Debating Sunnis online but they just throw insults at Shi'ism, what to do?

[ILuvMuhammadSAW]

Salam

Now first off im not saying every sunni i have debated has thrown emotional arguments and stupid insults at us during my debates with them but im just asking what to do when some do.

Things like "ALI ALI ALI", "You worship Ali" (which is outright false, anyone with merely a pinch of knowledge about Shi'ism knows we dont) and "SHIA DOG", yes, that happened. 

So what should i do in those situations, walk away, end the debate or wait until they give a logical question? 

Thanks 

[Abu Hassanain]

Salam

The vast majority of the time debating is a waste of time. People can ask a question and receive an answer, but having a debate between the two side sides, never never really achieve anything in my honest opinion

I’ve had debates why I wiped the floor with the other party, but the other party was convinced they won, improve the superiority of their creed

Not with the others, School this example, but I was taking a greyhound from the the Midwest to Miami, you made a lot of characters on the Greyhound. I met an evangel evangelist. We start discussing start debating while he started so I engaged and I said brother what you have mentioned is not that logical he’s like what’s wrong with you. Everyone knows Christianity isn’t based on logic and in his mind he thought that was a really good proof, and he won the debate
 

I had a salafi approach me while I was eating falafel and hummus in front of an Arabic bakery we get to talking he said no your approach is too harsh. You have to understand and he mentions three big ones but well it’s not for three, but it was three deeply revered members of their creed. He mentioned three of them and he says you know the companions they’re all horrible people. They’re all the biggest sinners they did the worst things they committed things that if someone did, we would never talk to them, but they were still the best because they were the best about the unity of God there are horrible people, but they’re awesome because they believed in the unity of God now in his mind this is a great proof and a great point

People see what they want. A sincere question is a sincere question if you know if people want to learn, teach them trying to debate with people is different than dawah 

My preferred method of dawah when I was younger and had more free time was to stand on the street corner, recite some verses of Quran calmly not too loud, recite some narrations have copies of the Quran copies of peak of eloquence, copies of some pamphlets articles or papers then if people came over, let people come to me if they came over and have a conversation with them and give them some literature invite them to whichever Hussaynia I favored at that time the things you can do when you don’t have responsibilities, wife, children, bills etc just going to school going to seminary studying doing street preaching and eating Halal Chinese 

Look at the comments online between debates where we have clearly one and you see the others think they have won

[Borntowitnesstruth]

5 hours ago, ILuvMuhammadSAW said:

Salam

Now first off im not saying every sunni i have debated has thrown emotional arguments and stupid insults at us during my debates with them but im just asking what to do when some do.

Things like "ALI ALI ALI", "You worship Ali" (which is outright false, anyone with merely a pinch of knowledge about Shi'ism knows we dont) and "SHIA DOG", yes, that happened. 

So what should i do in those situations, walk away, end the debate or wait until they give a logical question? 

Thanks 

The time they throw insults, they exhibit themselves that they ran out of rational evidence. It will be proper to drop the discussion and move on. 

[Guest Abdullah al djazairi]

Hello,

I hope you are well.

As a maliki sunni, I sincerely apologise for these encounters. 

If we speculate as to the reasons, I would say ignorance or unjustified hate.

The insults you relate are shocking: As muslims, we should have good manners: insults and foul language is not appropriate at all.

I consider that our main theological core is close enough so that we can say that we are both muslims ( even though it is important to remember that only Allah (subhanaha wa ta3ala ) knows who is truly pious, righteous and with iman.)

I am not learned enough on both shia and sunni to discuss the "secondary" theological issues.

In any way, these reactions are innapropriate and really extreme.

We need unity, especially know.

I apologise for my english, it is not my primary language.

May Allah( subhanaha wa ta3ala) guide us to the right path and grant us mercy, amin.

[Panzerwaffe]

Don’t debate on or offline 

esp not in any Sunni majority country 

if you have to my strategy was focus on Aisha uthman and muawiyah 

[Brandon Benton]

Online debates of religion don't lead to much good I have noticed. I brought a gift on Ramadan to a local Masjid, a Sunni Masjid, the only Masjid in this entire area, and they refused it at first on learning that I am a Shia. They are rather closed off, they lock their Masjid with a key code and travelers cannot enter it for Jummah without the secret passcode.

