How we should react to websites that vilify Islam, and what are the ways in which we can support Islam?

Question: 143146

There are many websites that attack Islam and revile Allah, His Messenger, and his companions and wives in the worst terms. There are some ignorant and immature Muslims who try to stand up to these sites, but they come up with refutations that are confusing and unclear, so their refutation appears flimsy at the time when the specious arguments of the others appear strong, thus they often end up doing more harm than good for Islam. These (hostile) websites have no credibility, so if one of those whom Allah has blessed with knowledge – of whom there are few who frequent these websites – were to offer a powerful refutation of the specious arguments, the owners of these websites will completely delete the counter-argument or remove parts of it so that it will appear weak and flawed. But if the refutation comes from one who is ignorant, they will leave it. Why don’t you offer some words of advice to those Muslims who are lacking in knowledge but who try to stand up to these websites, and warn them of the seriousness of what they are doing. Why don’t you tell those of us who do not have much knowledge about ways in which we can support Islam and call people to it?

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

Firstly:

The websites that speak ill of the religion of Allah and of His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) are no different from the gatherings where people say similar things that constitute kufr. In both cases it is haraam to stay in such gatherings and it is haraam to visit such websites, except for one who will object to what they do and is able to put a stop to these offences. If he is not able to do that, and those people carry on with what they are doing, then it is not permissible to remain in that gathering and it is not permissible to visit those websites.

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And when you (Muhammad SAW) see those who engage in a false conversation about Our Verses (of the Qur’an) by mocking at them, stay away from them till they turn to another topic. And if Shaytaan (Satan) causes you to forget, then after the remembrance sit not you in the company of those people who are the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers, etc.)” [al-An‘aam 6:68]

“And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Quran) that when you hear the Verses of Allah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them” [an-Nisa’ 4:140].

The scholars of Islam – in the past and at present – have warned ordinary Muslims against reading the books of those who promote innovation and misguidance, and against debating with heretics and atheists, except for those Muslims who have knowledge of Islam and of the beliefs and ideology of the person he is arguing against, lest the specious arguments of those who oppose Islam confuse the weak or ignorant person.

We have discussed this clearly in the answers to questions no. 92781 and 96231.

Secondly:

Based on the above, it is not permissible for one who is lacking in knowledge and insight to go to these websites and look at them; it is also not permissible for him to debate with those disbelievers and try to refute them, because he does not have strong insight, by which we mean correct and sound knowledge that will protect his belief and with which he can stand up to the enemies.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

With regard to his words – i.e., the words of ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) in his will – (in which he says of one who is weak in faith): “Doubt will take root in his heart when he encounters the slightest specious argument”, that is because of his lack of knowledge and insight. This is unlike the one who has deep knowledge; even if specious arguments come to him like the waves of the sea, they cannot affect his certain faith or instil any doubt in his mind, because he is well versed in knowledge, so specious arguments do not faze him. Rather, if they come to him, he wards them off by means of his knowledge, and the specious arguments will be utterly defeated and crushed. Doubts can enter a person’s mind and prevent him from seeing the truth, but once he acquires deep knowledge, those doubts will not have any impact on him; rather his knowledge and certain faith will increase by refuting it and finding out how false it is. But if he does not have deep knowledge, he will develop doubts the first time he encounters any specious argument. So he should deal with these doubts, otherwise they will accumulate in his heart until they become very strong and control his thoughts.

End quote from Miftaah Dar as-Sa‘aadah, 1/140

Even the seeker of knowledge is not permitted to enter these chat rooms if he is not going to be allowed to speak the truth. If he knows that his argument against the disbelieving opponent will be erased, then he should not stay with them at all or take part in their gatherings or chat rooms, because his presence in places of misguidance will cause certain damage without achieving any good such as changing evil or speaking out against it and enjoining what is good.

Thirdly:

As it is not permissible for the ordinary Muslim, or even for the seeker of knowledge or scholar, to enter these websites if they will not be allowed to answer back, then what is the solution? The answer is that the solution is propagating sound beliefs in chat rooms and websites that allow the people of Islam to speak the word of truth they have, without erasing their words. The solution is to set up websites that collect specious arguments and refute them on the basis of knowledge, and to tell the Muslims to refer to these sites to learn about their religion and find out what the enemies of Islam have of ignorance and lies.

Fourthly:

Supporting Islam is obligatory for every Muslim according to what he is able to do, whether he is an ordinary Muslim or a scholar, male or female; he can do something to support Islam and support the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). That includes the following:

1. Increasing his knowledge of Islam, seeking knowledge and learning, so that he will be able to protect himself against the specious arguments of the enemies of Islam, and so that he can increase in certainty that he is following the clear truth.

2. The Muslim should be obedient to his Lord, may He be exalted, and he should keep away from what He has forbidden. This is one of the greatest things that the Muslim can do to support his religion.

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm” [Muhammad 47:7].

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeeti (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Those who have Muslim names but commit all kinds of sin then say “Allah will support us” are deceived, because they are not among the party of Allah who are promised His support, as is quite obvious.

What is meant by the believers’ support of Allah is their support of His religion and His Book, and their efforts and striving to make His word supreme and to establish His limits on earth, obeying His commands and avoiding what He has forbidden, and judging between His slaves in accordance with what He revealed to His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). End quote from Adwa’ al-Bayaan, 7/252

3. He should play a part in spreading educational and da‘wah websites among Muslims and others, by making email lists that can be used for correspondence or by corresponding with friends he knows so that each one may play his role in spreading this goodness and knowledge among people.

4. He can also support active Islamic websites and chat rooms on Paltalk. The Muslim should also support Islamic activists who are playing their role in supporting Islam.

5. Enabling daa‘iyahs and seekers of knowledge to devote their time to calling people to the religion of Allah and teaching the Muslims the rulings of Islam. There is an urgent need to enable some of these people to devote their time to undertaking the mission of da‘wah and education.

And Allah is the source of strength.

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