By Sheikh Abdul-Muhsin ibn Muhammad al-Qasim – 06 Shaban 1437

His Eminence Sheikh Abdul-Muhsin ibn Muhammad al-Qasim, may Allah preserve him, delivered the Friday Khutbah entitled, “Opposing the Practices of Jahiliyyah,” in which he talked about the greatest favour ever given to humankind, namely Islam, referring to the need to know about Jahiliyyah (the days of ignorance before Islam) in order to realize the truth and virtue of Islam. He then referred to the ways in which this great religion of Islam opposes the beliefs, customs, and habits of the polytheists and the People of the Scripture (the Jews and Christians), providing textual evidence to this effect from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

Praise be to Allah. We praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and from our wrong deeds. He whom Allah guides, none can misguide, and he whom Allah sends astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. May Allah bestow his bountiful peace and blessings upon him and upon his family and Companions.

Now then, Servants of Allah!

Fear Allah as He should be feared, and grasp the trustworthy handhold of Islam.

O Muslims!
Allah alone, Glorified be He, is the Bestower of favours. His favours to His servants are countless, and foremost among them is Islam. It is a perfect religion that brings together all virtues. Allah has approved it for His creation and has called people to it. He has guided those whom He wills from among them to this religion and blessed them with it. Allah, Glorified be He, says:

“… Nay, but Allah has conferred a favour upon you, that He has guided you to the Faith…” (Al Hujurat: 17)

Those who lack knowledge about Jahiliyyah (the days of ignorance before Islam and the wrong practices associated with them) cannot know the truth of Islam or fully appreciate its virtue. During Jahiliyyah, people lived in total ignorance, where traces of previous prophethood had passed into oblivion. Allah sent our Prophet, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, to bring people out of darkness into light. One of the main objectives of Islam is to oppose the practices of its enemies, so that people may not return to the ways of Jahiliyyah. Therefore, it forbids imitating the polytheists and the People of the Scripture (the Jews and Christians) in their ways of worship and their customs and habits. It also prohibits following their evil desires. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“… and follow not the desires of those who know not.”) (Al-Jathiyah: 18)

All practices that pertain to Jahiliyyah are disdained. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “All the practices of Jahiliyyah are trampled under my feet” (Reported by Muslim).

The worst form of falsehood which the people of Jahiliyyah followed was associating partners with Allah (Shirk), and this is the main issue on which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, opposed the people of Jahiliyyah. He was sent to call them to the Oneness of Allah and purity of faith in Allah alone. Turning away from what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was sent with is the road to misguidance, and once added to recommending falsehood, this leads to complete loss. Allah, Glorified be He, says:

“…And those who believe in Batil (all false deities other than Allah), and disbelieve in Allah (and in His Oneness), it is they who are the losers.” (Al-‘Ankabut: 52)

Having good expectations of Allah is an act of worship that brings about happiness. He who thinks ill of his Lord has indeed followed the ways of the people of Jahiliyyah. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “… and thought wrongly of Allah – the thought of ignorance…” (Al ‘Imran: 154)

Thinking wrongly of Allah includes doubting His wisdom, disbelieving in His Names and Attributes, and ascribing imperfect qualities to Him.

Indeed, everything occurs by the command of Allah alone as He is the Lord and to Him belong the keys of everything. Visiting magicians and sorcerers is a sign of poor faith, weak mind, and imitation of the people of Jahiliyyah. Mu‘awiyah ibn al-Hakam once said, “O Messenger of Allah! There were things we used to do in the days of ignorance before Islam. We used to visit soothsayers.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Do not visit soothsayers” (Reported by Muslim).

We have been enjoined to rely upon Allah and entrust all our affairs to Him. Seeking help from the jinn working for magicians and the like to make amulets and similar objects only increases the one who does so in weakness and powerlessness. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“And Verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the males among the jinn, but they (jinn) increased them (mankind) in sin and transgression.” (Al-Jinn: 6)

In Islam, Allah has substituted this with seeking refuge in Him. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whosoever alights somewhere and says, ‘I seek refuge with the Perfect Words of Allah from the evil of what He has created,’ nothing will harm him until he leaves that place” (Reported by Muslim).

