Aspects Of The Days Of Ignorance (Masaa'il-Ul-Jaahiliyyah)

Author: Shaykh-ul-Islaam Muhammad Ibn 'Abd-il-Wahhaab

Source: Al-Manhaj
Translator: Abu Maryam Isma’eel Alarcon

Published: Sunday 26th July, 2015



Points 41 - 80:

  1. They attributed deficiencies to Allaah, such as a child, (having) a need and tiredness, while (on the other hand), they eliminated some of these deficiencies from their religious leaders (i.e. monks). [1]

  2. They committed shirk in Allaah's sovereignty (mulk), as is found in the beliefs of the Majoos. [2]

  3. They rejected Al-Qadar (Divine Preordainment). [3]

  4. They used Al-Qadar as an excuse (for themselves) against Allaah.

  5. They opposed Allaah's Legislation (i.e. commandments) by using His Divine Preordainment (as an argument).

  6. They reviled time as is found in their saying:

    "There is nothing but our life of this world. We die and we live and nothing destroys us except Ad-Dahr (time)." [Surat-ul-Jaathiyah: 24]

  7. They attributed Allaah's blessings to someone other than Him, as He says:

    "They recognize the blessings of Allaah, yet they deny them (by worshipping others besides Allaah)." [Surat-un-Nahl: 83] [4]

  8. They disbelieved in the signs of Allaah.

  9. They rejected some of them (these signs). [5]

  10. They said:

    "Allaah did not send down anything to a man." [Surat-ul-Ana`aam: 91] [6]

  11. They said about the Qur'aan:

    "Verily, this is nothing but the word of a man." [Surat-ul-Muddaththir: 25]

  12. They attacked the wisdom of Allaah, the Mighty.

  13. They employed different schemes - both hidden and apparent - to repel what the messengers came with. This is as is found in His saying:

    "And they (disbelievers) plotted, while Allaah (too) plotted." [Surah Aali `Imraan: 54]


    And His saying:

    "And a party of the people of the Scripture say: 'Believe in the morning in that which is revealed to the believers, and reject it at the end of the day, so that they may turn back.'" [Surah Aali `Imraan: 72]

  14. They agreed with the truth in order to find a way to repel it, as Allaah has stated in the aforementioned verse.

  15. They held fanaticism for a particular madh-hab (i.e. belief, school of thought), as is found in His saying concerning that (quoting from the disbelievers):

    "And do not believe (in anyone), except he who follows your religion (way of thinking)." [Surah Aali 'Imraan: 73]

  16. They labeled the aspect of following Islaam as being a form of Shirk (association of partners in the worship of Allaah). This has been mentioned by Allaah in His saying:

    "It is not possible for a human being that Allaah give him the Book, the rule and the Prophethood and then he (turns around after that) saying to the people: 'Be my worshippers, rather than Allaah's.' On the contrary, (he would say): 'Be you Rabanniyoon (learned religious men) because of your having taught and studied the Book.' Nor would he order you to take angels and Prophets as lords (i.e. gods). Would He order you to disbelieve after you have submitted to Allaah's Will?" [Surah Aali 'Imraan: 79-80]

  17. They distorted (Allaah's) words from their original state (i.e. meanings).

  18. They twisted (the meanings of) the words found in the Book.

  19. They labeled the people of guidance with evil names such as "Sabian" and "Hashawee" (i.e. rebel).

  20. They fabricated lies upon Allaah.

  21. They disbelieved in the truth.

  22. They held the condition that, whenever overcome by established proof (against them), they fled to complain to the king (or ruler), as Allaah says:

    "The chiefs of the people of Pharaoh said (to Pharaoh): 'Will you leave Moosaa and his people to spread mischief in the land?'" [Surat-ul-A'araaf: 127]

  23. They accused them (i.e. the Prophets who refuted them) of causing mischief in the land, as is stated in the (previous) verse.

  24. They accused them of defaming and belittling the religion of the king (or ruler), as Allaah says:

    "The chiefs of Pharaoh's people said: 'Will you leave Moosaa and his people to spread mischief in the land and to abandon you and your gods." [Surat-ul-A'araaf: 127]


    And He says (quoting Pharaoh):

    "Verily, I fear that he will change your religion." [Surah Ghaafir: 26] [7]

  25. They accused them of defaming and belittling the (false) gods of the king, as is stated in the (previous) verse.

  26. They accused them of changing the Religion, as Allaah says:

    "Verily, I fear that he will change your religion or that mischief and evil will spread throughout the land." [Surah Ghaafir: 26]

  27. They accused them of defaming and belittling the king (ruler), as Allaah says:

    "The chiefs of Pharaoh's people said: 'Will you leave Moosaa and his people to spread mischief in the land and to abandon you and your gods." [Surat-ul-A'araaf: 127]

  28. They claimed that they acted upon what was with them from the truth, as is found in His saying:

    "They say: 'We will believe in what was sent down to us'" [Surat-ul-Baqarah: 91]


    while (in reality) they abandoned it.

  29. They would make additions to their acts of worship (by innovating into them), as was done by them on the day of 'Aashooraa.

  30. They would (on the other hand) make decreases in their worship also, as was done in their abandonment of stopping at the mountain of 'Arafaat.

