A Debate Primer for

Muslims

Mohammed Abdul Khader

Invite to the way of your
Lord with wisdom and good
instruction, and argue with
them in a way that is best.
Indeed, your Lord is most
knowing of who has
strayed from His way, and

He is most knowing of who

is guided.
(The Suhufan Mutahharah:
Surah 16, Ayah 125)

In the Name of Allah, the

Entirely Merciful, the Especially
Merciful

All praise belongs to Allah,

Lord of the worlds, and may
peace and blessings be upon
His Prophet Muhammad
and upon his
family and his progeny.

Introduction
The Suhufan Mutahharah
(the Purified Scrolls of the
Quran) instructs believers to
invite the whole of mankind to

bear witness to the Oneness of

Allah, the only God, and to
follow His Prophet Muhammad
. No other
religion is acceptable to Allah.
Islam is the only path which
guarantees salvation from the
fire of Jahannam (Gehinnom).
Regrettably, the vast majority
of Muslims today have
neglected their duty of
evangelizing. Being satisfied
that they have acquired

personal faith, they are not at

all moved about the condition
of the rest of humanity, which
is at present rushing to the
gates of Hell having turned
their faces away from Allah,
Blessed and Exalted is He.
Evangelism is not simply
something recommended or a
means of obtaining spiritual
reward, it is a direct
commandment of Allah to all
of His worshippers, male and
female, to convey His Words.

The Prophet
said:
Convey from me, even if it is
a single verse, and narrate
from the Children of Israel and
there is no harm (in that).
Dawah and Tabligh
(preaching/evangelism) is a
well established feature of the
Islamic Religion which has
abundant proofs from the
divinely revealed texts. It was

also the lifetime work of all the

Prophets and their faithful
disciples. But whereas in
previous dispensations, Allah
charged only the Prophets and
Messengers to invite the
people to faith, while their
followers were only expected
to embrace faith and obey the
divine laws, the Ummah
Muhammadiyah has the
additional obligation of calling
others to faith after having
embraced it themselves.

The issue that arises is

regarding how exactly are the
believers to invite humanity to
Islam? Especially in this age
when the outside world is
increasingly challenging the
Muslims to defend and explain
their beliefs in the light of
rationality and logic. On one
hand, Muslims have neglected
their religious duty of
evangelism and on the other
hand, external forces have

impressively organized
themselves with the intent of
blowing out the candle of
Islam.
Regrettably, some Muslims,
rather than propogating Islam,
are themselves questioning its
basic principles. Even more
grievious is the fact that other
Muslims are preaching a
mutilated brand of Islam.
They ostensibly do more harm
than good, since the

unbelievers cite their actions

as justification for refusing to
accept the true faith.
Now the challenge facing the
Muslims who are characterized
by their clinging to the
orthodox way of the Sunnah is
to not only respond to the
polemics against Islam from
the direction of the Christian
missionaries and other
unbelievers, but to also convey
the true understanding of

Islam to those people who

have been affected by deviant
sects or ideologies
masquerading as Islamic.
In light of all the above I have
felt for quite some time that
there is a great need among
the orthodox Sunni Muslims,
who are the moderate and
mainstream community in
Islam, to be educated about
some of the basics regarding
Islamic debate methodology

and techniques. In this book,

with the grace and guidance of
Allah, I have set forth some
helpful strategies for ordinary
Muslims to employ in their
debates, arguments and
discussions with people of
other religions or sects. Islam,
being a perfect and
comprehensive divinely
revealed faith, has itself laid
down the basic principles in
how believers are to engage
with unbelievers, and in what

manner they are to invite them

to believe in Allah and His
Messenger
.
Anyone who has read the
Suhufan Mutahharah will have
ostensibly noticed it unique
literary style which is generally
polemical or evangelistic. Allah
in His Book furnishes various
types of arguments to
establish the truth of His
Messengers. Some of these

arguments appeal to historical

parallels, such as the well
known lives of the ancient
Prophets who preceded our
Prophet Muhammad
or the apocalyptic
destruction of previous
generations. Other arguments
are purely rationalistic. This
line of argumentation is
particularly employed to
establish the unique existence
of Allah and His having created
the cosmos, which logically

could not have been fashioned

without a conscious Creator.
For example, Allah says in His
Book:
Who

created

seven

heavens in layers. You do

not see in the creation of
the

Most

Merciful

any

inconsistency. So
return [your] vision [to the
sky];

do

you

see

any

breaks? Then return [your]

vision twice again. [Your]
vision will return to you

humbled

while

it

fatigued. (Surah 67:3-4)

