The Ruling on Dialogue Between Truth and Falsehood
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Question:
And this one says there is a group that calls for dialogue and wisdom in dealing with others, so will that succeed?
Answer:
Dialogue and debate, if the intention is to support the truth and refute falsehood, to clarify the limit and reject falsehood, this is required. Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nahl 16:125]. And regarding the People of the Book, the Exalted said: if [Ali 'Imran 3:64] [Ali 'Imran 3:64] meaning if they do not accept, they should say: "Bear witness that we disavow him and hold fast to our Islam." So if the purpose of dialogue is to clarify the truth and clarify falsehood, to call to the truth and expose the falsehood, then this is obligatory.
But if the purpose of dialogue is to reach a compromise between the misguided groups, where each remains in his misguidance and each remains as he is, my dear listener, this is the middle of the tape. But if the purpose of dialogue is to reach a compromise between the misguided groups, where each remains in his misguidance and each remains as he is, this is not dialogue; this is called *mudāhanah* (flattery or compromising with falsehood). And Allah the Exalted says, "They wish you would be soft in your stance, so you would be soft in yours." The Exalted says:[Al-Isra 17:73-75]. The Exalted says: [Hud 11:113].
And when the disbelievers asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to make a truce with them in religion, that they would worship Allah for a year and worship the Messenger’s gods for a year, in the name of *muhājanah* (mutual concession) and in the name of dialogue as they call it, Allah the Exalted revealed to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), "I seek refuge"[An-Nahl 16:98] "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Say: O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship, nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshipper of what you have worshipped, nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion." There is no compromise between truth and falsehood, and each remaining silent about the other is not permissible. So if the purpose of dialogue is *mudāhanah* and compromising with the truth,
And pleasing the disbelievers and the followers of false schools of thought, this is not dialogue; this is compromising. Allah forbade us from compromising in religion. Is it with this hadith that you are compromising? The disbelievers in the past said to the Messenger: "Bring a Qur'an other than this, or change it." They wanted the Messenger to leave this Qur'an. He would bring a Qur'an that pleases them. He would bring a Qur'an that pleases them according to their wishes, so they would not be angry. "If only"[Yunus 10:15].
This is not permissible. We must remain upon the truth and not compromise on any part of it. So whoever wants to join us
And this one says there is a group that calls for dialogue and wisdom in dealing with others, so will that succeed?
Answer:
Dialogue and debate, if the intention is to support the truth and refute falsehood, to clarify the limit and reject falsehood, this is required. Allah the Exalted said:
and argue with them in a way that is best
وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُa word that is equitable between us and you
كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْthat we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah." But if they turn away
أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاBut if the purpose of dialogue is to reach a compromise between the misguided groups, where each remains in his misguidance and each remains as he is, my dear listener, this is the middle of the tape. But if the purpose of dialogue is to reach a compromise between the misguided groups, where each remains in his misguidance and each remains as he is, this is not dialogue; this is called *mudāhanah* (flattery or compromising with falsehood). And Allah the Exalted says, "They wish you would be soft in your stance, so you would be soft in yours." The Exalted says:
(73) And indeed, they were about to tempt you away from that which We revealed to you in order to [make] you invent about Us something else; and then they would have taken you as a friend. (74) And if We had not strengthened you, you would have almost inclined to them a little. (75) Then [if you had], We would have made you taste double [punishment in] life and double [after] death. Then you would not find for yourself against Us a helper.
وَإِن كَادُوا لَيَفْتِنُونَكَ عَنِ الَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ لِتَفْتَرِيَ عَلَيْنَا غَيْرَهُ وَإِذًا لَّاتَّخَذُوكَ خَلِيلًا وَلَوْلَا أَن ثَبَّتْنَاكَ لَقَدْ كِدتَّ تَرْكَنُ إِلَيْهِمْ شَيْئًا قَلِيلًا إِذًا لَّأَذَقْنَاكَ ضِعْفَ الْحَيَاةِ وَضِعْفَ الْمَمَاتِ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُ لَكَ عَلَيْنَا نَصِيرًاAnd do not incline toward those who do wrong, lest you be touched by the Fire, and you would not have other than Allah any protectors; then you would not be helped.
وَلَا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءَ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَAnd when the disbelievers asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to make a truce with them in religion, that they would worship Allah for a year and worship the Messenger’s gods for a year, in the name of *muhājanah* (mutual concession) and in the name of dialogue as they call it, Allah the Exalted revealed to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), "I seek refuge"
in Allah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy].
بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِAnd pleasing the disbelievers and the followers of false schools of thought, this is not dialogue; this is compromising. Allah forbade us from compromising in religion. Is it with this hadith that you are compromising? The disbelievers in the past said to the Messenger: "Bring a Qur'an other than this, or change it." They wanted the Messenger to leave this Qur'an. He would bring a Qur'an that pleases them. He would bring a Qur'an that pleases them according to their wishes, so they would not be angry. "If only"
a Qur'an other than this or change it." Say, [O Muhammad], "It is not for me to change it on my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Indeed I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day."
بِقُرْآنٍ غَيْرِ هَٰذَا أَوْ بَدِّلْهُ قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُ مِن تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِي إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ إِنِّي أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍThis is not permissible. We must remain upon the truth and not compromise on any part of it. So whoever wants to join us
Source
الفوزان - لقاء مفتوح - الجديد في الإرهاب — archive.org (35:10)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.