The dead have departed this world to meet the consequences of what they did. One can pray to Allah for the righteous people who passed away rather than supplicate them besides Allah. Taking graves as places of worship and calling upon their dwellers are among the practices of the People of the Scripture. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “May Allah’s curse fall upon the Jews and Christians, as they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship” (Agreed upon).

The judgement is for Allah alone. Referring legislation to His religion and His Law is justice, and seeking justice elsewhere leads to mischief in society. Allah, Glorified be He, says:

“Do they then seek the judgement of (the days of) Ignorance? And who is better in judgment than Allah for a people who have firm Faith.” (Al-Ma’idah: 50)

Belief in bad omens weakens determination and shakes or undermines certitude in Allah. A Muslim believes in Allah’s will and decree, and he is pleased with good omens in all his affairs. He believes that there is no infection without Allah’s will, nor bad omen, nor Hamah (evil bird), nor Safar (regarded by Arabs before Islam as an evil month).

Blessing is to be sought from Allah alone. Seeking blessing from trees, stones, or living or dead people, or believing that they can provide blessing, is the way of idolators. Whoever attributes favours to other than Allah has not recognized His grace or thanked Him as He should be thanked, and this is the way of the ignorant.

“They recognise the Grace of Allah, yet they deny it (by worshipping others besides Allah) and most of them are disbelievers (deny the Prophethood of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him).” (An-Nahl: 83)

The practices of Jahiliyyah included acts such as seeking rain by the stars, i.e. believing that it will rain if a given star appears, and believing in astrology. Islam came to abolish these practices and guide people to attach their hearts to Allah alone.

Time is a predestined creature of Allah, and whoever insults or attributes any act to time has engaged in one of the practices of the people of Jahiliyyah, who used to say: “… and nothing destroys us except Ad-Dahr (time)…” (Al-Jathiyah: 24)

Allah’s decree testifies to His infinite power. A believer must believe in it and surrender to Allah’s command and decree. The polytheists deny divine decree and use it to oppose Allah’s divine laws, saying:

“…If Allah had willed, we would not have taken partners (in worship) with Him, nor would our fathers …” (Al-An‘am: 148)

Denying or having doubts about resurrection is a form of disbelief that goes back to the days of Jahiliyyah, when people used to say:
“…and never shall we be resurrected (on the Day of Resurrection).” (Al-An‘am: 29)

Those who deny the verses of Allah are following the way of the polytheists. The Holy Qur’an tells us what they used to say about Allah’s verses: “…These are nothing but tales of the men of the old.” (Al-An‘am: 25)

Feeling secure from the plan of Allah or giving up hope of His mercy is contrary to true belief in Allah, and that was the way of the idolaters. A believer, however, makes his way towards Allah between fear and hope, with a heart full of love for His Lord. Allah, Glorified be He, is the One Who determines the lawful and the unlawful, and none of His creation is allowed to do so, as opposed to the practice of the People of the Scripture, who took their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, deciding for them what was lawful and what was unlawful.

A believer’s reference and source of learning his religion is the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in accordance with the understanding of the Ummah’s righteous predecessors. Imitating forefathers and using their practices as an argument are fallacies adopted by the ignorant, who founded their religions upon such practices. Allah, Exalted be He, says about them:

“And when it is said to them: “Follow that which Allah has sent down”, they say: “Nay, we shall follow that which we found our fathers (following)…” (Luqman: 21)

A large number of people cannot abolish the truth or prove falsehood to be truthful. It was not the way of the messengers to be deluded by the practices of large numbers. A believer is neither appalled by the scarcity of those treading the right path nor deceived by the abundance of those doomed to misery and destruction. Whoever rejects the truth due to the weakness or small number of its followers is ignorant of the religion.

Substituting the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with the books of the people of error is one of the ways of the People of the Scripture, who threw the Scripture behind their backs and followed instead what the devils recited.

