The caller must be well-informed about the condition of the one he is calling.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Second: He must be well-informed about the condition of the one he is calling.
This is why, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Mu'adh to Yemen, what did he say to him? He said to him:Sunan an-Nasa'i 2435Sahih (Darussalam), so that he would know their condition and prepare for them.
Do you go to a person to call him to Allah while you do not know his condition?
Perhaps this person has knowledge of falsehood that will stop you at the very beginning of the path.
That is, I say in explaining this phrase: You may come to a person and enter into a debate with him. He is a follower of religious innovation, but he has such skill in argument and contention that he will stump you, even if you are in the right.
So you must know the condition of this person you are calling. What is his level of knowledge? What is his level of argumentation? So that you can prepare for him and debate and argue with him. Because if you enter into a debate with such a person, and the argument goes against you due to the strength of his argument, this becomes a great calamity for the truth, and you are the cause of it.
And do not think that the one who holds to falsehood will fail in every situation, for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 1713a.
This indicates that the litigant, even if he is in the wrong, may be more eloquent in his argument than the other, so judgment is rendered according to what this litigant has spoken. So you must be well-informed about the condition of the one you are calling.
This is why, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Mu'adh to Yemen, what did he say to him? He said to him:
You are going to some of the People of the book
إنك تأتي قوماً أهل كتابDo you go to a person to call him to Allah while you do not know his condition?
Perhaps this person has knowledge of falsehood that will stop you at the very beginning of the path.
That is, I say in explaining this phrase: You may come to a person and enter into a debate with him. He is a follower of religious innovation, but he has such skill in argument and contention that he will stump you, even if you are in the right.
So you must know the condition of this person you are calling. What is his level of knowledge? What is his level of argumentation? So that you can prepare for him and debate and argue with him. Because if you enter into a debate with such a person, and the argument goes against you due to the strength of his argument, this becomes a great calamity for the truth, and you are the cause of it.
And do not think that the one who holds to falsehood will fail in every situation, for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
You bring to me, for (judgment) your disputes, some of you perhaps being more eloquent in their plea than others, so I give judgment on their behalf according to what I hear from them
إِنكم تختصمون إِلي، ولعلَّ بعضكم أن يكون ألحن بحجته من بعض، فأقضي له بنحو ما أسمعThis indicates that the litigant, even if he is in the wrong, may be more eloquent in his argument than the other, so judgment is rendered according to what this litigant has spoken. So you must be well-informed about the condition of the one you are calling.