In this article, God willing, we hope to answer two questions:
What can debate tell us about truth?
When we debate, are we required to have all the answers?
Debate as a method for finding truth
Debate is an excellent way for us to find answers to our questions, and when used appropriately, it can help lead us to the truth.
16:125 You shall invite to the path of your Lord with wisdom and kind enlightenment, and debate with them in the best possible manner. Your Lord knows best who has strayed from His path, and He knows best who are the guided ones.
6:126 This is the straight path to your Lord. We have explained the revelations for people who take heed.
God supports his messengers with the best arguments
One of God’s support for His messengers is sound arguments against their opposition. An excellent example of this is seen through Abraham’s debates.
2:258 Have you noted the one who argued with Abraham about his Lord, though GOD had given him kingship? Abraham said, “My Lord grants life and death.” He said, “I grant life and death.” Abraham said, “GOD brings the sun from the east, can you bring it from the west?” The disbeliever was stumped. GOD does not guide the wicked.
In another example from Abraham, we see how he showed his people that the only one worthy of worship is the God who created all these things that the people marveled over. The Quran finishes this passage by stating that this was an argument that God gave him for his people.
6:74 Recall that Abraham said to his father Ãzer, “How could you worship statues as gods? I see that you and your people have gone far astray.”
6:75 We showed Abraham the marvels of the heavens and the earth, and blessed him with certainty:
6:76 When the night fell, he saw a shining planet. “Maybe this is my Lord,” he said. When it disappeared, he said, “I do not like (gods) that disappear.”
6:77 When he saw the moon rising, he said, “Maybe this is my Lord!” When it disappeared, he said, “Unless my Lord guides me, I will be with the strayers.”
6:78 When he saw the sun rising, he said, “This must be my Lord. This is the biggest.” But when it set, he said, “O my people, I denounce your idolatry.
6:79 “I have devoted myself absolutely to the One who initiated the heavens and the earth; I will never be an idol worshiper.”
6:80 His people argued with him. He said, “Do you argue with me about GOD, after He has guided me? I have no fear of the idols you set up. Nothing can happen to me, unless my Lord wills it. My Lord’s knowledge encompasses all things. Would you not take heed?
6:81 “Why should I fear your idols? It is you who should be afraid, since you worship instead of GOD idols that are utterly powerless to help you. Which side is more deserving of security, if you know?”
6:82 Those who believe, and do not pollute their belief with idol worship, have deserved the perfect security, and they are truly guided.
6:83 Such was our argument, with which we supported Abraham against his people. We exalt whomever we will to higher ranks. Your Lord is Most Wise, Omniscient.
In the third example, Abraham destroys the idols of his people, leaving only the biggest idol for them. Then, when he was interrogated about the incident, he blamed the big one, leaving them stumped.
21:51 Before that, we granted Abraham his guidance and understanding, for we were fully aware of him.
21:52 He said to his father and his people, “What are these statues to which you are devoting yourselves?”
21:53 They said, “We found our parents worshiping them.”
21:54 He said, “Indeed, you and your parents have gone totally astray.”
21:55 They said, “Are you telling us the truth, or are you playing?”
21:56 He said, “Your only Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, who created them. This is the testimony to which I bear witness.
21:57 “I swear by GOD, I have a plan to deal with your statues, as soon as you leave.”
21:58 He broke them into pieces, except for a big one, that they may refer to it.
21:59 They said, “Whoever did this to our gods is really a transgressor.”
21:60 They said, “We heard a youth threaten them; he is called Abraham.”
21:61 They said, “Bring him before the eyes of all the people, that they may bear witness.”
21:62 They said, “Did you do this to our gods, O Abraham?”
21:63 He said, “It is that big one who did it. Go ask them, if they can speak.”
21:64 They were taken aback, and said to themselves, “Indeed, you are the ones who have been transgressing.”
21:65 Yet, they reverted to their old ideas: “You know full well that these cannot speak.”
21:66 He said, “Do you then worship besides GOD what possesses no power to benefit you or harm you?
21:67 “You have incurred shame by worshiping idols beside GOD. Do you not understand?”
DebatING To MISLEAD
While debate is a powerful tool, if misused, it can have the reverse effect and lead people astray.
18:56 We only send the messengers as simply deliverers of good news, as well as warners. Those who disbelieve argue with falsehood to defeat the truth, and they take My proofs and warnings in vain.
Consider the sneakest of all debaters, Satan. How many multitudes has he led astray with his arguments? He duped our parents from Paradise with his fallacious arguments and continues to dupe people today.
7:27 O children of Adam, do not let the devil dupe you as he did when he caused the eviction of your parents from Paradise, and the removal of their garments to expose their bodies. He and his tribe see you, while you do not see them. We appoint the devils as companions of those who do not believe.
God has permitted the devil to use his nack for deceptive argumentation to trick people and lead them astray.
17:64 “ You may entice them with your voice, and mobilize all your forces and all your men against them, and share in their money and children, and promise them. Anything the devil promises is no more than an illusion.
