Protecting Your Religion

“And when you see those who engage in (false) discourse concerning Our Verses, then stay away from them until they engage in speech other than it." The Qur'an 6:68

In The Name of God, The Vastly Merciful, The Merciful

God, The Exalted, said,

وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِىٓ ءَايَٰتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُوا۟ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِۦ وَإِمَّا يُنسِيَنَّكَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ فَلَا تَقْعُدْ بَعْدَ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ مَعَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

“And when you see those who engage in (false) discourse concerning Our Verses, then stay away from them until they engage in speech other than it. And if The Devil causes you to forget, then do not sit after the remembrance with the wrongdoing people.”

The Qur’an 6:68

So God, The Exalted, has commanded us that when we see those who engage in false discourse concerning His Verses, and from them are the Disbelievers, the Hypocrites and the Innovators, to stay away from them until they engage in speech other than it.

So those who engage in falsehood concerning God’s Verses are to be kept away from and not sat with, until they engage in speech other than it.

And He said, Free is He from imperfection,

وَقَدْ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلْكِتَٰبِ أَنْ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يُكْفَرُ بِهَا وَيُسْتَهْزَأُ بِهَا فَلَا تَقْعُدُوا۟ مَعَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُوا۟ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِۦٓ إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا مِّثْلُهُمْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ جَامِعُ ٱلْمُنَٰفِقِينَ وَٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ فِى جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعًا

“And it has already been sent down to you in The Book that when you hear The Verses of God being disbelieved in and mocked at then do not sit with them until they engage in speech other than it. Indeed, then you would be like them. Indeed, God will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers in Hell all together.”

The Qur’an 4:140

And in this Verse, He, The Exalted, has made clear for us that if we were to sit with them then we would be like them.

So in these two Verses, God, Free is He from imperfection, has guarded us from one of the most dangerous ways of corruption of one’s religion, one that were we to take it as a way we would be like those who engage in this speech.

And after being informed by God, The Exalted, we have seen those who have known people to be from those who engage in false discourse concerning God’s Verses, and yet still accompany them and sit with them, until they become like them, in belief and action.

And in this regard is the way of the Companions of God’s Messenger, who boycotted and had enmity towards the people who split up their religion and became sects, such as The Khawarij (The Renegades, predecessors of the Heretical Extremists of today) and The Qadariyyah (people who held false beliefs about God’s Predecree), who engaged in false speech concerning God’s Verses and split away from The Jama’ah.

And from this we see the great matter of companionship. It is not as some of the people of today think that they see it as something small, rather, if you were to sit with those who engage in false discourse about The Verses of your Lord, you would be like them.

So if it is said, “I only wish to refute them,” then say, “Brother, are you more knowledgeable, or is God? His Command is clear. And if you wish to know some of the benefits, then know your staying away from these people, boycotting them and having enmity towards them is more severe upon them than your sitting with and refuting them.”

If they come to you and spread their false speech to those who may be affected, then refute it for the sincere ones with you, as The Messenger, ﷺ, would refute the deviation, while turning away from them until they engage in speech other than it.

And if it is said, “Well, how will they know their falsehood to come back to the truth if I do not go to them and sit with them?” then say to them, “Do they not have with them The Book of God and the narrations of The Way of His Messenger which contain the refutation of the very misguidance they are upon? And are they not aware that there is a group of the believers who say they are The Jama’ah (The Main Body of Muslims) which The Prophet, ﷺ, and his Companions were upon - who will not accompany or sit with them due to their false discourse about God’s Verses?”

So the praise is for God who has guided us to faith and granted us a clear methodology by way of which He protects the faith of the sincere.

He, The Exalted, said,

وَأَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ فَٱحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ عَمَّا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا

“And We have revealed to you (Muhammad) The Book in truth confirming what came before it of The Book and Muhayminan over it. So judge between them by what God has revealed and do not follow their desires away from what has come to you of the truth. To each We have made from you a law and a method.”

The Qur’an 5:48