The New Ignorance

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla says in many places in Qur’ān ‘Aẓīmu sh-Sha’n, do not be with the ignorant, do not follow the ignorant. In many places, He ﷻ warns people, He ﷻ warns the believers. Because ignorance is a bad thing. The worst thing to give to a person is ignorance.

In old times, they used to call someone who could not read or write, ignorant. After that, in the time our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam came, ignorance was everywhere in the world. It was called ‘Jāhiliyyah al-ū’la’, ‘The First Age of Ignorance’ said our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. The second one is now. The time we live in now is the time of the second Jāhiliyyah. The second is much worse than the first.

In the first one, they were still accepting some things. People now are not accepting anything. They don’t accept the truth. They think of things according to their own minds considering them right. And they run after them. That’s what is not true, that’s what is useless. It keeps them away from the truth. That is what ignorance is. Ignorance is reading and not understanding. Reading and not benefiting from it. They know all knowledge but they do not know the truth. They are all outside of what the truth is.

Therefore, the one who does not accept and does not know the truth is ignorant. And what he studies is of no benefit. The person who studies for years and thinks he is something, his ignorance increases day by day. Until he finds the truth, then he will be saved from this ignorance, and he will have saved himself. Otherwise, his ignorance will cause him to remain in the worst place forever.

On the contrary, thought is important. Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says, thinking for an hour is better than worshipping for seventy years. Because when a person sees the truth, believes and follows the right way, he will be happy in dunyā and ākhirah then. Otherwise, it is of no use in dunyā. And in ākhirah, it’s even worse. May Allāh ﷻ protect us.

Indeed, we live in the age of ignorance. It is also like a dirty disease. It spreads from one to another, from one to another. It is a contagious disease. May Allāh ﷻ protect us. May He ﷻ protect our īmān, in shā’a Llāh. May we not be among the ignorant, in shā’a Llāh. “فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ”, “Falā Takūnanna Mina Al-Jāhilīn”, “So never be of the ignorant.” (Qur’an 06:35). Neither be from the ignorant ones nor be with them. May Allāh ﷻ protect us. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

23 April 2025/ 25 Shawwal 1446

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul