Here we go... 

Firstly I would just like to start by emphasising that in my last post I only mentioned some of the main arguments presented by both parties. There are many more arguments used by both sides which can be found on social media. Secondly, both sides have in the past and still continue to vehemently defend their arguments and refute the arguments presented by the opposition. Finally, I don’t want to start a debate of who is right and who is wrong, because this issue can be deemed not only controversial but also sensitive. From my experience the dispute  on this topic always seems to result in both parties wanting to be RIGHT and wanting to ...

Is there ever a winner? I ask the question. From

my understanding there is never a WINNER.

Dawah Man

 Imam Hussain


This debate more than anything in my opinion just creates disunity within the Muslim community and I saw this first hand myself. I also witnessed how nasty this debate can get when I followed the latest debate on social media regarding the Mawlid between two preachers, Imam Hussain and Imran Ibn Mansur also known as Dawah Man. Both preachers have a respectable number of followers on social media.

The way in which this debate enfolded it made me question whether issues like this should even be discussed on social media. 

Those of you who are unfamiliar with the debate between the two preachers, I will explain how the debate escalated on social media. The debate began last year in January when Dawah Man released a video on Facebook regarding the impermissibility of celebrating the Prophet's birthday. To which Imam Hussain replied and provided evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah to show that celebrating the Mawlid is an acceptable practice and challenged anyone to bring forward any textual evidence from the Qur’an or Sunnah which states clearly "not to celebrate the Prophet’s birthday”.

Both the videos mentioned some of the anti-Mawlid and pro-Mawlid points which I have discussed in my previous post, the videos are very long Dawah Man's video is 39 min & 05 seconds and Imam Hussain's video is 44 min & 44 seconds. I have linked the videos with the preacher's names above, so that if you guys would like to watch them you can do so.

Then approximately a year later Dawah Man posted an 1hr & 28-minute video explaining “I didn’t respond for the very purpose that I wanted to wait for the next Mawlid”. In this video he also stated “generally speaking when we discuss the issue of Mawlid in the West from both sides it is disgusting and a very shallow way and I hope with Allah's .... permission we are going to go into depth we are going to look at it from an academic and scholastic way and ... debate on the basis … of sincerity .... justice .... mercy and knowledge”.  In this video Dawah Man took the opportunity to also respond to Imam Hussain's arguments.

Imam Hussain replied by inviting Dawah Man to a meeting in Bradford which Dawah Man declined and further consecutive posts and videos were released from both sides on social media refuting each other’s arguments.

Then Imam Hussian uploaded the following video in which he sent a message to Dawah Man stating I will meet you "anywhere, any place".

  

 

 

 

It wasn’t long before the debate which began as a scholarly discussion between the two preachers on social media turned into a match of slandering and mocking with a video released by Dawah Man named “You Are Either a Liar or You Are Ignorant". In this adjacent video Dawah Man explains that Imam Hussain seems to advise his followers on social media to maintain good adab (manners/etiquettes) when discussing the Mawlid issue,

WARNING THE DURATION OF THIS VIDEO

 IS 27 MINS: 21 SECS.

 

but at the same time has responded by liking his own followers insulting comments about Dawah Man.

Prince Riz uploaded the above photo
 on Dawah Man's Facebook.

In the above video Dawah Man also questions Imam Hussain's scholarly ability as he argues that his Arabic is weak. This accusation led to the supporters of Dawah Man making fun of the Imam Hussain.

At this point, I had many thoughts going through my mind such as 

The act of sending abusive or humiliating messages, uploading photos on social media in order to laugh at a person or to hurt their feelings or to make them feel distressed is cyberbullying and this is wrong.
 

I will explain what happened next between the preachers and their followers, in my next post.