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#FridayReminders 51: A Good Argument (15:33)
#QuranReflections by Talha Ghannam
Video: • (15:33) A Good Argumen...
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قَالَ لَمْ أَكُن لِّأَسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُۥ مِن صَلْصَـٰلٍۢ مِّنْ حَمَإٍۢ مَّسْنُونٍۢ ٣٣
He replied, “It is not for me to prostrate to a human You created from sounding clay moulded from black mud.”
(15:33)
Reading this statement, it is difficult to disagree; we should not prostrate to a created being! But having a good argument or even making a true statement doesn’t make you right. These half truths and snappy sound bites are dangerous, presenting a falsehood in a manner that makes them seem correct; something Shaytan is a master of. The ability to put forward a strong case to defend the indefensible is his speciality, and this verse is case in point. What Iblis fails to acknowledge is that the command to prostrate came from the Creator he is claiming to venerate, so disobeying Him in obedience to Him is self-contradictory!
We live in an age of memes and reels, where the average tweet is only 28 characters, and TikTok video only 32 seconds. When people’s attention span is so short, soundbites prevail over nuanced arguments. Truth is reduced to the one with the sharpest wit, boldest claim or provocative image.
Yet, a good argument does not make your right. Our Prophet ﷺ warned us of making a strong case for a falsehood, explaining:
عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُونَ إِلَىَّ، وَلَعَلَّ بَعْضَكُمْ أَلْحَنُ بِحُجَّتِهِ مِنْ بَعْضٍ، فَمَنْ قَضَيْتُ لَهُ بِحَقِّ أَخِيهِ شَيْئًا بِقَوْلِهِ، فَإِنَّمَا أَقْطَعُ لَهُ قِطْعَةً مِنَ النَّارِ فَلاَ يَأْخُذْهَا ‏"‏‏.‏
"You people present your cases to me. Some of you may be more eloquent and persuasive in presenting their argument than others. So if I give someone's right to another (wrongly) because of the latter's presentation of their case, I am really giving them a piece of hellfire; so they should not take it."
[Bukhari]
The Prophet ﷺ was sent as our teacher. He could have received revelation to judge between people, yet Allah ﷻ willed that he judge as any human would to expose us to the inherent flaws within ourselves and the justice system, and command us to be God fearing when putting forward our case. He knew people could lose a case when they are innocent, and win a case when they are liable, and he put the ownness on them to fear their Lord. In another narration, he appeals to the judges:
عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ‏ "‏ إِذَا تَقَاضَى إِلَيْكَ رَجُلاَنِ فَلاَ تَقْضِ لِلأَوَّلِ حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ كَلاَمَ الآخَرِ فَسَوْفَ تَدْرِي كَيْفَ تَقْضِي ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ فَمَا زِلْتُ قَاضِيًا بَعْدُ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ ‏.‏
“When two men come to you seeking judgement, do not judge for the first until you have heard the statement of the other.”
[Tirmidhi]
How often do we take the time to study the different viewpoints before reaching a decision? Are we in check of our own ego to recognise our own biases? When the case of our friend, social circle, the rich or the powerful are put before us, are we sure we won’t lean towards them by virtue of who they are, not what they’ve done?
A good argument does not make the truth. A good person does not make them right. Strong evidence does not prove a case. We must take the time to understand an issue fully and deliberate before making a judgement, and where we have not done so, we should not speak. The Prophet ﷺ taught:
وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏:‏ ‏ "‏من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر، فليقل خيرًا، أو ليصمت‏"‏
He who believes in Allah and the Last Day must either speak good or remain silent.
[Muslim]