6:112 We have permitted the enemies of every prophet—human and jinn devils—to inspire in each other fancy words, in order to deceive. Had your Lord willed, they would not have done it. You shall disregard them and their fabrications.
Those who choose to fall for the devil’s arguments end up as idol worshipers.
6:121 Do not eat from that upon which the name of GOD has not been mentioned, for it is an abomination. The devils inspire their allies to argue with you; if you obey them, you will be idol worshipers.
Due to the devil’s deception and ability to blind his constituency, someone may have the truth on their side but fall short in overcoming the arguments posed by their opposition. This was one of Moses’s concerns when he was commanded to face Pharoah.
26:10 Recall that your Lord called Moses: “Go to the transgressing people.
26:11 “Pharaoh’s people; perhaps they reform.”
26:12 He said, “My Lord, I fear lest they disbelieve me.
26:13 “ I may lose my temper. My tongue gets tied; send for my brother Aaron.
26:14 “Also, they consider me a fugitive; I fear lest they kill me.”
26:15 He said, “No, (they will not). Go with My proofs. We will be with you, listening.
Despite having God’s authority on his side, Moses had concerns regarding the possibility of losing his temper or his tongue getting tied, as well as how people would respond to him with his reputation as a fugitive. We even see that Pharoah argued some of these points against Moses during their epic debate.
43:52 “ Which one is better; me or that one who is lowly and can hardly speak?
26:18 He said, “Did we not raise you from infancy, and you spent many years with us?
26:19 “ Then you committed the crime that you committed, and you were ungrateful. “
26:20 He said, “Indeed, I did it when I was astray.
26:21 “Then I fled, when I feared you, and my Lord endowed me with wisdom and made me one of the messengers.
An observer watching the debate may discredit one side’s argument because they are not as eloquent of a speaker, or because they lose their temper, or because of their status in society. Therefore, just because one side can better articulate their points and comes off more polished in a debate does not mean they are right. And we see this is what happened with Moses: despite having stronger arguments and support from God, the people of Pharoah objected to all the signs he showed.
98:1 Those who disbelieved among the people of the scripture, as well as the idol worshipers, insist on their ways, despite the proof given to them.
So, from the perspective of the people of Pharoah, they were under the impression that Moses lost the debate. Otherwise, they would have changed their position and not ended up with the doom.
Another example from the Quran, where someone had the stronger position but struggled to convince the other side, can be seen when David judged the dispute between the two brothers. Despite one brother clearly being in the right, it states that he could not convince others in his group of his position.
38:21 Have you received news of the feuding men who sneaked into his sanctuary?
38:22 When they entered his room, he was startled. They said, “Have no fear. We are feuding with one another, and we are seeking your fair judgment. Do not wrong us, and guide us in the right path.
38:23 “This brother of mine owns ninety-nine sheep, while I own one sheep. He wants to mix my sheep with his, and continues to pressure me.”
The literal Arabic that is translated as “pressure me” is ( waʿazzanī fī l-khiṭābi / وَعَزَّنِى فِى ٱلْخِطَابِ), which can be understood that the one with one sheep was lacking in his ability to argue his point as well as his brother with ninety-nine sheep. In the following verse, we see David’s judgment regarding the matter.
38:24 He said, “He is being unfair to you by asking to combine your sheep with his. Most people who combine their properties treat each other unfairly, except those who believe and work righteousness, and these are so few.” Afterwards, David wondered if he made the right judgment. He thought that we were testing him. He then implored his Lord for forgiveness, bowed down, and repented.
Some argue that David’s judgment was somehow unfair because he sought God’s repentance. Still, I think a better take is that despite something so obvious, David took rendering a judgment so incredibly seriously that he still repented to God on the off chance he had any bias in the decision.
Additionally, if we read the footnote by Dr. Rashad Khalifa, it states:
In this clear example, 99 on one side vs 1 on the other side, David’s extreme care to render the correct judgment caused him to ask forgiveness. Are we this careful?
But think about it another way; let’s assume the brother with ninety-nine sheep had the best intentions. Even if that was the case, it is against God’s law to force someone to make a transaction they disagree with. The Quran informs us that only mutually acceptable transactions are permitted.
4:29 O you who believe, do not consume each others’ properties illicitly— only mutually acceptable transactions are permitted. You shall not kill yourselves. GOD is Merciful towards you.
So, irrespective of the reason, the one with one sheep did not want to proceed with the transaction; he had every right to refuse, and it would never be just for the other party to force them. If they did, such actions would be, at a minimum, compulsion and, at worst, theft. Both of which are condemned in the Quran (2:256, 5:38)
The lesson I want to pull from this example is that even when someone has a stronger position, they can lose the debate, like the brother who had the single sheep. Therefore, being able to overpower someone else with speech does not render their position correct.
Disbelievers try to stump God’s messengers
A common tactic that opponents of God’s messengers have used historically was to pose questions to them with the intent of tripping them up or as a gotcha.
