Is it obligatory to mention the virtues of the opponent when refuting him?

The questioner: His EminenceThe Shaykh : Is it obligatory, or is it part of the methodology of the Salaf, to mention the good deeds when refuting the opponent? We ask for a detailed answer to this question.

The Shaykh : This is if the intention is to clarify the truth for which the occasion has arisen; that is one thing. If the intention is to discuss a person whom we see has erred in a certain issue, that is another thing. In the first case, it is not a condition that when refuting the opponent, one mentions his virtues. However, if the situation is different from this, and it is what I referred to earlier, namely speaking about the person himself and his self, then without a doubt, the critic should not direct himself to mentioning his errors only, but rather should combine that with mentioning his virtues and good deeds, based on the starting point of the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: As for merely refuting without this, that is contrary to the methodology of the righteous Salaf and contrary to what is known of the response of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to those among his Companions in whom he found an error. In my opinion, the hadiths that have come regarding such an occasion, if collected, would constitute a treatise. For example, he said to the one who praised his brother in his presence: like this three times. Or as he (peace be upon him) said. Also, for example, that man who was present for the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) or his sermon or his admonition, and he said to him: "What Allah willed and you willed, O Messenger of Allah." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood up to him with a rhetorical interrogative form: The examples are many and very many. Therefore, I consider this condition, if someone says it, to be in reality a softness, or rather a laxity, of some of the contemporary da'iyah today, because they do not accept speaking the truth boldly, as speaking the truth is bitter, and they want to present something before it to soften the atmosphere and make it gentle. I believe this is contrary to the Sunnah. These are methods that contradict the Sunnah in many aspects, but this contradiction is, as we say regarding shirk (associating partners with Allah), that it is divided into categories, some of which is verbal shirk; even though it is shirk, it is verbal shirk that does not take one out of the religion. But there are phrases that are not of shirk in any way, but they are also not of the Sunnah in any way. For example, I believe some of our brothers, the Salafi da'iyah in creed, but they are not Salafi in behavior and methodology, because this behavior requires two things. The first is to expand in knowing the life of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in general, with its full details. And the second is to stand firm on this truth by which we declare our religion to Allah, and not to follow people in their methods and customs. For example, the first to know us in addressing the masses with the phrase "O our beloveds" were the Tabligh group. So I ask myself: do you think they are more guided than our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in addressing people, and gentler and wiser? And he was addressed directly by the saying of Allah the Exalted: How many sermons of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) do we find in which there is no such softness as "O our beloveds"? And there may be such a phrase or other phrases; I do not recall them now. I find in some tapes I listen to from some da'iyah to tawhid (the oneness of Allah), who are like us in tawhid, but they also use soft, soft phrases. We know, O Muslims, that this is the address, or something similar to that, for which the texts have become well-known or at least numerous from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah send prayers and blessings upon him). And for this reason, we insist always and forever that our methodology and behavior be in accordance with what our righteous Salaf were, who used to speak the truth boldly, and no one would take them in Allah to blame anyone. And with that, they were not harsh with the opponents, and they were nothing but following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), whom our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, addressed in the Noble Qur'an with His saying, the Exalted: So his Companions, without a doubt, have the greatest share in following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in everything, and among that is that he was not harsh in addressing people. And here is something else that I must refer to: if softening the address to people is contrary to this Prophetic and Salafi methodology, then there is something further from the truth, where some of them, at least, assume that using harshness is not permissible absolutely. And this is an error, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), of whom we mentioned some of his attributes, and of whom Allah described him with wisdom, used to use harshness sometimes. If one of us used it, and he was imitating our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), he would say, and excuse me if I mention the Syrian expression, because I intend two things with it: the Syrian dialect is not easily digested, but its meaning is understood. The ignorant among them, when one is advising him, he says to him: "What is this harshness, O Messenger of Allah?" The Messenger of Allah does not become harsh. Where is the place of harshness? Wisdom is there. And I mention on this occasion his (peace be upon him) authentic saying: Strike him with his father's head. If one of us used something like this, he would severely rebuke him, and they do not know that this is the method of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). So wisdom, as is known to all scholars, is placing the thing in its place. Gentleness and kindness in its place is the Shari'ah, but it is not so when the matter requires harshness and severity. As also came in the characteristics of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) from the hadith of A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), that she used to say: Help me with the hadith in which Let him stand. Yes.
Al-Halabi : He did not take revenge.

The Shaykh : He did not take revenge, yes, for himself.
Al-Halabi : "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) never took revenge for himself."

The Shaykh : Yes.
Al-Halabi : "Except when the sanctities of Allah are violated."

The Shaykh : This is it. So here, nothing stands before his (peace be upon him) anger. This is what I wanted to remind you of.