The responsibility of exhortation and good council is to...

The responsibility of exhortation and good council is to work on the heart of a person, whereas the job of intellectual and logical proofs deal with the brain and thinking ability of a person. A majority of the people are still at a level of basing issues which they believe in on their heart, soul and emotions and are not at a level of using their intellect and thoughts. The third stage is that of arguing with the people in the best possible way (و جادلهم بالتي هي أحسن).

Thus, if a person is put face to face with someone else whose purpose is not to arrive at the truth and whose goal is not to understand what the actual facts are - rather he has come and is ready to speak, argue and bring up points of contention - then the other one too must dispute with that person as he is quarreling with. However, we must argue with such a person in the best possible manner such that the argument does not stray from the path of the truth and reality.

Therefore, we must not resort to unfairness or injustice in arguments, nor can we resort to lying or other similar things. This verse gives us many different ways through which we can guide people and each way has been put in place for a particular instance in time. Thus, it is clear that the ways through which we can guide people are not all the same, nor are they equal! [^1]: Suratul Nahl (16), Verse 125 Previous…