Interrogation
Some Muslims today have gotten into the habit of interrogating their brothers and sisters about matters of faith and law. They ask them questions about the particulars of the Islam creed or some details of various legal ruling, but their intention is not to learn anything. They already know the answers. What they want to do is see if the person they are asking is on the right creed or has adopted the correct position in certain matters of Islamic Law – or have the correct "Islamic" attitude about certain issues.
A classic example of this is to ask "Where is Allah." Yes, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did once ask a slave girl this question. However, the people who go around with this question on their lips, foisting it on every passer-by, forget that the Prophet (peace be upon him) in that instance had a specific reason for doing so. He was trying to ascertain what her religion was, because her owner was thinking about giving her her freedom if she proved to be a Muslim.
Interrogating people about doctrinal matters is a bad habit that Muslims should abandon. Allah has not commanded us to cross-examine each other's faith. Moreover, such behavior can bring about many bad consequences.
For instance, when a person on the street is asked a question about some Islamic issue, whether it be a tenet of faith or a point of law, it may very well be the case that the person does not know the answer. Indeed, it may be that the person has never thought about the question before. Nevertheless, people are usually shy to admit they do not know something. There is a good chance that the person being asked will simply make something up on the spot and say something that is wrong.
Is it, then, right for us to pronounce judgment on this unsuspecting person – to brand him or her as a deviant or a sinner?
Allah has not appointed us to be judges over the people. We are merely required to deal with people as they present themselves to us. What is in their hearts is between them and their Lord.
As Muslims, we are supposed to assume the best about others. We are not supposed to harbor suspicions in our hearts. We are not supposed to snoop around for people's faults.
We should never try to get our fellow Muslims to fall into some error so we can "catch them out". We should rather assume the best about them and leave their inward thought to themselves – and to Allah's judgment.
What we can and should do is to teach people – without first cross-examining what they might already believe. We should give sensible advice to people, guide them to what is right, and do the best we can to be a positive influence in their lives. We should strive to disseminate goodness, ward off evil, and be a source of right guidance. When we conduct ourselves in this manner, we do good for our own souls as well as for others.
Source:
"Cross-Examining Others about Matters of Faith" - Muhammad Ahmad Abd al-Rahmân
