In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَقُولُوا۟ قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا
يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَٰلَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا

O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allah and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth. He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hell-fire and made to enter Paradise). [Surah Al-Ahzaab. Ayaat 70-71]

What does the word controversy mean? It refers to a serious argument that involves many people and lasts for a long time. So, why would someone describe another person as “controversial”? Well, it’s because that person is the center of intense public argument, disagreement, or disapproval. However, a wise individual doesn’t simply join the crowd without thinking. Instead, they evaluate, based on sound Shariah principles, whether this person who is considered controversial is following the path of truth or falsehood. Once they determine this, they understand that those who disapprove of this person are either unaware of the truth or are driven by their own desires. Therefore, be cautious of those who use the term controversy to attack or silence those who speak the truth. Imam Sufyan Ath-Thawree [may Allah have mercy upon him] used to say, “Indeed, the Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] is the greatest criterion [i.e. amongst mankind and Jinn] and all affairs are presented to him [for judgment] based on his manners, path, and guidance; then whatever is in agreement with this is truth, and whatever is in opposition is falsehood”. [(1)]

There is a different group of people who use narrations as an excuse to avoid dealing with troublemakers or speaking up, and they often quote the hadith “I guarantee a house in Jannah for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right”. [(2)] Imam Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-Uthaymeen [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: “Some people refrain from debate, even when they are correct, and they use this hadeeth as justification, thus they abandon debate. The one who abandons debating in matters of religion may not be entirely justified in doing so, as it could hinder the discovery of truth and potentially result in defeat. [Footnote a]However, it may be that a person is in the right whilst arguing with another person about something that is not related to the religion, for example, he says, ‘I saw such and such person in the market’ and the other person says, ‘Rather I saw him in the Masjid’, and thus an argument occurs between them. This is the type of argument mentioned in the hadeeth (i.e. the one that should be abandoned by a person even if he is in the right)”. [(3)]

The Shaikh discussed the six distinct signs of beneficial knowledge, and then stated that one of these signs is the increase in humility as knowledge grows, and that one should not become arrogant. The Shaikh then added that if there is a conflict between humbling oneself to the truth and humbling oneself to people, precedence is given to humbling oneself to the truth. For instance, if there is a person who reviles the truth and rejoices due to his enmity towards those who follow it, in this case, one should not humble themselves in the presence of this person. Instead, one should remain humble to the truth and engage in debate with this person. Even if they belittle or speak against you, do not be concerned about what they say because the truth must be upheld. [(4)]

Imam Ibn Aqeel [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “If the truthful ones were to keep silent and the falsifiers speak, then the creation would have relinquished what they have witnessed (of truth) and reject what they have not witnessed.  So when the devout ones desire to revive the Sunnah, the people would reject it and think that it is bidah”. [(5)]

Al-Allaamah Rabee Bin Haadi Al-Mad’khali [may Allah preserve him said: The Fitan and doubts are brought forth by Ahlul Bidah Wal Ahwaa [the people of religious innovation and desires], and the call to Allah- to the Book of Allah, adherence to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah – is the call that will unite all the Ummah. All the Fitan, splitting, and (blameworthy) differing emanate from the path of the proponents of falsehood and Fitan. They do not keep quiet, they spread their falsehoods in their newspapers, magazines, and audio tapes, while wishing that the voice of truth should be silent. In their view, the voice of truth is what should be silent and the voice of falsehood should be raised and spread in the earth! Do they remain silent?! The people of falsehood do not remain silent – neither abate nor slow down. They have [ خطط جهنمية -i.e. paths or footsteps leading to the hell fire] which they enforce and thereafter they demand silence from the people of truth! They approach the Salafi methodology and say to you, “This tears apart! This splits!” Rather, the Ahwaa [the bidah, etc] and the Dalaalaat [deeds, views, and beliefs that are tantamount to misguidance] are what splits and tears the Ummah apart, which the people of falsehood are ardent in spreading on the internet at present and places of falsehood in the newspapers, magazines and the schools. They spread their falsehood in every place, but the very thing that is difficult for them is to hear the voice of truth! [(6)]

