Page 14 - Communication and Argument in the Qur'an

12 COMMUNICATION AND ARGUMENT IN THE QUR’AN

I do not ask you for any wealth for it. My wage is the
responsibility of Allah alone. I will not chase away
those who have faith. They are surely going to meet
their Lord. However, I see you as ignorant people.”
(Surah Hud: 28-29)
The unbelievers may feel different forms of unease
when met with believers who are only interested in com-
municating Allah’s message, because they are used to
dealing with harmful and dangerous people. Therefore,
they are inclined to keep their distance from and be wary
of them.
In this case, the believers must stress their trustworthi-
ness and deal with that person’s likely or visible fears. If the
latter are uneasy with the believers’ intellectual struggle,
then the logic of that struggle must be laid out clearly
according to the Qur’an. They must be told that the believ-
ers’ intellectual struggle is only against those who are hos-
tile to the religion of Allah, oppose the Qur’an, and spread
trouble in society. In addition, the believers must explain
that they treat everyone in a friendly manner and within a
framework of justice, tolerance, and respect. As that per-
son might have heard many negative things about the
believers, the latter must dispel their preconceptions. For
example, they explain how, according to the Qur’an, all
prophets, messengers, and believers have been slandered
throughout history. This is also a good time to make the
point that such character assassination is actually a sign of
the target being a “genuine believer.”
However, the factor that will really cause these explana-