40:5 Disbelieving before them were the people of Noah, and many other opponents after them. Every community persecuted their messenger to neutralize him. And they argued with falsehood, to defeat the truth. Consequently, I punished them; how terrible was My retribution!
In the New Testament, the Gospel of Mathew chapter 22, we have three back-to-back examples of how the various opponents of Jesus attempted to do that to him.
In Matthew 22:15-22, the Pharisees ask Jesus whether it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, hoping to trap him in his response. Jesus, aware of their malice, answers wisely by saying, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.”
15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” 18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” 21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
In the second example from Matthew 22:23-33 the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, pose a question about marriage at the resurrection to try to confound Jesus. He responds by explaining the nature of the resurrection and the eternal life.
23 That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 24 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27 Finally, the woman died. 28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?” 29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” 33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.
In the third example found in Matthew 22:34-40, a lawyer, testing Jesus, asks him which commandment in the Law is the greatest. Jesus replies that the greatest commandment is to love God, and the second is to love one’s neighbor as oneself.
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Questioning the Prophet
Similarly, we see that Muhammad faced similar opposition during his prophethood with these kinds of questions from the opposing factions of his time.
2:189 They ask you about the phases of the moon! Say, “They provide a timing device for the people, and determine the time of Hajj.” It is not righteous to beat around the bush; righteousness is attained by upholding the commandments and by being straightforward. You shall observe GOD, that you may succeed.
The literal Quranic idiom says: “Do not enter the homes through the back doors.” The question about the determination of the new moon, which indicates the start of a new month, is an example of beating around the bush. This question had bad ulterior motives, most likely stemming from the Rabbinal innovation of intercalation of cycles, which the Quran does not abide by.
9:36 The count of months, as far as GOD is concerned, is twelve. This has been GOD’s law, since the day He created the heavens and the earth. Four of them are sacred. This is the perfect religion; you shall not wrong your souls (by fighting) during the Sacred Months. However, you may declare all-out war against the idol worshipers (even during the Sacred Months), when they declare all-out war against you, and know that GOD is on the side of the righteous.
Similarly, they ask him about charity (2:215), fighting during the sacred months (2:217), intoxicants and gambling as well as what to give to charity (2:219), orphans (2:220), and menstruation (2:222).
2:215 They ask you about giving: say, “The charity you give shall go to the parents, the relatives, the orphans, the poor, and the traveling alien.” Any good you do, GOD is fully aware thereof.
2:216 Fighting may be imposed on you, even though you dislike it. But you may dislike something which is good for you, and you may like something which is bad for you. GOD knows while you do not know.
2:217 They ask you about the Sacred Months and fighting therein: say, “Fighting therein is a sacrilege. However, repelling from the path of GOD and disbelieving in Him and in the sanctity of the Sacred Mosque (Masjid), and evicting its people, are greater sacrileges in the sight of GOD. Oppression is worse than murder.” They will always fight you to revert you from your religion, if they can. Those among you who revert from their religion, and die as disbelievers, have nullified their works in this life and the Hereafter. These are the dwellers of Hell, wherein they abide forever.
2:218 Those who believe, and those who emigrate and strive in the cause of GOD, have deserved GOD’s mercy. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
2:219 They ask you about intoxicants and gambling: say, “In them there is a gross sin, and some benefits for the people. But their sinfulness far outweighs their benefit.” They also ask you what to give to charity: say, “The excess.” GOD thus clarifies the revelations for you, that you may reflect,
2:220 upon this life and the Hereafter. And they ask you about the orphans: say, “Bringing them up as righteous persons is the best you can do for them. If you mix their property with yours, you shall treat them as family members.” GOD knows the righteous and the wicked. Had GOD willed, He could have imposed harsher rules upon you. GOD is Almighty, Most Wise.
Prophet WaS CRITICIZED FOR NOT HAVING ANSWERS
The Quran informs us that the messenger was criticized for not having answers on the spot and mostly just listening.
9:61 Some of them hurt the prophet by saying, “ He is all ears!” Say, “It is better for you that he listens to you. He believes in GOD, and trusts the believers. He is a mercy for those among you who believe.” Those who hurt GOD’s messenger have incurred a painful retribution.
In another set of verses, we see that their criticism against the prophet was that they had to wait for the verse to be revealed for them to obtain their answer.
25:31 We also set up against every prophet enemies from among the guilty. Your Lord suffices as a guide, a master.
25:32 Those who disbelieved said, “Why did not the Quran come through him all at once?” We have released it to you gradually, in order to fix it in your memory. We have recited it in a specific sequence.
This is because the prophet simply followed what was revealed to him, and did not control what the response would be or when it would come.
6:50 Say, “I do not say to you that I possess the treasures of GOD. Nor do I know the future. Nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I simply follow what is revealed to me.” Say, “Is the blind the same as the seer? Do you not reflect?”
46:9 Say, “I am not different from other messengers. I have no idea what will happen to me or to you. I only follow what is revealed to me. I am no more than a profound warner.”