Jahiliyya: Difference between revisions

In his book, ''Iqtida' al-sirat al-mustaqim mukhalafat-a ashab al-jahim'' (that the right path requires the opposition to people of the Hell), Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728 A.H./ 1327) called the ignorance (jahiliyya) before Islam the "absolute Jahiliyya" as opposed to the ignorance during the Islamic period which he called "qualified Jahiliyya". He referred to some of its instances in his own time, such as practices by Muslims in their religious celebrations which were similar to those of unbelievers.

[[Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab]] (the founder of [[Wahhabism]], d. 1206 A.H./ 1791) believed that people around the world, or at least people in [[Arabia]], were still in the period of Jahiliyya because their beliefs and practices were not based on [[revelation]].

In the early 20th century, some Islamic reformists such as [[Muhammad 'Abduh]] (d. 1323 A.H./ 1905) and [[Muhammad Rashid Rida]] (d. 1314 S.H./ 1935) talked about modern Jahiliyya in their [[Tafsir al-manar]]. They maintained that some Muslims in the contemporary period exhibit behaviors that are, in religious and ethical respects, worse than what was practiced in the period of Jahiliyya.