AhlulBayt (AS) International News Agency — ABNA: Hojjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Muhammad Hussein Amin, a writer and religious researcher, in a piece written exclusively for ABNA, addresses the question of how Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (peace be upon him) would converse with his intellectual and doctrinal opponents if he lived in the age of social networks.
If Imam Reza (peace be upon him) Were in Cyberspace Today, How Would He Speak with Opponents?
Muhammad Hussein Amin / Writer and religious researcher
The answer to this question can be drawn not from speculation about the Imam's character, but from his way of life and the words transmitted from him — an Imam who, in his debates with scholars of different religions, entered the arena with argument rather than fleeing dialogue or resorting to insult, and who preserved the boundaries of ethics even in the face of disagreement.
First, He Did Not Turn the Opponent into an "Enemy"
Today, it is enough for someone to disagree with a religious belief to quickly be labeled an "enemy" in cyberspace. After that, no one hears what he says anymore; they only search for a sentence to give him a harsher reply. But in the way of life of Imam Reza (peace be upon him), intellectual disagreement did not necessarily mean the end of dialogue.
Sheikh Saduq, in Uyun Akhbar al-Reza (peace be upon him), has transmitted a detailed debate of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) with the Catholicos, a Christian scholar, and the Exilarch, a Jewish scholar. In that gathering, the Imam entered into dialogue with representatives of different religions and schools and listened to their arguments. These debates show that the Imam did not fear scholarly dialogue with an opponent; rather, he saw it as an opportunity for the truth to become clear.[1]
This is precisely what today's cyberspace desperately needs: the ability to hear the opponent without surrendering to him. One can disagree with a belief without humiliating the one who holds it. One can refute the other side's argument without targeting his person.
Imam Reza (peace be upon him) Spoke in His Audience's Own Language
One of the most important lessons of Imam Reza's (peace be upon him) debates is attention to the intellectual framework of the other side. When the Christian Catholicos said, "How can I debate someone whose book and prophet I do not accept?" the Imam did not say, "Then since you are not a Muslim, your words have no value." Rather, he said:
«يَا نَصْرَانِيُّ، فَإِنِ احْتَجَجْتُ عَلَيْكَ بِإِنْجِيلِكَ أَتُقِرُّ بِهِ؟»
"O Christian! If I argue against you from your own Gospel, will you accept it?"
The Catholicos replied that yes, whatever the Gospel states he would accept. The Imam then continued the dialogue on that very basis.[2]
This behavior holds a golden lesson for the age of social networks: if you want someone to hear what you say, you must first understand where he is viewing the matter from. Not every conversation should begin with our own presuppositions. The audience has his own language, concerns, and intellectual framework.
Imam Reza (peace be upon him) used the same method in his debate with the Exilarch. When the latter said he would only accept evidence from the Torah, the Psalms, and the scriptures of Moses and Abraham, the Imam advanced his argument within that very framework.[3] This means effective dialogue is not just "saying the right thing"; it is saying the right thing to the right audience in the right way.
He Was Firm, But Did Not Humiliate
A common mistake in cyberspace is that some people imagine that if they speak respectfully, it means they have become weak in their belief. Yet Imam Reza's (peace be upon him) debates show precisely the opposite.
The Imam was very clear and steadfast in his belief. In that same debate, regarding Jesus (peace be upon him), he states that he believes in the prophethood of Jesus and his book, while at the same time proving Islam and the final Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) through argument.[2] So the Imam's courtesy did not mean retreating from the truth; courtesy was his method of defending the truth.
This distinction must be taken seriously. Swearing does not necessarily defeat the other side; sometimes it only shows that we lack sufficient argument to defend our belief. One who is certain of the truth can be calm, ask questions, listen, and respond. There is no need to destroy the other person's character in order to win an argument.
If Imam Reza (peace be upon him) Were on Social Media, He Would Not Answer an Opponent with Insults
Perhaps one of the most direct answers to this question was given by Imam Reza (peace be upon him) himself in a narration to Ibn Abi Mahmud. Regarding the method of dealing with matters related to the AhlulBayt (peace be upon them), he warns that one of the dangerous methods is "al-tasrih bi-mathalib a'da'ina" — that is, openly enumerating and recounting the vices of our enemies.
The Imam then cites a Quranic verse:
«وَلَا تَسُبُّوا الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَيَسُبُّوا اللَّهَ عَدْوًا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ»
"And do not insult those whom they invoke besides Allah, lest they insult Allah in enmity without knowledge."[4]
This narration appears in Uyun Akhbar al-Reza (peace be upon him), and the Imam continues by saying that if we attack the opponents of the AhlulBayt by name and expose their vices, they too may, in reaction, insult the AhlulBayt.[5]
Imagine what this instruction means in today's social media environment. It means that if someone insults a religious figure or sacred matters, you are not supposed to immediately return the same language to him. You are not supposed to become another insulter in order to defend sacred things. Imam Reza (peace be upon him) did not separate the defense of truth from ethics.
Imam Reza (peace be upon him) Would Probably Not Enter Every Debate!
There is another important point: not every debate is worth answering. Cyberspace tempts a person to respond to every comment, every tweet, every video, and every doubt. But what is the result? We spend our day fighting people who perhaps have no intention of understanding at all.
