Human Life Before Civilization

In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

"Is it (then that) the judgement of (the time of pagan) ignorance they desire?

And who (else) can be better than Allah to judge for a people of assure faith."

Holy Qur'an (5:50)

"Judgement is of two kinds -the judgement of Allah- the Great and Almighty - and

the judgement of the people of the ignorance (jahiliyah). So, whoever misses Allah's

judgement, surely will judge according to the judgement of the people of jahiliyah."

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.)

Islam and Jahiliyah

Accordingly, 'jahiliyah' is a concept and a civilization. Besides, it is a mark with which we can differentiate the enemies of Islam through their different philosophical, mental ideologies and their various schools and social systems in each period and generation in history.

Whoever does not follow Islam, nor believes in it, nor conveys its message and the system of its life and call is ignorant and misguided even if he becomes changeable, pretends, practices hypocrisy, and uses misleading slogans.

The civil and historical fact is a clear evidence of the existence of two opposite blocs throughout history and presentation of human life- its past, its present and its future. These are: the bloc of faith and monotheism and the bloc of deviation, misguidance and global ignorance 'jahiliyah '.

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) was truthful when he said:

"Verily, there are two ways-the good way, and the evil way."

When we consider carefully the life of Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.), and his holy struggle 'jihad', we understand that he used this slogan against the 'jahiliyah' (ignorance) of his time. He also wanted this slogan to be the slogan of the whole humanity after him just as it was the slogan of the Prophets and the Apostles before him.

The Prophet (s.a.w.) conformed to this slogan truthfully both on the theoretical and practical levels. Concerning the theoretical level, he presented to mankind the most wonderful and greatest message and ideology. He also presented the best law and the most accurate, miraculous Divine system. This system is distinguished by justice, mercy, and equality. It responds to instinctive law and sound mental logic which aims to free mankind, destroy all ignorant slogans, and demolish their concepts, faiths, fables, and customs. Furthermore, this system aims to uproot all these bad backgrounds to create a social and ideological change.

On the practical level, Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.) firmly began to demolish the foundations of the ignorant society in order to establish the foundations of the happy Islamic society. He wanted Islam to prevail in that society and to make one unified Muslim nation, free from the ignorant marks in thinking, faith, law, morals, worship, and general human dealings.

The Holy Qur'an has continued to take care of this Prophetic construction and to support it with awareness and spiritual lawful maintenance to stress the importance of this Islamic line and protect its originality and purity from the ignorant ideas which may come into the pure Islamic life. So, Allah has addressed His great Prophet by telling him about those devious persons who try to demolish this marvellous Islamic construction and distort its originality and purity: Allah, the Exalted, says:

"Have you not observed those who think they believe in what has been sent down to you and what has been sent down before you? They intend to resort to the judgment of 'taghoot' (the Satan) though they have been commanded to deny him;..."

Holy Qur'an (4:60)

Allah revealed the address and the warning to his great Prophet to fix the originality of the Islamic life and concentrate its independence. In the meantime, Allah focused on carrying out a mental, lawful, practical unity to show the Muslims that the system of their life, the system of their judgement, and the way of their worship are clear in their religion. So, they must not resort to the tyrants to make them laws, regulations, and beliefs. That is because the tyrants deviate and mislead the Muslims from their faith and the way of their thinking.

The Holy Qur'an went on stressing to the Prophet (s.a.w.) to make him practise the process of application, construction, and social reform based on Islamic foundations. It showed him how to complete and perfect this construction. So, it addressed him condemning the deviation of some people and their cleaving to the ideas of 'jahiliyah' and its judgement and laws.

Thus, the main aim is to denote clearly the features of the two  the way of 'jahiliyah' (global ignorance) and the way of Islam-and also to make the Muslim know that human history, everywhere and everytime, follows two lines opposite to each other in aims and motives. Besides, human conflict goes around two axes opposite in their trends and different in their contents and purposes. These two axes are Islam and 'jahiliyah'. Furthermore, a Muslim should know that all different titles and slogans such as schools of thought, calls to act, philosophies and theories, which appeared throughout the history of mankind, including contemporary ones or those that may appear in the future are none other than 'jahiliyah' All these are only various sides and recurring forms of the conflict which go on between 'jahiliyah' (global ignorance) and belief represented by Islam, the religion of all Prophets and mankind.

For this reason, the religious Muslim person should know the nature of the conflict between 'jahiliyah' and Islam, and not be cheated when the names and titles are changed, for they are different forms for one ignorant fact. Also he must regard the dissidents of Islam as ignorant persons repeating the 'jahiliyah' (ignorance) of the ancient nations and peoples in new created titles and forms.

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