Islam is the right religion; it is free from extremism, harshness, excesses, and negligence. It is the straight path that is totally different from the extremist ways of the People of the Scripture. The Christians have been excessive in praising their prophet, ‘Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him, and made him their lord. Among the signs of the negligence of the People of the Scriptures is that they did not give the Lord His due regarding the belief in His Oneness and that they killed the messengers. Their ways also include mixing the truth with falsehood and concealing the truth. They have taken their religion as amusement and play, and have followed their evil whims and desires. In addition, they claim that Allah favours them and that they will be delivered from Hellfire without doing any good deeds, relying on vain hopes. The Holy Qur’an tells us that they said: “…We are the children of Allah and His loved ones…” (Al-Ma’idah: 18)

They also strive to make their plans work out in secret and in public, and they attribute their errors to prophets and revered people.
“And when they commit a Fahishah (evil deed, going round the Ka‘bah in naked state, great sins and unlawful sexual intercourse), they say: “We have found our fathers doing it, and Allah has commanded it on us…” (Al-A‘raf: 28)

They are the greediest of humankind for life, without faith. They ask Allah to give them the pleasures of the present worldly life, not those of the afterlife. They are ungrateful when they are showered with favours, and sink into despair in times of adversity. They worship Allah in doubt, and they sever that which Allah has ordered to be joined. They cause mischief on earth and do not reform, and they like to be praised for what they have not done.

The knowledgeable among them do not practice what they know, and the ignorant among them invent lies about Allah in spite of their lack of knowledge and worship Him in a state of misguidance. They kill those who order justice from among the people, and have induced an immense conspiracy against the religion of Islam. They show only enmity to the truth, and they are the supporters and allies of falsehood.

Due to the gravity of their misguidance, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, opposed them in everything they used to do, such that the polytheists said, “This man (i.e. the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him) would not leave any matter of ours without opposing us in it.” He even opposed them with regard to the places of slaughtering sacrificial animals. It is narrated that a man vowed to Allah to slaughter camels at Buwana. So, he came to the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, and asked him about that. The Prophet asked him, “Did the place contain any idol which was worshiped during Jahiliyyah?” He said, “No.” He further asked, “Were any of their (Jahiliyyah) festivals celebrated there?” The Companions said, “No.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to the man, “Fulfil your vow” (Reported by Abu-Dawud).

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered Muslims to oppose them in prayer and in the way of calling to it. Therefore, he ordained the adhan (call to prayer), and did not favour either the Jews’ horn or the Christians’ bell. Allah changed the qiblah (the direction Muslims face in prayers) from Bait al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) because the People of the Scripture faced it. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade Muslims to perform supererogatory prayers at the time of sunrise and sunset, because the disbelievers prostrated themselves to the sun at these times. Even their prayer at the House of Allah, i.e. the Ka’bah in Makkah, was nothing except whistling and clapping of hands. We were also forbidden to put our hands on our waist or to hang a wrapper upon the shoulders during prayer, as this is the practice of the Jews.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also forbade prayer in a standing posture while the imam is in a sitting position. He said, “You were about to do an act like that of the Persians and the Romans. They stand before their kings while they sit. Do not do that; follow your imams. If they perform prayer standing, you should pray standing, and if they perform prayer sitting, you should pray sitting” (Reported by Muslim).

We are also different from them in the way we bury our dead. We bury our dead in Lahd (a niche-grave) while other nations bury theirs in Shaq (a trench-grave).

In charity, we have been enjoined to spend money in the cause of Allah, whereas they spend their money to hinder people from the Path of Allah: “…and so will they continue to spend it; but in the end it will become an anguish for them. Then they will be overcome…” (Al-Anfal: 36).

As for fasting, the difference between our fasting and that of the People of the Scripture is having a meal before dawn (Suhur). People will continue to be on the right path of the Sunnah as long as they delay suhur and hasten to break their fast, contrary to the practice of the People of the Scripture. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, fasted on the day of ‘Ashura (i.e. the tenth of Muharram). When it came to his knowledge that the Jews fasted on that day, he said, “If I remain alive till next year, I shall also fast on the ninth (of Muharram)” (Reported by Muslim).

