It is essential to understand that to remain in possession of, or to be developed of, the greatest gift of Allah – for which we are so overwhelmed with gratitude depends primarily on knowledge. Without knowledge, we cannot truly receive Allah’s gift of Islam. If our knowledge is so little that we will receive only a small portion of it. It will cost us to constantly run ourselves into the risk of losing even that part of the magnificent gift which we have received, unless we remain vigilant in our fight against our ignorance.
Islam is our greatest gift. We have to be thankful for this gift. We have to render to Allah His due. Allah has given us so much by making us a part of the Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu’alaihiwasallam, so we must totally commit ourselves as followers of the Prophet Sallallahu’alaihiwasallam. We must become true Muslims. But in order to become one, we must first, totally aware of the difference between Islam and Kufr (rejection’s of God’s guidance and ingratitude) and the incongruity between Islam and Syirik (means taking gods besides Allah). Most likely our steps will wander aside or on to another path without us being aware of what is happening if we failed to make differentiate. And this is where we might become easy to be deceived by the sweet words of the Devil, and leads us to wrong (kufr or syirik) destination. We face these kind of dangers because we do not possess any light (knowledge) and therefore unable to observe the road signs. If we had the light, we would neither lose our way nor be led astray.
This shows that our greatest danger lies in our ignorance of Islamic teachings and in our unawareness of what the Qur’an teaches and what guidance has been given by the Prophet Sallallahu’alaihiwasallam. But if we are blessed with the light of knowledge we will be able to see plainly the clear path of Islam at every step of our lives. We shall also be able to identify and avoid the dangerous paths of Kufr, Syirik and immorality, which may cross it. And, whenever a false guide meets us on the way, a few words with him will quickly establish that he is not a guide who should be followed.
When we examine Islamic texts and phrases about identifying and describing the life of (pre-Islamic period) ignorance, we are able to understand the meaning of the idiom 'Jahiliyah' and the reason why the Qur'an has used it. Also we are able to understand why the same idiom has been applied to other nations throughout history. We are able to understand this terminology and labelling once we learns of the ignorance in the history of past nations and its connected parts, when we follow the unity of the line and trends which associated 'jahiliyah' through its effects and remains, and when we study the description of the Qur'an about the most important aspects of 'Jahiliyah", its ways of thinking, and its psychological and behavioral trends.
When we reach this awareness, we find that 'jahiliyah' means error, going astray, deviation from Allah's straight path, and negligence in His worship. That is because 'jahiliyah', in the Qur'anic viewpoint, means a religion and lifestyle that follows a line contrary to the line of Islam in nature and aim. It follows the line of deviation from the path of true religion and Allah's 'shari'ah' (law) which guides man.
'Jahiliyah' (ignorance) is a way of life. It has its own faith, way of thinking, and lifestyle including social manners, worship, values and concepts, viewpoint towards life, method to create civilization, and a direction for human activities in areas such as culture, art, literature, politics, economy, power, law and order, etc. In order to unveil the ugly face of 'jahiliyah' and discover the thread that entwines current ignorant international thoughts, it is better to return to the Holy Qur'an which describes 'Jahiliyah', and its people, and the dimensions of their lifestyle and the features of their civilization and social system. Also it denotes their general framework and the basic rules of their formation. The Qur’an recorded, that the ignorance says :
"And none but the guilty led us astray." (26:99), and he says : "And indeed they have led many astray, and nothing increases to the wrongdoers except perdition." (71:24), so that, Allah also says : "Then, after him We sent messengers to their people. They came to them with clear arguments, but they would not believe what they had rejected before. Thus do We seal the hearts of those who exceed the limits." (10:74) and at the end of time, recorded in Qur’an, where Allah says that : "And they say: Our Lord, we only obeyed our leaders and our Feat men, so they led us astray from the (right) path." (33:67).
With this Islamic analysis, we are able to know that the pre-Islamic society is the one which refuses to believe in Allah and deviates in its behaviour and life system from Allah's right path, irrespective of being an ignorant society like the Bedouins and pastorals or being a society which lives in the age of the atom, computer, space travel,...etc. For this reason, the Holy Qur'an calls the deviated person, 'dhal' (one who has gone astray), and those who deviate 'dhaloon'. 'Dhal' is the person who does not know the way and blunders far away from the truth and guidance whether in his thinking and faith or in his worship, life system, and way of his dealings.
Islam has shown that the ignorant person is deviated, lost, bewildered and restless, for such a person suffers from mental disorders. This condition has an influence on all aspects of his life. So as a result, man finds himself standing before two ways in every period or age. These two ways are: 1) The way of guidance and belief; and, 2) The way of ignorance and misguidance. The Qur'an highlights this in the following verse:
"Is it then the judgment of ignorance that they desire? And
who is better than Allah to judge for a people who are sure?"
Holy Qur'an (5:50)
To give man a clear idea of the aims and purposes which Islam strives to achieve, the Qur'an tells him about these aims and purposes:
"And thus did We reveal to you an inspired Book by Our command. You knew not what the Book was, nor (what) Faith (was), but We made it a light, guiding thereby whom We please of Our servants…"
Holy Qur'an (42:52)
"...and We have revealed the Book to you (Muhammad) explaining all things, and guidance and mercy and good news for those who submit (themselves to Allah)."
Holy Qur'an (16:89)
Finally, if we study similar ideas of ignorant life, we will reach the following conclusions :
1. 'Jahiliyah' (Global ignorance) was a social disease, It was a psychological state afflicting individuals, peoples, and nations in each period and generation. The aspects of this ignorant life are quite similar regardless of time and place. Allah, the Exalted, says:
"In their hearts is a disease, Allah increases their disease,..."
Holy Qur'an (2:10)
"And say those (pagans) who know not: 'Why does not Allah speak to us or a sign come to us?' Even thus said those before them; the like of what they say. Their hearts are all alike; We have indeed made clear the signs to people who are certainly sure."
Holy Qur'an (2:118)
2. The evidence to this similarity is the long history of mankind, the succession of nations and offsprings, the appearance of the symptoms of the ignorant life in many generations and nations in each period of history, and the deviation from the right path and the call to guidance and the Prophets.
3. On the pages of history and life's stage, we see standing examples belonging to the past and present life of mankind-we see atheism, oppression, tyranny, terrorism, bloodshedding, loss of truth, persecution of the oppressed, exploiting the poor, and widespread vices. These are the reflections of the ignorant current on the life of mankind. This current represents deviation from the truth, justice, belief. Consequently, bewilderment, going astray, and deviation from the straight path are the most important marks of 'Jahiliyah' from which man suffered too much crises and endured their pains.
Wallahua’lam.
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