Part 2: Protect Your Time Against the Illusion of Virtue

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

We have to be incredibly careful not to fall into the trap of endless debating. It is so easy to find yourself active in a gazillion groups (WhatsApp, Telegram, and social media) completely convinced that spending hours typing back and forth is daʿwah or defending the Sunnah.

But we need to check our intentions, because this is a very subtle delusion. It is the trap of trading high-value deeds, like actually memorizing the Qur’ān, pursuing structured knowledge, or rectifying your own character, for a mere illusion of productivity. It feels virtuous to win an argument online, but if it doesn't bring you closer to Allāh or build real knowledge, it produces absolutely zero fruit, and might even produce thorns tearing your deeds away.

If you look at the people of actual knowledge, the scholars we claim to follow, they do not behave like this at all. At all.

You will not find them camping out in comment sections or debate threads. In fact, they frequently and explicitly advise their students to stay far away from jidāl (fruitless argumentation). Constant arguing dims and extinguishes the light of knowledge in a person's heart, as some of the Salaf said.

Real scholars avoid this because they are actually busy with what is beneficial and they deeply value their time. They understand that time is their primary capital. They are fully occupied with authoring books, teaching students, addressing real-world community issues, and correcting their own souls. They simply do not have hours to throw away on circular debates.

The reality of these digital spaces is simple: if you have the time to sit in group chats all day, arguing back and forth over settled matters, it is a sign that you aren't doing the heavy, grueling lifting of actual, beneficial work. Sincere, structured seeking of knowledge leaves you with no time for internet arguments.

Follow the way of the scholars and do not be tricked into wasting your life under the guise of virtue. Drop the endless debates, guard your time, and channel your energy into what will actually benefit you when you stand before Allāh.


—Al-Qaddārī