī, Kitāb Al-Sharī'ah Vol.1 p128)

Imām Al-Shāfi'ī said:
Whenever any people of desires (heretics) came to Mālik he would say to them, "As for me, I am upon clarity as regards my religion. As for you, you are a doubter, go and argue with another doubter like yourself."
(Al-Dhahabī in Siyar A'lām Al-Nubalā' under the biography of Imām Mālik.)

In fact, our pious predecessors were such that they gave up argumentation when dealing with people even if they were right.

During his Caliphate, ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib - Allah be pleased with him - saw some armor of his with a Christian. He decided to take the matter up legally, so he took the dispute to Shurayḥ (the Judge).

ʿAlī said, "This is my armor, and I have not sold it nor given it away."
Shurayḥ said to the Christian, "What have you to say about what the Amīr of the Believers claims?"
The Christian replied, "It is my armor, although I do not regard the Amīr of the Believers to be a liar."
Shurayḥ then turned to ʿAlī, "O Amīr of the Believers, do you have any proof (of ownership)?" ʿ
Alī laughed and said, "Shurayḥ is correct, I have no proof."

So Shurayḥ judged that the armor was the Christian's. The Christian took it and began to walk away but then returned. He proclaimed, "As for me, I testify that this is the judgment of the Prophets - the Amīr of the Believers himself takes me to his judge and the judge rules against him! I bear witness that there is no deity deserving worship but Allāh and I bear witness that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh. By Allāh, the armor is yours, o Amīr of the Believers. I followed the army when you were on your way to the Battle of Ṣiffīn and the armor came out of your equipment."
'Alī said, "If you have accepted Islām the armor is yours." And then he put him on his horse.

Hence, these noble manners of giving up argumentation even when right while in the position to subdue the opponent, became a cause for people to accept Islam, the beautiful religion that inculcated such virtuous character.