Shaikh Shamsuddeen Al-Afghaani [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: Ahlul Bidah are the ones who kindle temptations and disorder. They are chaotic people and are deprived of safety and security.  They are a people of temptation and disturbance as opposed to Ahlul Hadeeth Was-Sunan [i.e. those who steadfastly follow the authentic Ahaadeeth of the Prophet and his Sunnah]. Have they [i.e. the people of Sunnah] committed what the people of bidah and trials have committed?! The people of bidah trespass alongside enmity and Bidah, whilst Ahlus Sunnah respond and defend (the religion). [(7)]

And Allah knows best

Footnote a: Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-Uthaymeen stated in Sharh Hilyah on page 243 that many people resort to falsehoods in arguments and manage to defeat those who stand for the truth. However, it is important to note that this does not mean that the truth itself has been overcome. Instead, it signifies that the person advocating for the truth may have been unable to effectively counter the false arguments due to their lack of debating skills.

Debate is not for everyone: Al-Allaamah Rabee Bin Haadi Al-Mad’khali [may Allah preserve him] stated: And due to this, we say: the one who is not safe from falling into the traps of the people of misguidance, it is obligated to him to avoid the books of the people of bidah and (avoid) sitting with them because indeed the Messenger warned against sitting with them and the pious predecessors warned against sitting with them, rather they held a consensus to boycott and ostracise them – not to expose oneself to them and their call, except the one who is well established in knowledge, the one with ability to establish the proof against them whilst being cautious, warning against sitting with them and not to incline towards them. As for the weak – the Miskeen – who is shaken by the light wind and it makes him fall (i.e. the one who cannot repel the doubts of ahlul bidah), it is obligated on him to preserve the good that Allah has bestowed on him because nothing can be equal to safety.

The one who has the ability and experience – able to call to the path of Allah with wisdom and persuade the people of falsehood, he embarks upon calling them (to the truth), whilst not agreeing with them, not sitting with them, and flattering them; but rather he should be a Mujaahid, a caller to the path of Allah, a sincere adviser, enjoining good and forbidding evil. This is the one who embarks upon calling the people of falsehood (to truth) and clarifies the truth to them, so the one who is guided, then alhamdulil laah; but if not, then he has established the proofs which Allah has obligated to the inheritors of the Prophets (i.e. the scholars) to establish. The Prophets were callers to the path of Allah, they invited the unbelievers to (the truth) and called the sinners (to the truth), and you are one of the inheritors of the Prophets, therefore, call these (people to the truth) and establish the proofs against them, but we do not say that this task is for everyone – that every Tom, Dick, and Harry intermingles with ahlul bidah and advise them; rather we say that this is for the people of knowledge, those well established in knowledge, the strong ones. As for those other than them – the ignoramuses and the ones with weak personalities, we warn and tell them to be on guard against the outcomes that descend on the one who is deceived by himself, so he becomes one from ahlul bidah and misguidance. By Allaah we know people from different Arab and Islamic countries who used to be upon good, then they were captured by this trick- meaning, read, read, take the truth and reject falsehood, but he was not seen thereafter except that he was from the villains of ahlul bidah, waging war against Ahlus sunnah, defending the people of falsehood. https://salaficentre.com/2023/08/27/1-we-go-to-ahlul-bidah-because-al-allaamah-rabee-bin-haadi-al-madkhali-gave-dawah-to-sufis-in-their-masjid/

[1] Al-Jaami Li-Akhlaaq Ar-Raawi Wa Aadaab As-Saami’ page 8]

[2] Saheeh Abu Dawud 4800

[3] Sharh Hilyati Taalibal Ilm. page 245

[4] Sharh Hilyati Taalibil Ilm pages 253-254

[5] Shifaa As-Sudoor Fee Ziyaaratil Mashaahid Wal-Quboor page: 148

[6] Question number 16. Pages 28-29 in الإجابات الجلية عن القضايا المنهجية – Note: This particular excerpt is found in the second section of the book, titled: كشف الستار عما تحمله بعض الدعوات من أخطار ]

[7] Source: عداء الماتريدية للعقيدة السلفية -1/26-27