Is Entertaining Un-Islamic Views In Debates Permissible?

Question: In debates and essay writing at school, we sometimes have to defend un-Islamic views. Is this permissible?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

Yes, it is perfectly fine. This is part of education and exists in Islamic education. All we have to do is to make sure we phrase the discussion properly.

For example, if we were to debate the arguments for and against the existence of God, we would not say, “God doesn’t exist because there is no empirical evidence that He does.”  Rather, we would say something like, “It could be argued that God cannot possibly exist because there is no empirical evidence that He does.”

We would also avoid mocking ideas that are true: we would just phrase the argument in a way that shows feigned empathy without actually adopting false views.

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.