The culture of Islamic discourse

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One of the many losses that the Muslim ummah suffered is the loss of the culture of Islamic discourse. Eminent Muslim scholars of the past would be extremely reluctant to give opinions on issues except where these were backed by the Qur'an and the Sunnah as well as a sound understanding of the subject matter.

Today, opinions are cheap and almost everybody throws in his own irrespective of knowledge and understanding.

Similarly, when faced with an opinion or an argument, the Muslims in the past would evaluate it in order to determine whether it is Islamic and valid.

Today, opinions and arguments are accepted or rejected on the basis that they are produced by this Sheikh or that group and the "counter arguments" ar almost always directed at feelings and prejudices rather than at the intellect.

The diagram below illustrates how Muslims should really react in a debate or discourse.

For the purpose of the discussion below the opinion to be scrutinized will be called O1
* * *

Q1: The prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the last to receive revelation from Allah (swt) and - being a prophet - the last human who was infallible. All humans after him - irrespective of their degree of knowledge and scholarship - are fallible. This is why we have to scrutinize and evaluate their ideas and opinions.
When presented with an opinion O1 we evaluate it based on its proof (daleel). If the person who voiced or authored O1 cannot provide a proof for it, O1 has to be rejected because it is impossible to judge its veracity and correctness.

A2: If a proof for O1 is provided it has to be evaluated. The first question to be answered is: is the proof based on the Qur'an and/or the Sunnah. If not, e.g. if it's based on emotion, conjecture or speculation, then O1 is categorized as non-Islamic.
Conversely, if the proof is based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah and if the rules of Ijtihad were observed then O1 is considered Islamic.

R1: If O1 is Islamic and one is convinced by the proof, then the former should be adopted i.e. one is to apply O1 in one's life.

R2: If O1 is Islamic but one is convinced that the proof of an alternative opinion (addressing the same subject matter) is stronger then the other opinion is to be adopted. Nevertheless, we are to respect O1 and not to trash or ridicule it or its author. This was and is the behaviour of all great scholars of Islam (one example being the four great Imaams).

R3: If we arrive at the conclusion that O1 is non-Islamic then it is to be rejected altogether because only Islamic opinions are binding upon the Muslim ummah and adopting anything non-Islamic in Islam represents "innovation" in the deen.