Emaan & Ignorance - 23 May 2006 23:29

Emaan & Ignorance - 23 May 2006 23:29

There are two types of ignorance (jahil)

• Jahil Basit – simple ignorance, as in someone acknowledging that they lack knowledge or do not have the correct knowledge or understanding. For instance, when you ask someone do they know what colour is a carrot, they say they do not know.
• Jahil Morakab – compound ignorance; as in someone who believes they really know something, but in reality they do not. This is one foundation and cause of Kuffar. For instance, you ask someone what colour a carrot is they say “Yes I know for certain, it’s Black of course!”

Mukallaf

This is someone who takes responsibility for their actions, or is taken account of for their own actions. There are four criteria that have to be satisfied before one is mukallaf.

1. Intellect must be functioning
2. Must have reached age of puberty (baligh)
• Women = first menstruation or nine.
• Men = first wet dream or fifteen.
3. Five senses must be intact (Saleemal wahaas). The two most important being sight and hearing, for without sight or hearing, how can one receive any message?
4. True message of Islam must have been conveyed to you.

So for instance, a child below the age of puberty, their bad actions are not really counted, only their good actions. Once puberty is reached, the angel on the left shoulder begins writing down bad deeds. Parents/guardians are thus somewhat held responsible for children. This is the same with disabled people and their carers. So, if you are mukallaf, you take responsibility for yourself and also any non-mukallaf under you.

Most of this is self explanatory. However, with puberty there is some difference of opinion. For instance, in some societies children at very young ages take on great responsibilities, whilst in largely affluent western societies the young take on very limited responsibilities till later in life.

With the fourth criterion there is again a difference of opinion. For instance, someone in a remote Island that has not been discovered would not know about Islam, so thus they are not accountable. Yet what about someone who only knows of Islam through western largely anti-Islamic propaganda or someone who only sees bad examples of Muslims and false Muslims?

Criteria of Emaan

There are three aspects of true belief

• Lisaan – to articulate on the tongue
• Jawari – establish in limbs
• Qalbi – affirm in the heart

Emaan Taqlid is “blind faith”, ie taking understanding with no recourse to its source or evidence. This is generally seen as negative, yet for Madhubs and Aqeedah it is not.

There are two scholarly opinions on this issue. One is that its unacceptable, the other is that its acceptable under certain conditions.

• If your conviction of belief is in question
• Correct (thus have to study to establish its correct), ie Fiqh and Tawheed, as they are fard to learn.
• Must continue to believe, even if people and surroundings change, if you believe yours is correct.

My notes are shady on the above, I don’t understand it well. I shall have to recourse to someone else to understand this better.

Emaan Ilm is belief based on knowledge.

There are five levels of conviction (jazaam)

1. wahm – improbable – 25% belief thus 75% doubt
2. shak – indifference – 50% belief thus 50% doubt
3. zun – probable – 75% belief thus 25% doubt
4. Yakeen – certainty – 100% belief

Islam only accepts Yakeen Jazaam. You must attain Yakeen Jazaam in your deen. If there is any doubt you must pursue to clear it, as Islam is Haq from Al-Haq. There is no doubt in Islam, so you must search out knowledge and understanding to satiate any doubt you have. You must not leave it and ignore it for Satan to grow upon.

Mutabatul Haq is when it is in accordance with reality/truth. In other words in line with Sunnah.

Dalil means proof. Faith must be based on two Dalils.

1. AQL – intellectual/logical/rationale proofs
2. NAQL – proof from Revelation/Prophecy.

You see in science, there is a difference between factual and theoretical. Its mainly always ZUN, even Big Bang and Evolution are Theories. Without revelation this is all that one can have.

Marifa is to know Allah. Three levels

• Ilmul Yakeen – certainty through knowledge
• Ainul Yakeen - certainty through witnessing
• Haqul Yakeen - certainty through experiencing

At each of these, you have the five levels of conviction. Even if Yakeen Jazaam at Ilmul level, once you reach Ainul Level, Ilmul on its own before Ainul looks seems like doubt in comparison. Same with difference between ainul and haqul. The idea of you never really know until you see it, or you never really know until you been through it yourself. I have talked to you about this before.