Another example of Quranic
argumentation which makes
use of rationality is its
refutation of the absurd
Christian doctrine of the
divinity of Christ. Allah,
Blessed and Exalted is He,
says:
The Messiah, son of Mary,
was not but a messenger;
[other] messengers have

is

passed on before him. And

his mother was a supporter
of truth. They both used to
eat food. Look how We
make clear to them the
signs; then look how they
are deluded. (Surah 5:75)
The fact that both the Messiah
and his mother the Virgin Mary
(peace be upon them both)
used to eat food, is an
irrefutatable argument against
their alleged divinity. Eating
food is an essential

characteristic of humanity,
while the Lord of heaven and
Earth is holy and exalted from
the human need to eat or
drink.
In particularly addressing the
people of the Book (Jews and
Christians), the Suhufan
Mutahharah employs textual
arguments by alluding to the
prophecies found in their
Scriptures or attributed to the
Prophets whom they already

acknowledge as true. For

example, regarding the belief
in the Hereafter, one of the six
Islamic articles of faith, Allah
draws attention to the
contents of the ancient
Scriptures as a confirmation of
this belief:
But you prefer the worldly
life, while the Hereafter is
better and more enduring.
Indeed,

this

is

in

former

scriptures.

the
The

scriptures of Abraham and

Moses. (Surah 87:16-19)
Being a divinely revealed text,
Allah in the Suhufan
Mutahharah presents another
type of argumentation, which
is better described as a
challenge, to the unbelievers.
The challenge is to produce
passages which are
comparable to what Allah has
revealed in His Book. Since the
unbelievers are unable to

compose a text which matches

the mystical intensity, literary
perfection, and penetrating
truth of the Quran Majid, and
in fact have been unable to do
so for the past fifteen
centuries, this is an
unbreakable proof of the divine
origin of our Book. The Jews
and Christians in particular,
based on their own standards,
cannot respond to this great
argument since they know that
the Suhufan Mutahharah

possesses all the hallmarks

(and more) of a divine
revelation.
In other words, if the Torah of
Moses or the Psalms of David
are clear examples of divine
revelation from God, then
logically the Suhufan
Mutahharah must also be so,
since it excels them all in
every sense of the word.
These and many other types of

argumentation from the

Suhufan Mutahharah form the
foundation for Islamic
debating. A deep study of how
the Suhufan Mutahharah
supplies ample arguments to
refute different religions and
philosophies, as well as
establish proofs for its own
veracity is necessary in order
to master the skills which a
Muslim will need in order to
debate with others.

In this book I have tried, to the

best of my ability, to present
basic debate techniques and
strategies for the reader in
keeping the Quran and
Sunnah as my primary points
of reference and inspiration.
Please take the time to make a
personal prayer for this
humble author. May Allah
(blessed and exalted is He)
protect us from the fire and
strengthen our faith. Ameen!
Islamic Guidelines for

Debating
Keep in mind that a debate has
rules, regulations, and
guidelines that must be
followed from an Islamic or
Shari perspective. Unlike
debaters or apologists of other
religions, a Muslim is not free
to debate with whoever and in
whatever manner he or she
pleases. Our religion, being the
source of guidance for all
things and a comprehensive

way of life, lays down clear

guidelines about how to invite
people to Islam, and how to
debate or argue with people of
other persuasions.
The first point which must be
emphasized is the Niyyah
(intention) of the Muslim
debater. If the intention of
debating is to show off ones
intellectual prowess in order to
acquire worldly fame or
glamor; or if the intention is

