Explaining the Method of Establishing the Argument in Conveying the Religion of Allah
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The issue of understanding the argument (hujjah) was addressed by Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him), as well as Ibn al-Qayyim and Ibn al-Arabi al-Maliki (may Allah have mercy on them).They say: Similarly, regarding the statements that render their speaker a disbeliever, it is possible that the texts necessitating knowledge of the truth did not reach the man, or that they reached him but were not established for him, or that he was unable to understand them. This is his statement in the Fatawa.
The students of the books of the Shaykh of Islam, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him), also differed on this issue. I tried to understand it, and Allah made it easy for me to find some light quotations that I will present to you so that the matter becomes clearer: Some of the Shaykh's students (may Allah have mercy on them) held that the Shaykh does not condition the establishment of the argument on understanding it.And they transmitted from him some quotations, among which: For the argument of Allah is the Qur'an, so if the Qur'an reaches a person, the argument has reached him. The establishment of the argument and its reaching a person is one type,And the argument was established against them, meaning: while the understanding of the disbelievers and hypocrites of it is another type.
Then I found another text from the Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) in a letter to the Sharif, in which he says: And if we do not declare as disbelievers those who worship the idol on the dome of 'Abd al-Qadir and the idol on the grave of Ahmad al-Badawi and their like, because of their ignorance and the absence of one to alert them, and in another narration: the absence of one to make it understood to them.
Then in another statement: If the one who is specified is declared a disbeliever when the argument is established against him, it is known that its establishment does not mean that he understands the words of Allah and His Messenger with the same understanding as Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him). Rather, if the words of Allah and His Messenger reach him and he is free from anything that would excuse him, he is a disbeliever.
And the last is what I came across of the Shaykh's words, which Muhammad Rashid Rida extracted in the Najdi edition of the letters: The meaning of the establishment of the argument is not that a person understands it with a clear understanding, as one who has been guided by Allah and given success and submitted to His command does. So I hope for clarification, may Allah preserve you.
What we see is: That the argument is not established unless it reaches the person obligated to act in a way that he understands it. But we know that people's understandings differ. Some people understand from this text a clear meaning, like the sun, and a meaning that admits no doubt in their hearts. And some people understand the text with a preliminary understanding, with the possibility of doubt in their hearts. So the first group is at the peak of knowledge and science, and the second is at the beginning of knowledge. The argument is certainly established against the second group, because they understood from it what is intended, but not with the complete understanding of the first group, like Abu Bakr and 'Umar. As for the one to whom the text reaches but he does not know any meaning from it, like a non-Arab to whom the text is reached in the Arabic language but he does not know what the meaning of this text is, then the argument is certainly not established against him.And the evidence for this is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: [Ibrahim:4] Meaning: After clarification in this language that they understand, Allah misguides whom He wills, so He does not accept and guide whom He wills, so he accepts.
And what benefit is there for a non-Arab to have the Qur'an read to him in an Arabic tongue when he does not know what it is? If a non-Arab came to you now, and you are an Arab who does not understand the non-Arab's language, and he spoke to you with a sermon of five pages or more, and you did not understand anything from it at all, so it is the same for non-Arabs in relation to Arabs.
So what we see: That it is necessary for the argument to reach and for its meaning to be understood in a way that the truth becomes clear to him.And as for His saying (the Exalted): [Al-An'am:19] So there is no doubt that the Qur'an was revealed with wording and meaning. So the intended meaning is that it reached him in its wording and meaning, or that it reached those of this language for whom the argument is established when the Qur'an reaches them merely by its arrival to them. And this is the opinion indicated by the specific evidence and other evidence by its generality, such as the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Baqarah:286] And His saying: [Al-Taghabun:16] And it is known that one who does not know the meaning is not able to accept it. But it is obligatory upon the one to whom it is conveyed that the Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has been sent, and that his religion abrogated all religions, that he must search. And here he may be negligent in his search, so he is not excused for his negligence.
The students of the books of the Shaykh of Islam, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him), also differed on this issue. I tried to understand it, and Allah made it easy for me to find some light quotations that I will present to you so that the matter becomes clearer: Some of the Shaykh's students (may Allah have mercy on them) held that the Shaykh does not condition the establishment of the argument on understanding it.And they transmitted from him some quotations, among which: For the argument of Allah is the Qur'an, so if the Qur'an reaches a person, the argument has reached him. The establishment of the argument and its reaching a person is one type,And the argument was established against them, meaning: while the understanding of the disbelievers and hypocrites of it is another type.
Then I found another text from the Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) in a letter to the Sharif, in which he says: And if we do not declare as disbelievers those who worship the idol on the dome of 'Abd al-Qadir and the idol on the grave of Ahmad al-Badawi and their like, because of their ignorance and the absence of one to alert them, and in another narration: the absence of one to make it understood to them.
Then in another statement: If the one who is specified is declared a disbeliever when the argument is established against him, it is known that its establishment does not mean that he understands the words of Allah and His Messenger with the same understanding as Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him). Rather, if the words of Allah and His Messenger reach him and he is free from anything that would excuse him, he is a disbeliever.
And the last is what I came across of the Shaykh's words, which Muhammad Rashid Rida extracted in the Najdi edition of the letters: The meaning of the establishment of the argument is not that a person understands it with a clear understanding, as one who has been guided by Allah and given success and submitted to His command does. So I hope for clarification, may Allah preserve you.
What we see is: That the argument is not established unless it reaches the person obligated to act in a way that he understands it. But we know that people's understandings differ. Some people understand from this text a clear meaning, like the sun, and a meaning that admits no doubt in their hearts. And some people understand the text with a preliminary understanding, with the possibility of doubt in their hearts. So the first group is at the peak of knowledge and science, and the second is at the beginning of knowledge. The argument is certainly established against the second group, because they understood from it what is intended, but not with the complete understanding of the first group, like Abu Bakr and 'Umar. As for the one to whom the text reaches but he does not know any meaning from it, like a non-Arab to whom the text is reached in the Arabic language but he does not know what the meaning of this text is, then the argument is certainly not established against him.And the evidence for this is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them, and Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He wills and guides whom He wills
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ فَيُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُAnd what benefit is there for a non-Arab to have the Qur'an read to him in an Arabic tongue when he does not know what it is? If a non-Arab came to you now, and you are an Arab who does not understand the non-Arab's language, and he spoke to you with a sermon of five pages or more, and you did not understand anything from it at all, so it is the same for non-Arabs in relation to Arabs.
So what we see: That it is necessary for the argument to reach and for its meaning to be understood in a way that the truth becomes clear to him.And as for His saying (the Exalted):