Futile Arguments
by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah ‘alayh)
It seems as if everyone has something to argue about these days. Arguing is a waste of precious time and a diversion of Shaytan from carrying out good deeds or rendering services to Deen.
We do not have to worry about arguing with every other person. We have got no time to argue with people. Only that person who has time will go around arguing with people. He has got time to waste; therefore, he will go around arguing.
One person went to the barber and said: “I have black and white hair, so take out all the white hair.” The barber shaved off all his hair, placed it in front of the man and said: “Now you can pick out all the white strands. I do not have the time for that.”
The person whose heart is connected with Allah Ta’ala does not have the time for arguments, fights, unnecessary quarrels, or wasting time over useless, futile activities.
One person wrote a lengthy letter to me. He mentioned, amongst other things: “Maulana, you and all your blind followers who attend your programmes…” – have got this weakness, this weakness, this weakness.”
I replied: “JazakAllah for informing us of some of our weaknesses. There are many more that Allah Ta’ala has concealed. I make Shukr to Allah Ta’ala that He did not reveal all our weaknesses. Please keep me informed when you notice more weaknesses, and make Dua that Allah Ta’ala gives us Hidayat.”
That is all! Finished! What am I going to start arguing about?
Futile arguing creates restlessness and darkness in the heart. It opens the door to misguidance. It leads a person away from Siratul Mustaqeem (the straight path). Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) cautioned us:
“No people will go astray after having been guided except that they become argumentative.”[1]
Thus, we should not waste time over pettiness. We do not have the time for that. There will always be enemies; there will always be jealousy; there will always be malice. There will be those who cannot see or stomach the progress of certain people and who will want to create unnecessary trouble and impede the person’s progress. This will happen. It happened in the time of Rasullullah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) – and will continue. So we should be careful not to get caught up with these wasteful issues.
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
“I guarantee a house in the outskirts of Paradise to the one who forsakes argument even when he is in the right’… [2]
If we keep before us this Hadith and have Yaqin (conviction) on the words of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), many arguments would not even surface.