General Scenario vs. Specific Situation: Know the Difference!

The title of this post really does say it all (especially for those that really think about the implications of these two very important and distinct categories and what they truly entail). To bring this issue more into the light though, I metaphorically and ceremoniously call out on a mountaintop, praying for it to reach all the ears that can hear: Oh People, there is a difference between a “general scenario” and a “specific situation”!

Much akin to the aforementioned matter are deliberations concerning “the theoretical” and “the practical”—how they merge, how they converge, where they meet, where they can’t sometimes, and other such considerations. Everyone knows that what sounds good in theory, or looks good on paper, doesn’t always work on the ground, in practice. Anyone ever experience that? I am sure that you have.

Moving along in this discussion, I would like you to imagine a “general scenario” that you yourself have encountered—in your reading, from a friend, in an e-mail, whatever it may be, just a “general scenario” that has been presented to you. With that in mind, I would now like you to recall the moment when you were confronted with the “specific situation” of an actual, real-life matter (including the various names and places all being brought into the picture, as well as the many other and new factors and considerations that were not there at all before).

Now what do you think? How much have your thoughts on the matter changed or altered? How do you view the situation differently? Would you change your initial views? In some cases you would, in other cases you should, or even must, but in almost all cases there would be some change (no matter how big or small). Think about it for a minute. I will wait for you.

Taking things further, imagine that you were asked to actually comment on that “general scenario” (in other words, not just think about it, but put your thoughts to paper on it), would you be pleased if your comments were then used for all “specific situations” after the fact? No, you would be quite upset, and in some cases, furiously irate, right? Well then, please do read on.

Now that you have explored your own wealth of personal experience and imagined some of the things that have happened to you in the past, please come along with me to consider the following general scenarios and their more specific situations. Please do think about them carefully (as they are the groundwork for my final thoughts found at the end of this post):

It is well known that there are some statements (according to Islamic Law) that constitute disbelief (called “kufr” in Arabic). So, imagine that here we have a man that is claimed to have made such a statement. Now, can you call such a person a “kafir” right off the bat? Most likely not, and indeed, one should be extremely wary about doing so (or even wanting to). But, with that said, are you allowed to comment on the fact (nay, even declare outright!) that such a statement is “kufr”, as such, in and of itself? Certainly, for sure, as the principles are known and the scholars have spoken on the matter. We know what “kufr” is and what it is not.

But, when you come to the specific man, by name, can you then proceed to immediately denounce him as a “kafir”? If such were the case, this life would be chaos (although some unfortunately do think that you can do so, and they do! May Allah guide them). Alhamdu lillah, such is not the case, life is not chaos, and the enlightened majority know that there are so many other considerations that need to be made here, first of them being, did the person actually say this alleged statement? Other considerations might be, why did he say it, in what state did he say it, when did he say it, etc. This, of course, is completely apart from the fact that the common Muslim shouldn’t be delving into these matters in the first place (but that is a whole other subject!)

Now, what about this same man, the one who said a statement of kufr, but now he is behind the barrel of a big gun, being threatened with impending death if he does not make such a statement? Would you still call him a “kafir”? If you did, you would be contradicting a well-known verse of the Quran, one upon which there is scholarly consensus (not to mention the fact that you would be gravely endangering your own state with the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth).

Once again, what a big difference there is between a “general scenario” and a “specific situation”. May Allah guide us to understand the difference between the two.

Moving along to another example:

Imagine if you were presented with a “general scenario” about a “scholar of Islam”—a nameless individual who you do not know, but nonetheless, someone who is claimed to have done horrendous and unimaginable things. The question I have here is this: Are those abhorrent things wrong, in and of themselves? Of course they are. Would anyone hesitate in saying such?

For example, what if it was said that a “scholar of Islam” (without a name, and without a face) has committed a number of unimaginable sins, thereby not maintaining the upright manner of a scholar. Would you say that such a one is a trustworthy and noble source of authentic and spiritually-enlightening knowledge and character, someone that should be an example to all? I think we would all agree that the answer would simply be, NO.