merely to entertain oneself for

someone who thinks debating
is a source of recreation then
this is clearly against the pure
Islamic objectives. A Muslim
debater must always keep his
or her intention purely to
please Allah and to glorify Him.
The intention should also be to
invite people with mistaken
ideas to correct themselves, or
to invite the unbelievers to
embrace the truth of Islam. If
pure intentions are lacking,

there will be no blessings or

goodness in such futile
debating. In fact, debating with
the wrong intention can
become a source of regret for
the Muslim, even if under the
impression that he or she can
crushingly defeat the opposing
side. The Prophet
has said: Verily, all
actions depend on their
intention.
Another prerequisite for

engaging in debate is to
observe the Islamic limitations
of what is permissible and
what is forbidden. At all times
a Muslim must be conscious
that he or she is being
watched and heard by the
exalted Lord Allah. Not even
for the duration of the blinking
of an eye is anyone free from
being held accountable, or free
from the restrictions of the
Islamic Shariah.
Islam clearly forbids profanity

and indecent speech. While in

the modern age, and due to
the corrosive Western
influence, people have become
accustomed to using foul
language and dirtying their
tongues with indecent
expressions, a Muslim is
nevertheless commanded to
be pure and decent in speech.
Likewise, if a Muslim knows
that the opponent he or she
intends to debate is

accustomed to using foul

language, the opponent should
be advised that at least for the
duration of discussions he or
she should refrain from
indecent language. If it is
known or reasonably expected
that the opponent will use
indecent language, then the
Muslim debater should excuse
himself or herself from
debating such an opponent.
Remember, the Suhufan
Mutahharah says to argue with

them in a way that is good

(Surah 16:125).
The above cited verse has
made goodness of speech a
fundamental condition for any
type of argumentation. Allah
commanded the Prophet
Moses (peace be upon him) to
go and convey His message to
the evil Pharaoh, and
instructed him:

Speak to him with gentle

speech

that

perhaps

he

may be reminded or fear

(Allah). (Surah 20:44)
The Verse itself has explained
the salient wisdom of using
gentle and respectful speech.
The objective is not to demean
or antagonize ones opponent,
but to hope that he or she may
be persuaded to turn back in
repentance and begin to fear
Allah once reminded with

strong proofs and signs. If the

Muslim debater uses foul
language, there is no way the
opponent or the audience will
have their hearts moved to the
right direction.
Since debates are primarily
verbal engagements (we shall
also discuss later on the
etiquettes and strategies for
written debates) therefore the
Muslim debater must always
keep in mind the many rules of

the Shariah which pertain to

the use of the tongue. There
are many authentic Hadith of
the Prophet
which warn severely
against the potential evils that
result from a misuse of the
tongue. One such Hadith says
that there is nothing greater
that can land a person in
difficulties on Judgment Day
apart from his or her tongue.
Another Hadith says that if
someone protects his or her

tongue and private parts,

salvation will be guaranteed.
So because of the very nature
of verbal debates, a Muslim
cannot be too cautious in this
matter.
Lying is a major sin. The
Prophet
has even cursed a person who
lies simply for the purpose of
making others laugh. A Muslim
debater must be characterized

by intellectual integrity and

honesty. The regrettable
tendency of some modernist
and liberal Islamic apologists
to intentionally deceive people
by distorting the facts about
Islam must be avoided by the
Sunni Muslim debater come
what may. Intentionally
fabricating references, making
up stories, or speaking without
correct information is not only
unbecoming but a sin from the
Islamic perspective. Islam does

not at all subscribe to the

Machiavellian principle that
the ends justify the means.
Some Islamic apologists
have deceived themselves into
thinking that since they are
ultimately trying to call people
to accept Islam a noble goal
to be sure they are therefore
excused in being dishonest or
using underhand tactics to
achieve the goal. These foolish
apologists and pseudo
academics do not realize that

rather than serving Islam they

are actually harming it.
A Muslim debater must not, in
his or her excitement or fervor
to invite other to Islam, fall
into a trap of disgracing
himself or herself. Before
taking the monumental
decision to formally debate
anyone, a Muslim must pause
and take note of several
important matters.
1.

Who am I debating?

2.

