In the Qur’an, Allah reveals that one of the believers’ most important acts of worship is proclaiming, in the sense of communicating, the truths revealed in the Qur’an and inviting people to faith. This act of worship encompasses every area of life, namely, one’s words, attitude, and behavior, for they are responsible for telling others about the Qur’an’s moral teachings and representing Islam. In fact, their conversations among themselves are mutual communications, for they invite each other to obey the Qur’an’s precepts and to reflect the Qur’anic morality. In short, they are generally engaged in proclaiming the truth.
On the other hand, one of the characteristics of the unbelievers, as revealed in the Qur’an, is disputation or argument. This has been the case ever since Allah commanded satan to “prostrate to Adam” (Surat al-Isra’: 61). Upon hearing this, he began to argue with Allah - and surely, Allah is beyond that. Unlike communication, argumentativeness arises from selfishness and brings a person no good. Therefore, believers must always be ready to communicate Allah’s message and avoid the unbelievers’ tendency to argue and dispute. In the Qur’an, Allah joins the avoidance of disputation and readiness for communication together:
If they argue with you, say: “I have submitted myself completely to Allah, and so have all who follow me.” Ask those given the Book and those who have no Book: “Have you become Muslim?” If they become Muslim, they have been guided. If they turn away, you are only responsible for conveying the message. Allah sees His servants. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 20)
This book has been written to distinguish between communication and argumentation. It will examine the logic behind communication and the methods it uses, as well as the negative character of argumentativeness, and then analyzes both according to the Qur’an.