The benefits of the saying of Allah the Exalted: << قل فأتوا بكتاب من عند الله هو أهدى منهمآ . . . . . . . . . . . . >
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Allah the Exalted said: [Surat al-Qasas: 49]. Among the benefits of this verse is that it is part of justice to descend to the level of the opponent in a state that he acknowledges, for it is known that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) knows that they cannot bring what was requested of them, can they? When He requested of them that they respond with a book more guiding than the Torah and the Qur'an, and Allah knows that they will not bring that, can they? How does He say to the Messenger: even though He knows that it is not possible? This is from the category of descending to the opponent to the limit of what is justice, as if He made him one with his opponent, saying: You bring a book more guiding than the Torah and the Qur'an, and I will follow it; I commit to following it. If they do not bring it, it means He obligated them to follow the Torah and the Qur'an, did He not? They are obligated to do so, meaning, since I am committed to you that if you bring a book more guiding than them, I will follow it, then it is obligatory for you to follow what is there, as long as you did not find [a better one]. So, in it is the descending to the opponent, and that is the perfection of justice in debate.
And among the benefits of the verse is also silencing the opponent with a challenge. If you had read the end of Surat al-Tur, you would find in it something unusual in debate, from His saying[At-Tur 52:29] to His saying: [At-Tur 52:45]. You find, meaning, many etiquettes of debate: [At-Tur 52:38] If the matter is so, [At-Tur 52:38] [At-Tur 52:33] If the matter is so, [At-Tur 52:34]. So, in the debate, meaning, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) at the end of the debate makes the opponent silenced by challenging him with what he cannot do. Here, he cannot bring such a thing, so the proof is established against them by that.
And among the benefits of the verse is that the Torah and the Qur'an are from Allah, so the Qur'an and the Torah are the speech of Allah. But the Qur'an was revealed as revelation, and the Torah was revealed as writing; Allah wrote it on tablets which He cast to Musa.
And among the benefits of the verse is also that a person is not obligated to move from what he is upon to something else unless it is more guiding than it. I am not obligated, for example, to move from the Hanbali school to the Shafi'i school until I see that it is more correct, because He said: It is not obligatory to follow unless what they bring is more guiding than it. As for if it is equal, you do not oblige me, and I do not oblige you, if it is equal. When is the obligation? When what the opponent brings is more guiding than what I am upon. And this is a very important benefit: a person is not obligated to move from the method and school he is upon to one that is more correct, better, and more guiding than it. As for when they are equal, he is not obligated, nor is he blamed if he does not move. And also, if what is in the other is lower, it is even more so that he is not obligated. So, the ranks now are three: either what you are called to is lower than what you are upon, or more guiding, or equal. If it is more guiding, it is obligatory to follow. If it is lower, following is forbidden. We remain with if it is equal: is following obligatory, or forbidden, or is the person given a choice? The scholars say: In such a situation, the person is given a choice. They said: And if two scholars issue a ruling for him and neither is stronger in his view, he is given a choice to follow whichever of the two opinions he wishes. And perhaps a ruling for this issue can be taken from this verse, because Allah did not make following obligatory unless it was more guiding, and it is known that if it is lower, following is forbidden. So, the equal remains not on the side of prohibition and not on the side of obligation, and this is the rank of choice.
And among its benefits is also that the challenge is by description as well as by action. is a challenge by action with what they are not going to bring. [Al-Baqarah 2:23] is a challenge by description: If you are among the truthful that what you are upon is the truth, then bring this, otherwise you are among the liars. For this reason, he said:
Say, "Then bring a scripture from Allah which is more guiding than either of them that I may follow it, if you should be truthful."
قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِكِتَابٍ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمَا أَتَّبِعْهُ إِنْ كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَSay, "Then bring"
قل فأْتواAnd among the benefits of the verse is also silencing the opponent with a challenge. If you had read the end of Surat al-Tur, you would find in it something unusual in debate, from His saying
So remind [O Muhammad], for you are not, by the favor of your Lord, a soothsayer or a madman.
فَذَكِّرْ فَمَا أَنْتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِكَاهِنٍ وَلا مَجْنُونٍuntil they meet their Day in which they will be struck insensible -
حتى يلاقوا يومَهم الذي فيه يصعقونOr have they a stairway [into the heaven] upon which they listen
أم لهم سلم يستمعون فيهThen let their listener produce a clear authority.
فليأت مستمعهم بسلطان مبينOr do they say, "He has made it up"? Rather, they do not believe.
أم يقولون تقوله بل لا يؤمنونThen let them produce a statement like it, if they should be truthful.
فليأتوا بحديث مثله إن كانوا صادقينAnd among the benefits of the verse is that the Torah and the Qur'an are from Allah, so the Qur'an and the Torah are the speech of Allah. But the Qur'an was revealed as revelation, and the Torah was revealed as writing; Allah wrote it on tablets which He cast to Musa.
And among the benefits of the verse is also that a person is not obligated to move from what he is upon to something else unless it is more guiding than it. I am not obligated, for example, to move from the Hanbali school to the Shafi'i school until I see that it is more correct, because He said: It is not obligatory to follow unless what they bring is more guiding than it. As for if it is equal, you do not oblige me, and I do not oblige you, if it is equal. When is the obligation? When what the opponent brings is more guiding than what I am upon. And this is a very important benefit: a person is not obligated to move from the method and school he is upon to one that is more correct, better, and more guiding than it. As for when they are equal, he is not obligated, nor is he blamed if he does not move. And also, if what is in the other is lower, it is even more so that he is not obligated. So, the ranks now are three: either what you are called to is lower than what you are upon, or more guiding, or equal. If it is more guiding, it is obligatory to follow. If it is lower, following is forbidden. We remain with if it is equal: is following obligatory, or forbidden, or is the person given a choice? The scholars say: In such a situation, the person is given a choice. They said: And if two scholars issue a ruling for him and neither is stronger in his view, he is given a choice to follow whichever of the two opinions he wishes. And perhaps a ruling for this issue can be taken from this verse, because Allah did not make following obligatory unless it was more guiding, and it is known that if it is lower, following is forbidden. So, the equal remains not on the side of prohibition and not on the side of obligation, and this is the rank of choice.
And among its benefits is also that the challenge is by description as well as by action.