Page 122 - Communication and Argument in the Qur'an

120 COMMUNICATION AND ARGUMENT IN THE QUR’AN

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years”: “... life seemed long and good to them...” (Surat al-
Anbiya’: 44). And the intimations of satan are at the root of
this desire for immortality.
As we read in Surat al-A‘raf 20, satan tried to deceive
Adam (as) with the promise of eternal life. His additional
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promise concerning the “tree of Everlasting Life and a

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k kingdom that will never fade away” (Surah Ta Ha: 120) is
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consistent with everything we have said so far. One of
satan’s most lethal traps is the promise of eternal life and
wealth; this is the main thing that leads his “squadron” to
perdition. The human spirit is immortal anyway; it is the
body that is mortal. The spirit came into being when eter-
nal life was created. Whether a spirit will go to Paradise or
Hell is determined by the good works done in this transient
world. We cannot expect that a person whose mind has
been clouded by satan’s deceitful promises will be able to
discuss matters in a logically consistent way. Rather, they
will engage in endless argument, shouting and bawling to
intimidate the person with whom they are speaking.
When confronted by such people, believers should real-
ize that any further discussion at that point in time is use-
less and thus leave the person alone. In fact, this follows
the Qur’anic command to avoid arguments:
Say: “Do you argue with us about Allah when He is our
Lord and your Lord? We have our actions and you have
your actions. We act for Him alone.” (Surat al Baqara:
139)