Jahiliyya: Difference between revisions

* The Quran, [[Q 48|48]]:26: "when the unbelievers established in their hearts zealotry, the zealotry of ignorance (Jahiliyya)". The "zealotry of ignorance" refers to the bigotry of Arabs in the Age of Ignorance for their [[idol]]s preventing them from enlightened thinking, such as thinking about the Prophet (s)'s message. According to [[Fakhr al-Din al-Razi]], zealotry is a bad personal character, and "zealotry of ignorance" is doubly so.

Here are some traditions and practices of Jahiliyya that the Quran has referred to:

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* Sanctification of some animals, such as Bahira (a slit-ear female camel).

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==In hadiths==

The way the word "jahiliyya" is used in hadiths shows that it was a common word used to refer to certain mores and conducts before the [[bi'that]] of the Prophet (s). In general, hadiths imply that the Prophet (s) and Imams (a) sought to counter the residues of Jahiliyya thoughts and practices among Muslims. They sometimes reproached its foundations, such as Jahiliyya biases and zealotries, and sometimes illustrated and criticized particular instances of its associated thoughts and practices.

* Eating food in the house of a person who was mourning the loss of his loved one.

According to Shiite hadiths, ignorance of one's [[Imam]] is equivalent to Jahiliyya. The theme also appears in some orisons; for example, in the orison for the [[Occultation]] of [[Imam Mahdi (a)]], God is asked not to let one die with the death of ignorance (jahiliyya).