Imam Reza (peace be upon him) says in a narration:
«لَا يَكُونُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مُؤْمِنًا حَتَّى تَكُونَ فِيهِ ثَلَاثُ خِصَالٍ: سُنَّةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ، وَسُنَّةٌ مِنْ نَبِيِّهِ، وَسُنَّةٌ مِنْ وَلِيِّهِ؛ فَأَمَّا السُّنَّةُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ فَكِتْمَانُ سِرِّهِ، وَأَمَّا السُّنَّةُ مِنْ نَبِيِّهِ فَمُدَارَاةُ النَّاسِ، وَأَمَّا السُّنَّةُ مِنْ وَلِيِّهِ فَالصَّبْرُ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ.»
"A believer is not a believer unless three qualities are in him: a practice from his Lord, a practice from his Prophet, and a practice from his Guardian. As for the practice from his Lord, it is concealing his secret; as for the practice from his Prophet, it is being considerate with people; and as for the practice from his Guardian, it is patience in hardship and adversity."[6]
This expression "mudarat al-nas" — being considerate with people — is very important. Consideration means that in dealing with people, especially in disagreement, we take into account their capacity and circumstances. Consideration does not mean endorsing a wrong belief; it means that being right does not give us license to mistreat others.
What Would Imam Reza's (peace be upon him) Presence on Social Media Look Like?
If we want to build a "communication model" for today from the Imam's way of life, several principles would likely appear in it:
First: Listening before responding.
One who is merely waiting for his turn to speak is not in fact engaging in dialogue. In his debates, Imam Reza (peace be upon him) allowed the other side to present his question and argument, and then responded.[1]
Second: Using shared logic.
The Imam spoke with the Christian from the Gospel and with the Jew from texts acceptable to him. This means that to persuade an audience, one must start from a point both sides can understand.[2][3]
Third: Defense without insult.
The narration of Ibn Abi Mahmud shows that the Imam even discouraged the method that would provoke opponents and lead to the desecration of the AhlulBayt, citing the Quranic verse.[5]
Fourth: Being rational rather than emotional.
It is narrated from Imam Reza (peace be upon him): «صَدِيقُ كُلِّ امْرِئٍ عَقْلُهُ وَعَدُوُّهُ جَهْلُهُ» — "Every person's friend is his intellect, and his enemy is his ignorance."[7] Therefore, if we are to bring the school of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) into cyberspace, we must activate the audience's intellect, not merely provoke his anger and emotion.
Perhaps This Is the Most Important Difference
If Imam Reza (peace be upon him) were on social media today, it is unlikely his page would turn into a battlefield of shouting against all opponents. He would probably examine the opponent's argument rather than humiliate him; he would preserve the boundary of ethics rather than answer insult with insult; and he would understand the audience's language rather than write only for his own like-minded followers.
Imam Reza (peace be upon him) teaches us that strength in argument does not require harshness in speech. One can stand firm and speak respectfully; one can defend the truth and preserve human dignity; one can debate an opponent without regarding him as an enemy of humanity.
And perhaps if someone today asked, "Sir, what should I do on social media with someone who has attacked my beliefs?" the Imam's practical answer would be: first intellect, then fairness, then argument; and if you are to preserve anything, do not lose ethics.
For we are not meant to prove only in cyberspace that "we are saying the right thing"; we are meant to behave so rightly that the audience sees, in our very behavior, a sign of the truth of this school.
Footnotes
[1] Sheikh Saduq, Uyun Akhbar al-Reza (peace be upon him), vol. 1, the chapter "The Assembly of al-Reza (peace be upon him) with the People of Religions and the Followers of Various Views," the report of Imam Reza's (peace be upon him) debate with the Catholicos, the Exilarch, the leaders of the Sabians, and other scholars; the core of the assembly and the dialogue is also transmitted in Sheikh Saduq's Al-Tawhid.
[2] Sheikh Saduq, Al-Tawhid, chapter 65, "Mention of the Assembly of al-Reza Ali ibn Musa (peace be upon him) with the People of Religions and the Followers of Various Views," pp. 420 onward; in the text, the Imam's dialogue with the Catholicos and the proposal to argue on the basis of the Gospel is mentioned.
[3] Sheikh Saduq, Uyun Akhbar al-Reza (peace be upon him), vol. 1, pp. 156–164; the report of Imam Reza's (peace be upon him) debate with the Exilarch and his argument on the basis of the Torah and the Psalms.
[4] The Holy Quran, Surah Al-An'am, verse 108: «وَلَا تَسُبُّوا الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَيَسُبُّوا اللَّهَ عَدْوًا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ».
[5] Sheikh Saduq, Uyun Akhbar al-Reza (peace be upon him), vol. 1, p. 272; the narration of Ibn Abi Mahmud from Imam Reza (peace be upon him) regarding the reports of ghuluw, taqsir, and the open recounting of the vices of opponents, and the Imam's citation of verse 108 of Surah Al-An'am.
[6] Sheikh Saduq, Uyun Akhbar al-Reza (peace be upon him); this content, with the wording "a practice from his Lord... and as for the practice from his Prophet, it is being considerate with people," has been transmitted in Imami hadith sources. For the report of this narration and its sources, see: Al-Kafi, vol. 2, The Book of Faith and Disbelief, the chapter "Being Considerate with People."
[7] Sheikh Saduq, Uyun Akhbar al-Reza (peace be upon him), vol. 2, chapter 31, "Various Narrations from Imam Reza (peace be upon him)," hadith 1; the phrase «صَدِيقُ كُلِّ امْرِئٍ عَقْلُهُ وَعَدُوُّهُ جَهْلُهُ» is transmitted in this collection.
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