The Etiquette of Disagreement

How much I love the soundness of heart towards Muslims... A month ago, my eyes accidentally fell upon the cover of a video by a brother, in which he placed a picture of this poor servant, Eyad, with a person who legitimizes the people of falsehood, accompanied by a title containing severe prejudice. The video had been out for a year and was watched by a large number of people, and I had not seen it before, nor have I looked at what was said in it until now. For I do not like to follow everything that is said about me. I asked a trustworthy friend about the brother who owned the video: Is he among the rational ones? He said yes. So I sent the brother who owned the video a message clarifying the reality of my positions and a reproach regarding his video, and I prayed to Allah to open his heart to the truth and guide him. We were at the beginning of the blessed days of the ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah. At the end of the message was: "If you realize that you have wronged your brother, then I ask you to delete your mentioned episode and correct your stance toward your brother to clear your conscience before Allah. At that point, I forgive you in this world and the hereafter. For I do not like to exhaust my heart and mind in side battles with brothers of mine while we are all targeted. Otherwise, Allah knows that what you did was injustice and transgression. And I remind you of the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him: (There is no sin more deserving that Allah hasten the punishment for its perpetrator in this world, along with what He stores for him in the Hereafter, than transgression and severing family ties). And peace be upon you." The brother, may Allah honor him, did nothing but apologize and delete the video immediately, then came out with another video retracting what he had said about this poor servant. I greatly admired that from him, and his followers admired it greatly as well. People prayed for him and for his brother, this poor servant, for good. My heart is now completely clear toward the brother, untainted by any grudge. - "But what about those who watched his old video and were prejudiced against you and mistreated you because of it?" - It does not matter. Allah Almighty has beautified us in the eyes of many people more than we deserve, so we overlook it for the sake of Allah Almighty if we are mistreated in ways we do not deserve. The point of the story: I wish it would become a general culture, that rational people communicate with one another and resolve misunderstandings and disagreements among themselves instead of distracting Muslims with side battles. This, by Allah, is better for both parties and for the people. This does not mean that I do not accept a rebuttal or criticism, or that I stipulate that whoever responds to me must have a style that I like. A brother may respond to me with truth, and I may indeed be the one in error, and it appears from his words that he seeks the truth, not to hunt for mistakes. In this case, I do not dwell much on his style, whether good or bad, because I am occupied with what is more important: Is what he said the truth that I must announce to those who follow me so they do not follow me in error? For the truth is more deserving to be followed. - You may ask: "And why did you ask at the beginning about the brother if he was among the rational ones?" - Because, on the other hand, there are people whose entire concern, as appears from their behavior, is to gain views, even by slandering this poor servant or those who are better than this poor servant. They are not deterred by the saying of their Lord: (And those who harm believing men and believing women for [something] other than what they have earned have certainly born upon themselves a slander and manifest sin).. - There are also people who disagree with this poor servant in his methodology. They do not want to be frank about that because their merchandise will not sell among the people, so they find no means except slander. - People like these and those, it does not concern me to clear my heart toward them, nor do I see myself required to do so in the first place. I will not be better than Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, who, when a man stood up slandering him with the harshest slander and flipping the facts, said: "By Allah, I shall surely supplicate with three: O Allah, if this servant of Yours is a liar who stood up out of showing off and seeking reputation, then lengthen his life, lengthen his poverty, and expose him to trials." "Stood up out of showing off and seeking reputation"... in this era, it is similar to: gaining likes, views, followers, and climbing on the backs of others. And Allah answered his prayer as mentioned in the Hadith of Al-Bukhari and Muslim. So these people, it does not concern me to think about them, nor to respond to them, even if their slander is great and those who were affected by it were affected. Rather, I leave their matter for the Day of Resurrection, when the Best of Judges and the most Just of them, Glory be to Him, will judge between us. If we have a right from them, we will claim it on the day when the need for good deeds and the shedding of bad deeds becomes intense. And we ask Allah for soundness of heart for the rational and sincere ones among the Muslims.