Censure of Ignorance

 

Censure of Ignorance

by Shaykh Ahmed Fareed

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It should be known that our saying "ignorance
is an excuse" does not mean that we encourage and call to ignorance, nor
that ignorance has any merits, nor that we are satisfied and pleased with
it. Rather it is as one of the Salaf (Pious Predecessor) said: "Allaah
has not been disobeyed with any sin worse than ignorance." 

 

Ignorance is the reason for sin and it
incites sin and leads to it. Ibn al-Qayyim says, "Yoosuf the eminently
truthful and upright said: "Unless you turn away their plot from me, I
will feel inclined towards them and be one of the ignorant ones (jaahileen)."
[Soorah Yoosuf (12) Aayah 33] (The word 'Jaahil' (ignorant) being used
to mean): those who do that which you have forbidden." 

Allaah says:

"Allah accepts only the repentance of those
who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and repent soon afterwards" [Sooratun-Nisa'
(4) Aayah 17]

Qataadah said: "The companions of the Messenger
of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) agreed that everything by which
Allaah is disobeyed is ignorance."

Others said. "The companions agreed that
anyone who disobeys Allaah is an ignorant one (Jaahil)."

'Alee (radhiAllaahu 'anhu) said, "It is
enough honour for knowledge that he who is not able leaves it and one becomes
happy if he is labelled with it, and it is enough of a censure for ignorance
that its people disassociate themselves from it." [See Madaarijus-Saalikeen
(1/470) and Dhammul-Jahl of Ibn Rusulaan]

Someone said, "There is in ignorance a
death for its people before death, and their bodies before burial are graves,
and their souls are in grief on account of their bodies, and there is no
resurrection for them (from death) until the Resurrection."

The cure for ignorance is to question and
to learn, as the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "Indeed
the cure for ignorance is to ask." [Reported by Ahmed, Abu Daawood and
Ibn Maajah. (Hasan)] So he made ignorance a disease and declared asking
to be its cure. And Ibn al-Qayyim said in his Ash-Shaafiyatul-Kaafiyah,
"Ignorance is a fatal malady and its cure is in two things in agreement:
A text from the Qur`aan or from the Sunnah, and a physician possessing
knowledge of the Deen."