الجدل ونظائره الدلالية في السنة النبوية: إطار حديثي لأخلاقيات الحوار والاختلاف

Al-Jadal and Its Semantic Cognates in the Prophetic Sunnah: A Hadith-Based Framework for Ethical Dialectics

Abstract

Al-jadal, commonly rendered as dialectic, disputation, or argumentation, occupies a significant position in Islamic intellectual and ethical discourse, yet its normative meaning requires careful delineation in order to distinguish legitimate truth-seeking dialogue from blameworthy contention, polemical excess, and partisan obstinacy. The Prophetic Sunnah gives sustained attention to this concept by articulating its moral boundaries, clarifying its various forms, and regulating the conduct of disagreement within a framework of wisdom, justice, and disciplined speech. This study aims to examine the concept of al-jadal in the Prophetic Sunnah, identify its principal semantic cognates, and analyse the contexts in which related terms such as al-mirāʾ, al-khuṣūmah, al-muḥāwarah, al-munāẓarah, and al-mujādalah appear. Methodologically, the research adopts an inductive and analytical approach to selected Prophetic texts, combining semantic analysis, contextual reading, and thematic classification in order to uncover the ethical, legal, and communicative dimensions of dialectical engagement in hadith discourse. The study finds that the Sunnah does not reject argumentation in an absolute sense; rather, it condemns disputation motivated by arrogance, rivalry, falsehood, and sectarian bias, while affirming forms of reasoned exchange that seek clarification of truth, correction of error, reconciliation, and sincere counsel. The findings further indicate that each cognate carries a distinct connotative range: some signify destructive quarrelsomeness, whereas others denote disciplined dialogue, evidential reasoning, or constructive disputation governed by adab. The discussion argues that the Prophetic treatment of al-jadal provides a coherent normative model for contemporary Muslim engagement with disagreement, especially in scholarly, educational, legal, and public settings. By grounding dialectic in sincerity, epistemic humility, restraint, and commitment to truth, the Sunnah offers an ethical methodology for transforming disagreement from conflict into a means of clarification, reform, and social cohesion.