  31. They abandoned performing obligatory matters out of (false) piety.

  32. They performed worship by forsaking the good things that were bestowed unto them (by Allaah).

  33. They performed worship by abandoning the beautification of Allaah. [8]

  34. They called the people towards misguidance, without any knowledge.

  35. They called the people towards disbelief, while knowing.

  36. They would plot powerful plots (against the Prophets), as was done by the people of Nooh. [9]

  37. Their leaders consisted of two types: Either he was an evil scholar or he was an ignorant worshipper. This is as Allaah says:

    "Do you (believers) covet that they (Jewish Rabbis) will believe in your religion, in spite of the fact that a party of them (Rabbis) used to hear the word of Allaah (i.e. Torah), then they used to change it knowingly after they had understood it. And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say: 'We believe.' But when they meet one another in privacy, they say: 'Shall you (Jews) tell them (Muslims) what Allaah has revealed to you, so that they may argue with you about it before their Lord. Have you (Jews) then no understanding? Know they not that Allaah knows what they conceal and what they reveal. And there are among them (Jewish Rabbis), unlettered people who know not the Book, but they trust upon false desires and they but guess." [Surat-ul-Baqarah: 75-78]

  38. They claimed that they were the awliyaa (friends/supporters) of Allaah apart from all other people.

  39. They claimed to love Allaah, while they abandoned His Divine Laws. So Allaah tested them, saying:

    "Say (O Muhammad (صلى الله علیه وسلم)): 'If you truly love Allaah, then follow me, Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins." [Surah Aali 'Imraan: 31] [10]

  40. They held onto false hopes, such as their saying:

    "The Hellfire will not touch us, except for a limited number of days." [Surat-ul-Baqarah: 80] [11]


    And their saying:

    "None shall enter Paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian." [Surat-ul-Baqarah: 111]

Footnotes

[1] One deficiency the disbelievers ascribed to Allaah was that of Him having a child, as is seen in the claim of the Jews that His son was Uzayr and that of the Christians that His son was Jesus. Even the Polytheists (mushrikeen) claimed that the angels were daughters of Allaah! Another deficiency was their claim that Allaah grew tired and rested after creating the heavens and the earth. But Allaah does not grow tired as He refutes this claim saying:

"And indeed We created the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them in six days and nothing of fatigue touched Us." [Surah Qaaf: 38]


And in the following ayah, Allaah gives an example of how the Jews attributed stinginess to Him:

"And the Jews say: 'Allaah's hand is tied up (i.e. He does not give from His bounty).' May their hands be tied up and let them be cursed for what they uttered!" [Surat-ul-Maa'idah: 64]


So Allaah has the most perfect of Names and Attributes and He is far removed from all that the disbelievers falsely attribute to Him without proof.

[2] The Majoos believed that Darkness and Light were two gods, whereas they are two creations that are from Allaah's dominion (mulk), since He is the One who commands the day and the night. So their taking the darkness and light as gods besides Allaah is shirk with regard to Allaah's mulk (dominion).

[3] The Prophet, (صلى الله علیه وسلم), said:

"Anyone that slaps his cheeks, tears his clothes and calls with the calls of Jaahiliyyah (The Days of Ignorance) is not from among us." [Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]


Thus it was from the calls of the Days of Ignorance to reject Al-Qadar, since during the Days of Ignorance, the people would slap their cheeks and tear their clothes upon hearing news of misfortune. But Islaam prescribed the belief in Al-Qadar, which necessitates observing patience during times of misfortune.

[4] To ascribe Allaah's blessings to someone other than Him is committing shirk in His Lordship (Rububiyyah) because Allaah is the One who grants all blessings, as He says:

"And whatever blessing or good thing (that you have), then it is from Allaah." [Surat-un-Nahl: 53]


[5] The signs of Allaah can be divided into two types: Natural signs and Religious signs. Allaah sends both of these types of signs for mankind to reflect on and so that they may be guided. The natural signs include the heavens, the stars, the moon, the creation of a human being, etc. Allaah commands us to reflect on these signs, saying:

"Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and in the alternations of night and day, and the ships which sail through the sea with that which is of use to mankind, and the water (rain) which Allaah sends down from the sky, and makes the earth alive therewith after its death, and the moving (living) creatures of all kinds that He has scattered therein, and in the veering of the winds and clouds which are held between the sky and the earth, are indeed ayaat (signs and proofs) for people of understanding." [Surat-ul-Baqarah: 164]


And he says:

"We will show them Our signs in the universe and in their own selves, until it becomes clear to them that this (Qur'aan) is the truth." [Surah Fussilat: 53]


The religious signs include the Qur'aan and all the other miracles the Prophet was sent with, such as the splitting of the moon, which the mushrikeen disbelieved in, as Allaah says:

"The Hour has drawn near and the moon has been split. And if they (disbelievers) see a sign they turn away and say: 'This is continuos magic.' And they disbelieved (in these signs) and followed their desires." [Surat-ul-Qamar: 1-3]


[6] This was the claim of the Jews when the Messenger of Allaah came to them. But yet it contradicted their own beliefs for they believed in Allaah's revelation to Moosaa. So Allaah refuted them saying:

"They did not estimate Allaah with an estimation that is due to him." [Surat-ul-An'aam: 91]


The following point is connected to this one in that when the people of the Days of Jaahiliyyah rejected that Allaah revealed anything to a human, this led them to say that what the Prophet brought to them was only the words of a man.

[7] This was what Pharaoh told his people when Moosaa came to him with the truth from his Lord. Thus he warned them from him, accusing him of wanting to change the religion that their ruler was upon.

[8] Allaah refutes these last two acts of false piety of theirs by saying:

"Say: 'Who is it that has forbidden the adornment with clothes given by Allaah, which He has produced for His slaves, and the good and fine provisions?" [Surat-ul-A'araaf: 32]


[9] Allaah says quoting Nooh:

"And they (disbelievers in him) have plotted a great plot!" [Surah Nooh: 22]


[10] Allaah places a condition, here, on loving Him, in that all those that claim to love Him, must be true to their word and show it in their actions. The action He links to showing true love for Him is following His Messenger's Sunnah, which is in fact His prescribed law.

[11] This was the false claim of the Jews.


 

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