But, what if we now transfer this “general scenario” or “theoretical situation” to an actual human being, someone that is walking, living, and breathing today, someone that is known? Can we now condemn him, especially before justice has been served (through its proper channels and in a legal and Islamic fashion)? Certainly NOT! Is there anyone that disagrees with this? If you do disagree, then you are certainly someone that desires that fitnah be spread in the earth (either knowingly or unknowingly) and I pray that Allah guides us all.

All this talk is leading me to this conclusion:

I, Khalil Moore, recently experienced a situation in which a “general scenario”, which I was asked to comment on, was then subsequently applied to a “specific situation”, even worse, to a specific individual (without my knowledge, mind you, and may Allah forgive those that contributed to the spread of such!). To add fuel to the fire and to add insult to injury, this newly invented and concocted and false understanding of what I said and commented on was then paraded around (knowingly or unknowingly, but again, may Allah forgive!) as proof that I was somehow a wrongdoer myself (and I will not mention here some of the things that I have heard leveled against me, and once again, may Allah forgive those that said them).

Ya Allah! My friends, there is a big difference between the two situations! “General scenarios” are NOT the same as “specific situations”, both are dealt with in completely different manners and both have their own set of specific and precise considerations. May Allah give us wisdom.

I am really appalled by all this (and only a few people know what I am specifically talking about here, and I would like it to stay that way, may Allah bless you!), and honestly, I am quite amazed that some people would actually think that I am that stupid. Yes, I have made mistakes in life (may Allah forgive), but I pray to Allah that I am never as stupid as some people apparently think that I am. I also pray that He improves all of our intellects and purifies all of our hearts (and I mean that, and such in my sincere dua’ for us all!)

In closing, I would like to lay out a few principles, especially for those who understand what I am referring to:

• When fitnah between people breaks out, maintain a good opinion and don’t get involved with those that just “talk, talk, and talk” (and especially not with those that just hurt, hurt, and hurt).

• When you receive an e-mail that has been forwarded from someone else, and you then find it problematic or downright scandalous, make sure that you ask the supposed original author whether he or she did indeed say that, and what the context was, etc. Also make sure that his or her original e-mail has not been changed, taken out of context, altered, or manipulated in any way, shape, or form. A forwarded e-mail, or a part of an e-mail, is not a book, and is not a physical entity, so be careful, and double-check (that is, unless you yourself would like to become guilty of having a bad opinion of someone that is innocent).

• Remember, when dealing with forwarded e-mails that go around the internet we are not dealing with verified and documented information that has come from verifiable sources (such as law enforcement who can actually subpoena the original e-mail directly from its owner’s account, etc.), but rather we are dealing with an editable and digital document, something that is easily manipulated, changed, or added to. The moral of the story: make sure you ask, will ya please?

• When in the midst of one of these all-too-common e-mail fiascos (may Allah help us!), take a break, go make some dhikr, read the Quran for a little bit, go outside and stretch and take a nice deep breath of fresh air. Don’t reply immediately. Take your time. Breathe a little. Calm down. Know what you are doing, know what you are saying (and the implications that it will or might have later).

• Better than just replying via e-mail—again, after doing what was mentioned in the last point—why not just pick up the phone and call the person (you can get their number from one of their friends or associates, or you can e-mail the person for their number yourself. There is nothing like a human voice to shatter and eradicate the confusion of misread or decontextualized e-mails).

• Don’t condemn the very sins that you are engaging in (unless you like the term “hypocrite”, in that case, condemn away!), rather, abide by the universal ethics of your faith and apply them to yourself as you would like them to be applied by others. As I said somewhere else before, I find it exceedingly ironic that people who fervently defend someone else against slander then turn around and engage in slander themselves! Subhanallah… How easily it is that shaytan is able to trick people into defending against a sin while causing them to commit the same sin themselves! May Allah show us the way out.

“Do you command to righteousness, but yet you forget your own selves, and you recite the Book?!”

[Quran: Surah al-Baqarah]

Seemingly unrelated, but for the record, I maintain a good opinion about the shaykhs of this Deen, especially the ones that are known to us here in the West, as well as those that I (and many others) know of in the East. They are all scholars of the Deen and I honor and respect them all, to the best of my ability (may Allah help us).

Sincerely your brother,
Khalil Moore

Tagged as: calmness, email etiquette, manners