Have the Ummah returned to Jahiliyyah? Canadian Council of Muslim Theologians

[Guest guest]

Canadian Council of Muslim Theologians

 

Have We Returned to the Days of Jahiliyyah?

 

A cursory survey of the condition of the Ummah indicates that it has

not escaped the terrible rot of degeneration and decadence that has

overtaken the whole world. It is as though the Ummah has returned to

Jahiliyyah (the dark ages of ignorance) along with the other nations

of the world, despite being blessed with guidance and a beautiful

Deen like Islam. The Ummah actually should have been showing the road

to others and served as the guides to suffering mankind, but alas,

the guides have themselves become lost and astray, so how would they

be able to carry out their task and mission of guiding others!

 

A GLIMPSE OF JAHILIYYAH

 

What happened in the days of Jahiliyyah? Much can be written on this

but in a jist, it was the worst of times to be living in the world.

The strong and mighty oppressed and exploited the weak. The strong

and mighty treated all others with utmost disdain and scorn. They

were arrogant, proud and ruthless. They worshipped power and wealth –

these were the only `gods' they knew. The entire purpose of their

living was to enjoy life and have fun and pleasure. Beyond the

materialistic world, they knew nothing of a spiritual world. The

strong and powerful did not believe in the rights of others in the

first place, so the question of fulfilling of rights did not even

arise.

 

On the other hand, the weak and down trodden awaited the first

opportunity to rise and seek vengeance from the strong, and this was

done without any regard for justice, mercy and compassion. Wives,

daughters, women and orphans suffered the most. People fought over

petty issues. Disunity, suspicion, enmity, hatred and harming others

were the order of the day. People were cunning and shrewd, awaiting

the first opportunity to deceive, trick and rob others. Exploitation

was the order of the day. They spoke the worst of lies with the

straightest of faces. There was no honesty, no modesty, no dignity,

no shame, no values, no principles. The law of the jungle was the

only law that prevailed. It was like the animal kingdom, if not

worse. Mankind suffered terribly in those dark days. After this long,

dark night, came the bright and brilliant morning of Islam, that

brought relief and hope to the suffering world.

 

TODAY'S JAHILIYYAH

 

In our times, all of the conditions that prevailed in the Jahiliyyah

days have returned to the world. The only difference is that it is

disguised with a thin veneer and cover, so it is not seen so clearly.

However, it is very evident for those who are able to see it. Leaving

aside the non-Muslim community, if we look at the Muslim Ummah alone,

how many of the attitudes and practices of Jahiliyyah are not found

in us today?

 

THE ARROGANT AND WASTEFUL WEALTHY

 

Do we not see the wealthy puffed up with arrogance and pride? Their

disdainful attitude towards the less wealthy is so glaring! How they

flaunt their wealth! Whilst millions around them are grovelling in

debilitating poverty, they squander huge sums in frivolous and vain

pursuits and pleasures! Look at the wasteful week-long wedding

ceremonies of today! There is a mad frenzy to outdo one another in

lavishness and extravagance. This is how the wealthy behaved in the

days of Jahiliyyah!

 

ILL-GOTTEN WEALTH

 

Then, how is this wealth earned? The sad reality is in many cases, it

is earned through exploitation, cunningness, dishonesty, unscrupulous

and unethical ways! How many scams and scandals are not being

uncovered in which Muslim names feature prominently nowadays? How

many have very knowingly bought and profited from stolen goods,

without a care in the world? How many are ruthless and merciless in

making their claims and demands!

 

How many are driven by sheer greed and exploitation to make the most

no matter what it takes! How many are there who care nothing of the

hard-pressed who stands to lose everything and depend on their mercy,

but will not bother to show any mercy, despite having the means to do

so? They seem to enjoy kicking and trampling on those who have

already fallen down! How many have used loopholes to evade and avoid

paying their rightful debts and dues? How many a debt remains unpaid

but the debtors have built up huge empires, and gone for Umrah after

Umrah? All of this is done without a tinge of guilty conscience. In

fact, people are quite proud and pleased about their `achievements'

in making money like this! This is how it was in the days of

jahiliyyah!

 

DEVICES THAT PROMOTE VICES

 

Look at the craving for fun, pleasure and entertainment that consumes

the lives and energies of the Ummah! Parties, shows, outings, dining

out, movies, fares, functions and so forth, night after night, week

after week is now the norm for many. The insatiable crave for gadgets

and `toys of entertainment' has overtaken young and old. Video games,

PSPs, fancy mobile phones, DVD players, Dish TV, MP3 players, ipods,

hand-held devices, etc. is the fashionable in-thing that consumes

unlimited hours of time, leaving no time even for essential tasks in

the lives of the youth. The vices of these devices is too well known.

Indulgence in Haraam through these `toys' in the form of pornography,

music, vulgarity, images, etc. is the most beloved pastime of the

youth. The behaviour of young boys and girls is so disgusting, that

it is not worthy of going into details. All vestiges of modesty and

shame are gone. Is this not what happened in jahiliyyah?

 

TRAMPLING OF RIGHTS

 

The dark face of jahiliyyah was the rampant zulm and trampling of

rights and ignoring of duties. How the weak and oppressed struggle

for justice and fairness in today's jahiliyyah order, especially

women! How prevalent is this not even in the Muslim community today?

How many wives (and husbands) spend their lives in silent suffering

and misery, because their spouses will not bother to fulfil their

rights! If they dare to ask, it results in greater conflict and

oppression. How many are they who resort to open abuse – physical,

verbal, financial, emotional, mental and psychological, to oppress

their partners?

 

After the years of abuse if the marriage eventually breaks, the

bitterness and resentment at this time results in even further

oppression. How many a malicious husband will withhold Talaaq

although they have no intention of continuing the marriage, just to

punish and frustrate the woman? How many a divorced wife will not

allow the father to visit his own children, out of spite? How many

are they who will not bother to pay maintenance towards their

children after divorce, leaving the burden on the poor, divorced

woman and her family to bear, whilst they enjoy with other women? How

many take second wives for the fun of it and in secret, in many

cases, and are hopelessly unable to fulfil the right of either of the

two thereafter? Is this not a return to the order of jahiliyyah!

 

FAMILY TIES AND SOUND VALUES

 

Long standing family relationships are shredded for petty reasons.

Blood brothers and sisters are not on talking terms for months and

years for trivial matters. Disunity, suspicion, malice and hatred

have become the norm in many families. Even where there is no enmity,

family relationships are weak and superficial. Nobody has time to

visit family, and those who do, are not welcome anyway! Preference is

given to friends over family.

 

Long established traditions, based on sound values and principles,

have been thrown out of the window, and replaced with an artificial,

vain and hollow lifestyle. Simplicity, hospitality, generosity,

honesty, modesty, dignity, piety and other wonderful values are

brushed aside as unimportant, and even scoffed at as being orthodox

and old-fashioned, just as it was in the days of jahiliyyah!

 

THE REMEDY AND SOLUTION

 

The solution and remedy for this jahiliyyah was offered fourteen

hundred years ago, and still remains the same today. The answers all

lie within the Quran, the Hadith and Sunnah, and the guidance of the

pious predecessors, and their righteous followers. If only the Ummah

would seriously turn to this treasure, we will be rescued from the

crushing grip of this modern-day jahiliyyah and we will be able to

take up our rightful position of helping mankind to escape from its

clutches as well, Insha-Allah. This is what our Creator wants from us

and this is what the world expects of us Muslims!

 

Canadian Council of Muslim Theologians

www.ccmt.jucanada.org/

 

To all members of the CCMT,

 

Jahiliyyah is " ignorance of divine guidance " or " the state of

ignorance of the guidance from God " . So 'jahiliyyah', the Age of

Ignorance, still lingers on 14 centuries for Muslims in particular,

and humanity in general. Jahiliyyah is a state of mind ignorant of

the Resurrection, even unaware that it is taking place as these lines

are read (Quran 30:55). Only those endowed with knowledge and faith

[of the Resurrection] (Quran 30:55), and strengthened with a Spirit

(Ruh) from Himself [sibghatu `I-Lah or Baptism of Allah Quran 2:138]

will be admitted to Gardens, beneath which Rivers flow, to dwell

therein forever (Quran 58:22). Jahiliyyah, today, is a state of mind

ignorant of divine guidance of the Resurrection during Al Qadr (The

Night of Power and Destiny)!

 

" The Apostle of God said: `There will come a time for my people when

there will remain nothing of the Qur'an except its outward form and

nothing of Islam except its name and they will call themselves by

this name even though they are the people furthest from it. The

mosques will be full of people but they will be empty of right

guidance. The religious leaders (Fuqaha) of that day will be the

most evil religious leaders under the heavens; sedition and

dissension will go out from them and to them will it return.' " -ibn

Babuya, Thawab ul-A'mal

 

The solution and remedy for this jahiliyyah was offered fourteen

hundred years ago, and still remains the same today. The answers all

lie within the Quran. Are you aware of the Resurrection taking place

and those Believers bearing witness to His self-reproaching Spirit?

Or is it true that the time has come for the Ummah where nothing of

the Qur'an remains except its outward form and nothing of Islam

except its name? And are they calling themselves by this name even

though they are the people furthest from it? The Ummah and ulema

should know that true meaning of jahiliyyah is " ignorance of divine

guidance " or " the state of ignorance of the guidance from God " during

this Night of Power and Destiny, and not what the Canadian Council of

Muslim Theologians want the Ummaah to believe. That is why the vast

majority of Muslims are still ignorant of Al Naba, the Great News of

the Resurrection. Have the Ummah returned to Jahiliyyah? Yes, they

certainly have as most today are devoid of divine guidance, as they

are of the Winds of Qiyamah, flowing from the living, breathing Quran

during this most blessed Al Qadr, the Night of Destiny!

 

regards,

 

jagbir