A Reply to a Letter

Poetry served as the most powerful means of communication in ancient Arabia. Ideas intended for the masses were conveyed through poetry, allowing listeners to understand and memorize them easily. People then recite these verses on various occasions, ensuring the message spread far and wide. However, with the advent of the printing press in modern times, the significance of poetry in communication has diminished. Journalism has become the primary source for conveying ideas to the masses. Thoughts and ideas meant to reach a broad audience are now published in newspapers, magazines, and digital media. Just as early Muslims utilized ancient forms of communication, such as poetry, to prepare rebuttals, Muslims today should utilize contemporary resources, such as newspapers, books, and digital media, to present their views to the people. Muslim leaders must refrain from issuing hasty statements in response to such situations, labelling them as an ‘insult’ to Islam or disrespect to the Prophet. This approach represents an innovation (bid’aa) in Islam, as it only incites people without providing substantive answers to the objections raised. This approach must be avoided. Instead, Muslim leaders should follow the Prophetic example of responding to claims through writing. In other words, if a question is raised in the media, the response should be given through newspapers, and if a question is raised in a book, the answer should be provided through books, and so on. Furthermore, these