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, told us to determine the beginning and the end of Ramadan by sighting the new moon. Sheikh al-Islam, ibn Taimiyah, may Allah have mercy on his soul, said, “This is contrary to the practice of other nations, who rely on calculations to determine the time of their acts of worship and feasts.”

In Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah, people in Jahiliyyah did not perform ‘Umrah during Hajj months. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, opposed this practice and said, “‘Umrah is permissible during the months of Hajj” (Reported by Muslim). They also used to leave ‘Arafah before sunset and leave Muzdalifah after sunrise, but the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, opposed them in this practice by delaying the former and advancing the latter. They would also perform Hajj naked, but Allah ordered Muslims to cover their nakedness, take their adornment, and wear clean clothes while praying and going round the Ka‘bah.

During Jahiliyyah, people used to offer some sacrificial animals that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prohibited, saying, “There is neither fara‘ (the first off-spring of a she-camel, which they offered as a sacrifice to their deities) nor ‘atirah (a sheep they sacrificed during the month of Rajab to get closer to their deities)” (Agreed upon). He also prohibited slaughtering animals with nails, because the people of Abyssinia used nails as knives.

When calamities befall, we are ordered to be patient and hope for Allah’s reward, and we are forbidden from acting otherwise. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Those who slap their cheeks, tear their clothes, and wail like the people of Jahiliyyah do not belong to us” (Reported by al-Bukhari).

Conceit and showing off were also among the habits of Jahiliyyah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There are four qualities belonging to Jahiliyyah that some people of my Ummah have not abandoned: boasting of one’s forefathers, casting suspicion upon other people’s lineages, seeking rain by the stars, and wailing over the dead” (Reported by Muslim).

It is a sign of humility not to eat or drink from vessels made of gold or silver. It is also forbidden to pride oneself in one’s clothes or wear them for showing off. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade Muslims to wear clothes dyed with safflower, saying, “These are among the garments of the disbelievers; do not wear them” (Reported by Muslim). In addition, Islam honours and dignifies human beings. It prohibits mocking and despising others. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to a man who insulted another man’s mother, “You still have the traits of Jahiliyyah” (Agreed upon). Islam warned us against haughtiness, for it leads to dissension and discord. Allah. Exalted be He, says:

“When those who disbelieve had put in their hearts pride and haughtiness – the pride and haughtiness of the time of ignorance …” (Al-Fath: 26)

There was an incident in which a man from al-Ansar (the Muslims in al-Madinah who supported the migrants of Makkah) said, “O Ansar (Help)!”, and a man from al-Muhajirun (the Muslims who migrated from Makkah to al-Madinah) said, “O Muhajirun (Help)!” Upon hearing that, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “What is this evil call of Jahiliyyah?” (Agreed upon). If this is the case with calling one another using legitimate names, what would it be if they used other names?

We have also been ordered to observe the Muslim ethics in our transactions, such as buying and selling, as they are characterized by truthfulness, justice, and honesty. Similarly, we have been forbidden to practice the transactions of Jahiliyyah, to decrease weights and measures, and to earn money through gambling. Usurious gain is also strictly forbidden. Allah has made it lawful for us to eat good things and has made it unlawful for us to eat bad things, while the people of Jahiliyyah did quite the opposite.

There is nothing better than the creation of Allah. The People of the Scripture are accustomed to changing the nature created by Allah, in obedience to the Devil, who orders people to do so. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade Muslims to follow in their footsteps, saying, “Do the opposite of what the polytheists do. Keep the beards and cut the moustaches short” (Agreed upon). He ordered us to dye white hair, but to avoid the black colour. He also disavowed whoever ties his beard or hangs an amulet.

During Jahiliyyah, women were humiliated, for they had no veil to protect them nor did they find protection from men. When the news of the birth of a female child was brought to many of the men of Jahiliyyah, his face turned dark, and he was filled with inward grief. Men used to bury new-born girls alive. In their laws, only men had the right to inherit, and women were deprived of that right. Their laws also permitted marrying relatives that Islam regarded as unmarriageable. The Jews avoid women completely during menstruation; they would not even share a meal with them. In contrast, the Christians would do anything with them. Islam has honoured and protected women. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“… and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance …” (Al-Ahzab: 33)

Islam set out the rights and duties of women and prescribed for them a legal share of inheritance. In Islam, if anyone brings up two or more girls properly, these girls will act as a shield for him from Hellfire. During Jahiliyyah, a child could be attributed to a man other than his father. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon, said, “The child is for the bed (i.e. belongs to the husband)” (Agreed upon).

