Do They Seek the Judgement of Jaahiliyyah?

 

“DO THEY THEN SEEK THE JUDGMENT OF JAAHILIYYAH?” [AL-MA’IDAH 5/50]

Imam Ibn Kathir said: “Allah criticizes those who ignore Allah’s commandments which include every type of righteous good thing and prohibit every type of evil, but they refer instead to opinions, desires and customs that people themselves invented, all of which have no basis in Allah’s religion. During the time of Jahiliyyah, the people used to abide by the misguidance and ignorance that they invented by sheer opinion and lusts. The Tatar (Mongols) abided by the law that they inherited from their king Genghis Khan who wrote al-Yaasiq for them. This book contains some rulings that were derived from various religions, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Many of these rulings were derived from his own opinion and desires. Later on, these rulings became the followed law among his children, preferring them to the Law of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

Therefore, whoever does this, he is a disbeliever who deserves to be fought against, until he reverts to Allah’s and His Messenger’s decisions, so that no law, minor or major, is referred to except by His Law. Allah said: “Do they then seek the judgment of (the days of) ignorance?” Meaning, they desire and want this and ignore Allah’s Judgment. “And who is better in judgment than Allah for a people who have firm faith?” Who is more just in decision than Allah for those who comprehend Allah’s Law, believe in Him, who are certain that Allah is the best among those who give decisions and that He is more merciful with His creation than the mother with her own child? Allah has perfect knowledge of everything, is able to do all things, and He is just in all matters. Hafidh Abu al-Qasim Tabarani recorded that Ibn Abbas (ra) said that RasulAllah (saw) said: “The most hated person to Allah is the Muslim who seeks the ways of the days of ignorance and he who seeks to shed the blood of a person without justification.” (Tabarani 10/374) Bukhari recorded Abu al-Yaman narrating a similar hadith with some addition. [Fathu’l-Bari, 12/219]”

[Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

 

Sayyid Qutb said: “This statement defines the meaning of jaahiliyyah, rendered here as “pagan ignorance”, as the term is used in the Qur’an. Jaahiliyyah means that people are ruled by people, because this signifies that they submit to one another. They refuse to submit to Allah alone and reject His Godhead, acknowledging instead that some human beings have qualities of Godhead and hence they submit to their authority. As such, the term pagan ignorance, or jaahiliyyah, does not refer to a particular period of time, but to a certain situation which may come into existence at any time. Whenever it exists, it must be described as jaahiliyyah which is in contrast to Islam. In all ages and places, people may implement Allah’s law, yielding no part of it for any reason, submitting to it willingly. As such, they follow the religion chosen for them by Allah. Alternatively, they may acknowledge and implement a man-made law in any shape or form. As such they follow ignorance. In this latter situation, they submit to the one who gives them the law and they cannot be described as following Allah’s religion. Anyone who does not wish to be ruled by Allah’s law actually desires to be ruled by the law of pagan ignorance. It is at this point that the two ways part and people are left to their choices.

The final sentence is a rhetorical question which decries their pursuit of the law of jaahiliyyah and emphasizes the superiority of Allah’s law: “For those who are firm in their faith, who can be a better law-giver than Allah?” [al-Ma’idah 5/50]

Indeed, who can be? Who can claim that he can give people a better law than that of Allah? What argument can be given to prove this hollow claim? Can anyone say that he knows mankind’s nature better than their Creator? Can he say that he is more compassionate and sympathetic to mankind than Allah? Can he say that he knows their interests better than the Allah of mankind? Or can he say that when Allah promulgated the final version of His law and sent His last Messenger to all mankind, giving him the final and complete version of the Divine message, He might have been unaware of future circumstances and needs and as a result did not take them into account in His legislation? What can anyone say in justification of setting Allah’s law aside and substituting for it a law of jāhiliyyah, placing in the process his own desires, or those of a particular community or generation, above Allah’s law? What can he say if, in spite of this, he still claims to be a Muslim? What is his justification: circumstances, events, people’s unwillingness, or fear of the enemy? Were all these not known to Allah when He commanded Muslims to implement His law and follow His way of life and never be tempted away from any part of His revelations? Or does he justify his attitude by claiming that Allah’s law does not cater for new needs and new situations? Were these needs and situations not known to Allah when He made this very stern warning?

A non-Muslim may say anything he wants, but what can those who claim to be Muslims say of any of this and imagine that they continue to be within the fold of Islam? As we have said: this is the point where the ways part. It is either Islam or jaahiliyyah, faith or un-faith, the rule of Allah or the rule of pagan ignorance. Those who choose not to judge in accordance with what Allah has revealed are unbelievers, wrongdoers and transgressors. People who do not accept Allah’s law are not believers. This question must be absolutely clear in every Muslim’s mind. Unless it be so, a Muslim will not be able to differentiate between truth and falsehood and will not be able to take one step in the right direction. If it is still not that clear to some people, it cannot remain so in the minds of those who want to claim for themselves the most honorable title of being Muslim.”

[Sayyid Qutb, fi Dhilal al-Qur’an]