What kind of behavior

can I expect from my

opponent?
3.

Is the environment in

which the debate takes

place suitable from an
Islamic perspective?
4.

Will any Islamic rules or

obligations be violated as a
result of this particular
debate?
These are just some of the
important questions which the
Muslim debater must ask of

himself or herself before

committing to a debate.
From the Shari perspective, it
is not lawful to debate a
person who is known to insult
or commit blasphemy against
Islam. It is totally prohibited to
even sit in the company of
such people. To engage them
in debate is tantamount to
giving them a platform to
further spew their venom
against Muslims, and this is no

doubt hated by Allah, Whose

anger burns against such filthy
people who have been
promised nothing apart from
burning in wailing in hellfire for
eternity.
In this day, many activists who
oppose Islam seek to disgrace
the Muslims by uttering
obscenities against Allah and
His Prophet
. Those foolish and stupid
Muslims who engage such

people are only disgracing

themselves and giving a
platform to such despicable
individuals.
This point cannot be
emphasized enough! Do not
debate with people who
insult or blaspheme against
Allah, His Prophets, or the
Quran Majid! As I have
already said, it is a severe sin
to even sit with such people.
Those so called Muslims who

engage with blasphemers

must have their own faith
questioned since they are not
at all bothered by being in
their company. It is an
indication of their own
faithlessness and disgrace if a
Muslim engages with
blasphemers.
If a Muslim has already started
a debate with a non-Muslim,
about whom it was sincerely
not expected that he or she

would commit blasphemy, but

during the duration of the
debate the opponent resorts to
insulting of those personalities
which we Muslims hold as
sacred, then the Muslim
debater must immediately
stop and leave the debate.
This is a matter of life and
death for us, and there can be
absolutely no compromising on
this principle.
There is absolutely no benefit

in engaging with such people

who obviously have impure
intentions and no desire to
seek the truth or have a
meaningful engagement. They
only seek to disgrace Muslims
and spew their venom, so we
must avoid them at all costs
and only seek to engage with
those who are sincere and well
mannered.
Moving on to the next point, a
Muslim debater should also be

mindful of the environment

and setting of the debate. It is
not befitting for a Muslim to
step foot in a temple of idol
worship, and this includes
churches. Regrettably, there
have been so many MuslimChristian debates which took
place in churches, where the
cross and other idols are being
openly displayed. There is no
dignity for a worshiper and
devotee of Allah to enter into
such places where open Shirk

is being done. Likewise it is a

given that a Muslim should not
enter into places of evil, such
as dance clubs and bars.
The injunction of Hijab (strict
veiling and separation
between men and women) is
not removed during a debate,
contrary to common practice.
A Muslim man should not be
debating with a woman who is
semi-naked, or where there is
no regard to separation of

males and females in the

audience. Likewise, a Muslim
woman who wants to debate
should diligently observe the
rules of Hijab, and ensure that
she is dressed modestly.
As we shall discuss in the
chapter regarding formulating
conditions before having a
formal debate, the condition of
strict separation of men and
women is very important,
especially for Dawah

purposes. Experience has

proven that giving the
unbelievers a taste of true
Islamic Hijab has a very strong
impression on them which may
persuade them to lean more
towards Islam.
In a formal debate, the Muslim
side should insist as a
precondition that there be
strict male-female separation
in the audience. If for example,
the debate is taking place in a

lecture hall somewhere

indoors, there should be a
curtain which divides the
males and females of the
audience. Alternatively, with
an adequate sound system,
males and females should be
given separate places to hear
the debate.
There is a great advantage on
having this kind of
arrangement in a debate,
especially with unbelievers. It

actually benefits the Muslim

side by conceding them the
moral ground and authority.
The opposing side, which is not
accustomed to social
segregation of males and
females, feels somewhat
awkward and has a sense that
they have conceded
something very major even
before the debate has begun.
They have in fact conceded
the moral high ground to the
Muslim side by agreeing to

male-female segregation of
the audience, which is
something unique to Islam.
This is already a great
psychological victory for the
Muslim side which should be
taken advantage of to the
maximum.
Last but not least, the Muslim
debater should ensure that as
a result of his debating he is
not violating any of the
ordinary obligations which are

part of his faith. Before any

formal debate, the Muslim side
must take into account the
timing of the debate, so that
they are able to offer the
Salat prayers on time and
without haste. Missing a Salat
prayer because one is
engaged in debating is no
excuse, and is a grave sin.
Likewise, debates should be
avoided in the sacred month of
Ramadan, when Muslims are
fasting and needing to spend

more time in personal acts of

worship and self-purification.
Remember, at times a Muslim
may be debating an unbeliever
who has extensive knowledge
of Islam, especially Islamic
rules and rituals. If the
opponent sees that his Muslim
opponent is being lax and is
not particularly observant of
his own faith, he may use that
against him. In all such cases,
a Muslim debater should
ensure that first and foremost

he is not violating any of the

commandments of Allah and
that he is setting an example
of what a good Muslim is for
the opposing side to see.
Preconditions Before a
Formal Debate
Before a Muslim commits
himself to a formal debate with
an unbeliever or even a
Muslim who adheres to a
misguided sect, he should
insist that a set of agreed upon

preconditions first be
formulated. This means that
both parties should sit down
together and compose a list of
conditions regarding the
debate, and preferably the list
of conditions should be written
down. Once an agreed upon
list of conditions has been
written down, both parties or
individual debaters should sign
their names on to it, and the
Muslim side should insist that
a copy of the conditions is

retained by them. A copy of

the conditions, with the
signature(s) of the opposing
side is important to keep. In
the event the opposing side
breaks one or more of the
conditions, the Muslim debater
can present his copy which
bears the opponents
signature, and point out the
clear violation that has taken
place to what was agreed upon
by both sides. This would be a
great moral victory for the

Muslim side. Therefore, do not

neglect or be care free with
regard to this aspect of formal
debating.
In any debate, basic things
must be agreed upon and
written down as preconditions.
These include the date, time
and place of the debate. A
Muslim debater should be
shrewd in all of these things,
even if they may seem minor
to him. Even if the Muslim

debater feels he is ready to

debate immediately, he can
always benefit from setting the
date a little later to give him
adequate time to prepare. This
is especially true if the topic of
the debate is something that
the Muslim debater does not
have a solid grip over. For
example, if the Muslim debater
proposes the date for the
debate to be a few months
later, this will give him ample
time to collect references and

prepare a solid case. He will

also have time to practice his
debating skills, and consult
with other knowledgeable
Muslims. By consulting with
others, a Muslim debater may
obtain fresh insight that will
prove beneficial for the
debate.
Even more importantly, the
extra time before the actual
debate means the Muslim side
will be able to offer more
prayers to Allah beseeching

Him for a clear victory in the

debate.
Alhamdulillah, the Suhufan
Mutahharah even gives us
guidance as to the time of day
that debates and religious
contests should preferably be
conducted:
[Moses]

said,

"Your

appointment is on the day

of the festival when the
people assemble at midmorning." (Surah 20:59)

The Suhufan Mutahharah has

informed us that the Prophet
Moses (peace be upon him)
proposed the forenoon, when
the sun was well up, as the
time for the spiritual contest
against the magicians of
Pharaoh. Thus this is the ideal
time of day to start a debate.
Furthermore, there is much
advantage in conducting a
debate at this time, especially

for the Muslim side. An

average debate lasts usually
for two or three hours.
Therefore, the Muslim side can
ensure that they will be free to
debate without fearing that
the Zuhr or any other Salat is
being delayed or in danger of
being missed altogether.
People usually have many
engagements and business to
attend to in the afternoon, and
in the evening they wish to
retire to their homes for rest.

In this way also, setting the

debate to occur at forenoon or
mid-morning is ideal. If the
debate is held too early, after
dawn for example, there may
be a lack of energy and
alertness which is essential for
conducting a formal debate. It
is also very beneficial for
debates to have as large an
audience as possible, which
gives it a connotation of being
a real contest. This was also
why the Prophet Moses (peace

be upon him) chose a day of

festival for the date of his
spiritual contest with
Pharaohs magicians.