Their rejection was saddening, as I had hoped to find brothers to pray with and eat Iftar with. However, I did not respond in anger. I was patient and kind to them and left the gift at the gate. Outside of the Masjid, I am kind to Muslims in the local community. This next Ramadan I will come with another gift to try and mend relations.

We should not let rudeness lower us to place of fitna and strife. Allah is our teacher, not those who wrong us or insult us. In Syria, there are massacres. In Iraq, there are massacres. Shias being slaughtered by people who disobey the Koran and do things like suicidal attacks. A rude word is not a bullet, take the higher ground and show patience so that they may understand.

[AlHasany40]

On 9/9/2025 at 10:46 PM, ILuvMuhammadSAW said:

Salam

Now first off im not saying every sunni i have debated has thrown emotional arguments and stupid insults at us during my debates with them but im just asking what to do when some do.

Things like "ALI ALI ALI", "You worship Ali" (which is outright false, anyone with merely a pinch of knowledge about Shi'ism knows we dont) and "SHIA DOG", yes, that happened. 

So what should i do in those situations, walk away, end the debate or wait until they give a logical question? 

Thanks 

Salamun Alaykum,

Imam Ali AS has said:

“The moment you start arguing with an ignorant fool, you have already lost.”
 

Many Sunni brothers have not known the truth, and the best we can do is try to guide them. However, it is important to see if they are simply misguided or don’t want to learn.

I have talked to some Sunni brothers, and many do not know much about Islamic history, apart from the well-known very retold stories. 
Try to use logic, and if you see signs of jahl, don’t continue. 
It’s very sad to see our brothers misguided like so, and Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) will judge best.

Was Salam

[layman]

[Essentials123]

On 9/29/2025 at 6:34 PM, Brandon Benton said:

They are rather closed off, they lock their Masjid with a key code and travelers cannot enter it for Jummah without the secret passcode.

 

Are you talking about the Spokane Islamic Center? The key code, the anti-Shia sentiment, and the refusal of gifts are reasons why I ask... The imam there was reported by another Sunni Muslim to be a member of ISIS. The FBI investigated for a year and decided the imam was not a terrorist and shut the case. 

[Hamdi999]

On 10/20/2025 at 9:45 PM, AlHasany40 said:

Salamun Alaykum,

Imam Ali AS has said:

“The moment you start arguing with an ignorant fool, you have already lost.”
 

Many Sunni brothers have not known the truth, and the best we can do is try to guide them. However, it is important to see if they are simply misguided or don’t want to learn.

I have talked to some Sunni brothers, and many do not know much about Islamic history, apart from the well-known very retold stories. 
Try to use logic, and if you see signs of jahl, don’t continue. 
It’s very sad to see our brothers misguided like so, and Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) will judge best.

Was Salam

This is so true, this is something I realised whilst debating a salafi on syria last year, I remeber telling him that his side has a major problem with sectarianism, he told me that he wasn't sectarian. Minutes later it devolved into a debate on islamic sects and he brought me "proof" that shia islam came from jews and put up a long ridicilous list that "proved" it, at that moment I realised he was either trolling or jahil and this wasn't worth it. When they beleive in lies that come from sectarian people, it's generally not worth it wasting time with them.

 

These people are so ignorant, they don't even realise they are sectarian, either that or theyre lying. The amount of discussions I've had with some salafis who told me they were not sectarian only to be sectarian minutes later is concerning. One second they tell you theyre not sectarian, the next second they tell you they "know" our scholars tell us to do taqqiyah and lie about unity with sunnis. This level of ignorance and lack of awarness is crazy. 

 

So the lesson here is you will waste time debating with jahils. 

Edited October 23, 2025 by Hamdi999

[Guest ayaan]

salam

ahah, once this person went and asked if i was shia, and when i said yes, he js said 'ehh, dirty shia'

ofc when you debate this guy, you cant, because he and his friends js say, 'shut up your shia we dont care what you say"

in the end you cant really plant the seed in everyone, maybe inshallah allah will guide them.