FatwaFederal TerritoriesEthics, Remembrance & Supplication
BAYAN LINNAS SIRI KE-304: PERBEZAAN ANTARA KRITIKAN DAN CELAAN DALAM WACANA ILMU
What is the difference between scholarly criticism and insult in academic discourse?
Short answer
Scholarly criticism is an established tradition among scholars and helps resolve legal issues thoroughly, but it must aim to build and improve, not to demean or bring down others.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Bayan Linnas
- Topic
- Ethics, Remembrance & Supplication
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Scholarly criticism is an established tradition among scholars and helps resolve legal issues thoroughly, but it must aim to build and improve, not to demean or bring down others. Insulting people is prohibited, and earlier scholars showed good manners in disagreement without belittling their opponents. Deep and complex scholarly issues are best not debated openly, especially on social media, as the harm to the public outweighs the benefit.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Kritikan seharusnya bertujuan untuk membina dan memperbaiki, bukan untuk merendahkan atau menjatuhkan maruah individu lain.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “BAYAN LINNAS SIRI KE-304: PERBEZAAN ANTARA KRITIKAN DAN CELAAN DALAM WACANA ILMU”, 8 January 2025. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/bayan-linnas/6100-bayan-linnas-siri-ke-304-perbezaan-antara-kritikan-dan-celaan-dalam-wacana-ilmu. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/scholarly-criticism-versus-insult-in-academic-discourse/