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Good Disputation and Its Conditions
In many verses of Quran and traditions disputation and debate with regards to religious beliefs has been prohibited and rebuked. On the other hand, in some of the verses and traditions disputation has been reckoned to be permissible and even ordered for in some instances and a few disputations has been admired by the Holy Imams (A.S.). However deliberating with regard to these reasons will clarify this point that the instances of command and prohibition were different and disputation is of various kinds where some others are accepted and considered good and even obligatory. Just as it can be derived from verse 124 of Chapter Nahl in Holy Quran, disputation is of two types: Good disputation and bad disputation. A good disputation possesses certain conditions and instances, which shall be mentioned in brief.
First Condition:
Before disputation, the disputer should find the true matters and Ma'aref and through disputation and discussion, he should seek to prove and clarify those matters and reject the contravention which have entered the true matters. Therefore, the only dispute which has been emphasized in the traditions is that which is based on the teachings of Quran and the Holy Imams (A.S.) and not (used) as a means for discovering the unknowns pertaining to the mind.
This point is one of the important differences, which exists between the disputation and dialectic of Socrates and Plato and the disputation in divine religions.
Just as it was mentioned in the theology of Socrates and Plato, the former reckoned dialectic and dialogue to be a means for achieving the truth and the Universal definition. The latter (Plato) thought that rational intuition, notion and categories was possible through rational disputation and debate. However in divine religions, disputation is utilized only as a means for defending the truth and not for discovering the divine Ma'aref. Therefore the haven for divine Ma'aref is not disputation but on the contrary relying on disputation is counted to be a deviated channel.
(*)
“No tribe got deviated except when that tribe relied on disputation” (took it as a means for discovering the truth). (Behar al-Anwar; vol. 2; Pg. 52)
Kulaini in his noble book 'Kafi' narrates: One of the natives of Syria who thought himself to be the master of discourse went to Imam Sadiq (A.S.) for debate. Imam (A.S.) asked: “Is your words the saying of Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) or is it from yourself.” The man replied: 'From both'. Imam (A.S.) rebuked him and intimated to him that a speaker should have acquired his words from Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). Then he told Yunus bin Yaqoob who was present in the gathering as such: “If you were good in debate, you would have spoken to this man.” Yunus said: “You have prohibited conversation in religious matters.” Imam replied: “Woe upon the speakers who forsake our matters and utilize their own points in debate…” (Usu1-e-Kafi; vol. 1; Pg. 171)
From this tradition and the next one we come to know that a speaker, before entering into discussion and debate in any matter should be well acquainted with the Ma'aref and beliefs of the Holy Imams (A.S.) in that subject and then enter into disputation on their basis and for the purpose of showing the reality.
Imam Sadiq (A.S.) told some of his companions as such: (*) “Enter into argumentation with the people by my sayings for in such a case, if they engage in discussion with you they have in fact engaged in discussion with me” (Shaikh Mufeed: Tasheeb ul Ehteqaad be sawaab ul Enteqaad, Pg. 54)
(*)
“Make clear to the people, the guidance which is upon you” (Same reference)
(*) (Same reference; Pg. 55)
From the last two traditions, we realize this fact that conversation and disputation is for the purpose of explaining and not discovering guidance and reality.
Imam Sadiq (A.S.) said: “Forsake those who enter into disputation (with you) while they possess no knowledge of the matter of discussion.” (Behar Al-Anwar; vol. 2; Pg. 129 and 139)
Second Condition:
Apart from the fact that the bases and aim of a disputer should be on the basis of divine Ma'aref, his method in proving the true matter or contravening the false matter too should be a divine method and he should utilize the correct points in proving his claim.
The above condition along with its logic has been explained in detail in one tradition. In the end of the tradition a point also exists which approves the first condition.[33]) A question which may arise over here is that if in the method of disputation also, one should collect true matters then why Prophet Abraham in his disputation said 'Hadha Rabbi' with regard to the moon, stars and sun.
This question was asked by Ma'moon from Imam Reza (A.S.) and Imam in reply said: This saying of Prophet Abraham was by way of negation and inquiry and not in the form of confession and information. (Tauheed of Sadooq; Pg. 74)
That is to say Prophet Abraham at first set forth the saying of the un-believers and then proceeded in contravening it and at the time of expressing the sayings of the un-believers, he had not accepted those sayings. Rather it was like asking the un-believers: “Is this my God? This interrogation was in the form of negatory interrogation and not in the form of giving information of his beliefs.
Third Condition:
The disputer should possess the power and ability of debate and should be aware and rather dominant in the manner of entering into the discussion as well as coming out of it. For this reason the Holy Imams have prohibited disputation in most of the instances and have permitted only a limited people to engage in discussion and debate with the opposition. Moreover in certain cases, they have taught the method of good disputation to these people and have trained them and pointed out their weak points. This matter has been explained in continuation of the tradition of Yunus bin Yaqoob, which was mentioned in the first condition. Another tradition has been narrated in this regard. (Behar al-Anwar; vol. 2; Pg. 136)
Fourth Condition:
Disputation should first of all be beneficial and secondly the temporal and spatial conditions and the situation of disputation and the opposite person should suitable for the debator. (Behar al-Anwar; vol. 2; Pg. 130)
Fifth Condition:
There should exist a necessity for disputation. In numerous traditions, disputation and argumentation id hostility in religious discussion has been prohibited and one of the signs of piety, temperance and perfection of religion has been mentioned to be abandonment of dispute and argument. Even the truthful disputation has been prohibited in the traditions and as against the abandonment of arguments, a lot of reward has been narrated for it.[34]
Moreover, in these traditions doubt, hypocrisy and corruption of the heart has been mentioned to be the effects of disputation and argumentation. Due to the large number of traditions about disputation and argumentation and the condition of brevity of this discussion, we shall only narrate the references of such traditions.[35]
In verses of Quran too, disputation in religious matters has been rebuked.[36]
From the verses of Quran, traditions and historical evidences we come to know that disputation has not been discussed in the divine religions as a primal principle. From historical view-point also, disputation entered the Islamic gatherings at that time when due to the influence of alien thoughts and expansion of false reflections the necessity of confrontation was felt by the Muslims.[37] The reason for such an affair too is clear from the previous discussion.
Notes:
[33] 33-Behar al-Anwar; vol. 2; Pg. 6 and 125 (*) In continuation of the tradition, while explaining the above matter, it has made clear one of the disputation of Quran about the matter of the Day of Judgement and then says: (*
[34] 34-Basically in the Ma’aaref of Holy Book and traditions where there is way for acquiring the lofty Ma’aref , instead of using the concepts of son, discussion, disputation and contention we find such terms as ‘Zekr’ (mentioning), ‘Mozakereh’ (conversation) and ‘Tazakkur’ (reminding) etc etc. which shows the special method of the Prophets in achieving the described reality. (Behar al-Anwar; vol. 1; Pg. 198 to 206 chapter of ‘Mozakeratul Elm’; traditions 6, 8, 11, 17, 18, 21 , 26, 36, 37, and Usul-e-Kafi; vol. 2; Pg. 186-188 chapter of ‘Tazakerul Akhawan’).
[35] 35-Behar al-Anwar; vol. 2; chapter 17; Pg. 124 61 traditions have been narrated with regards to this matter (traditions 3 to 14, 16, 19, 20, 22 to 24, 27, 30 to 32, 47 to 56, 58, 59, 61.
[36] 36-Dr. Mohsin Jehangiri: “The appearance of theology and its position among the sciences” Pg. 80-81. In this research article, verses in this regard are mentioned and historical evidences too are produced.
[37] 37-Same Source.
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