A name can affect the person who bears it. Therefore, we are enjoined to choose the best of names for our children and for everything. We are also forbidden to give names belonging to Jahiliyyah, such as names that mean that someone is a slave to other than Allah, hideous names, or names that ascribe piety to their bearer. Hence, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, changed some names such as ‘Asiyah (Disobedient) into Jamilah (Beautiful), Barrah (Pious) into Zainab (a name of a beautiful plant with a pleasant aroma), and Abu al-Hakam into Abu Shuraih (for al-Hakam is one of the Beautiful Names of Allah). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The names most beloved to Allah are Abdullah and Abdur-Rahman.”

Furthermore, people in Jahiliyyah used to celebrate many feasts on days that they appointed according to their own desires. Then, Allah, Exalted be He, substituted their feasts with ‘Eid al-Fitr and ‘Eid al-Adha.

It was not their habit to enjoin good or forbid evil, and if they did, they forgot to practice it themselves. By contrast, the Muslim Ummah is the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; for Muslims enjoin good (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained), forbid evil (polytheism, disbelief, and all that Islam has forbidden), and act as a role model for others to follow.
The motto of Jahiliyyah is difference and discord. Those following the ways of Jahiliyyah never agree, whether in religious or worldly matters. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“… and be not of Al-Mushrikun (the polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah). Of those who split up their religion (i.e. who left the true Islamic Monotheism), and became sects, [i.e. they invented new things in the religion (Bid’ah), and followed their vain desires], each sect rejoicing in that which is with it.” (Ar-Rum: 31-32)

Unity is strength and accord. Islam has enjoined Muslims to preserve unity and warned them against division. Allah, Glorified be He, says:

“And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (i.e. this Qur’an), and be not divided among yourselves…” (Al ‘Imran: 103)
Unity under a single ruler provides Muslims with security, prosperity, and power over their enemies.

It is also one of the practices of Jahiliyyah to rebel against the ruler and deviate from the main body of people. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever withdraws (his obedience) from the Muslim ruler, even to the extent of a hand span, and dies in that state has died the death of one belonging to Jahiliyyah” (Agreed upon). He also said, “Whoever fights for a cause that is not clear and is killed in that state, has died the death of one belonging to Jahiliyyah” (Reported by Muslim). He also said, “There are three things that Allah likes for you: that you should worship Him alone, without associating anything with Him, that you hold fast to the Rope of Allah and not be divided among yourselves, and that you offer advice to your rulers.” Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on his soul, said, “There has never been a flaw in people’s religious or worldly affairs except because of breaching these three matters, or any of them.”

Now then, O Muslims!
Our religion calls for perfection and leads to power, and adhering to it is the basis for all good and success. Conversely, following in the footsteps of Jahiliyyah testifies to one’s weakness, and whoever adopts some of its practices incurs Allah’s displeasure. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The most despicable of people in the sight of Allah is someone who seeks to preserve the ways of Jahiliyyah under Islam” (Reported by al-Bukhari).

Following begets love. Adopting certain practices outwardly leads to belief in them inwardly, and whoever imitates any people is one of them. No people introduce an innovation in religion but Allah withdraws from them the like of it of the Sunnah, and no people revive any of the ways of Jahiliyyah but they abandon guidance many times as much as what they have revived. I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Devil:

“And verily, this (i.e. Allah’s Commandments mentioned in the above two Verses 151 and 152) is My Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path…” (Al-An‘am: 153)

May Allah bless you and me with the Great Qur’an and make us benefit from its verses and wise words. I have said what you have heard and I ask forgiveness of Allah for myself, for you, and for all Muslims, for any sin that we have committed. Ask Allah for forgiveness. He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.