RKQS 1051 - REFLECTION ON PROPHETIC HISTORY KIRKHS, IIUM

1. SYMPTOMS OF JAHILIYYAH
Before proceeding with the discussion on the symptoms of jahiliyyah, we should have a
mindset that the criteria to be mentioned below were not practiced by every single member of
the society. However, they were publicly happened and accepted by significant number of the
society and policy makers. Here, the topic will discuss about the following symptoms of
Jahiliyyah in Pre-Islamic Arabia in term of:
1. Intellectual slavery,
2. Social disintegration,
3. Moral Degeneration,
4. Economic exploitation,
5. Religious Bankruptcy.
Each with reflection of our current era.
1) INTELLECTUAL ENSLAVEMENT
1.1) Exclusivity of education
In classical jahiliyyah, the exclusivity of education returns to the very root of literacy, which
is the ability to read and write. Children of farmers like citizen of Madinah mostly were
illiterates. Even orphans from noble but middle class family like Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)
were illiterates.
In modern jahiliyyah, in most of the countries in the world, only children from certain
status able to pursue study in university level or so called critical skills due to unaffordable
fees in addition to no scholarship available or the scholarship is only given based on
cronyism. The capitalist environment always takes money as the most important matter.

2. In Islam, Islam encourage the learning and teaching activities. However, Islam also
promotes the waqf and sadaqah especially in knowledge, thus made the most of the learning
institutions in all level were free of charge while been sponsored by philanthropist like the
Madrasah al-Nizamiyyah and many universities established during that era. In our current
time, in Islamic countries that abide the ideology of Ahl Sunnah wa al-Jamaah and apply the
Hudud law like Brunei Darul Salam and Saudi Arabia, the education system under the
government follows the same concept.
1.2) Blind Obsession
During classical jahiliyyah,, people were very obsessive with their forefathers. For example,
when Prophet (s.a.w.) preached them to not worship the rock and wood (statue), or to avoid
indecencies, they just said,
We are satisfied with what we found our forefathers doing. [al-Ma’idah: 104]
And this meant that believe each legacy of their forefathers was the best practice. In
our modern time, people simply consider the legacy of their forefathers is obsolete. However,
they turn their obsession towards the Western civilization. The political policies, scholarly
findings, and even the lifestyle and the food type practices by the Western people are always
be perceived by many as the best. While for the Westerners themselves, they are blindly
obsessed to reject the religion ordainment. This is due to their dark experience with Christian
religion which in many aspects, contradict with human logic and it is totally different with
Islam.
Islam demands the adherents to completely submit to Qur’an and authentic hadith of
Prophet (s.a.w.). For the Qur’an, the authenticity of each of its verse is proved by many
studies. As for hadith, slightest academic doubt in the authenticity of the hadith makes the
out of this pole. As for human opinion, Imam Malik clearly shed the light and put the line by

3. saying, “Each human has opinion that some of them should be accepted while some others
should be rejected, except the dweller of this grave (Prophet s.a.w.).”
2) SOCIAL DISINTEGRATION
Both of classical and modern jahiliyyah have a very clear similarity in the form of
social disintegration and the reasons behind this epidemic. The reasons are:
2.1) Materialistic ideology
The main reason behind this epidemic in both eras is due to the materialistic ideology. Thus,
most people only want to get associated with those who may benefit them materially, either
in status, wealth, look, etc. Blood relatives may be severed due to different social status.
2.2) Denial of the Day of Judgement
The above ideology is actually supported with certain theological basis which is ‘denial of the
afterlife judgement’. This makes stronger people from higher status always look down and
devour the meagre people from lower class.
There was an incident of a guy from Zahrani tribe in Southern of Arabian Peninsula
who came to Makkah to sell his camels. Abu Jahal offered him to sell the camels for him
with higher price benefiting from his knowledge and status in Makkah. However, once the
camels are sold, he didn’t want to pay the Zahrani guy. The Zahrani guy pled and asked
people to help but no one want to help because they see no benefit in helping him until
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) solved his problem.
This phenomenon was totally contradicting with the story of a lady named Fatimah al-
Makhzumiyyah who loved to steal other’s jewellery. During the Conquest of Makkah, the

4. woman was caught and all evidence proved that she was guilty. The punishment was to cut
her wrist. However, since she came from noble clan of Bani Makhzum, people of worked in
order to help her until Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “The nations before you were diminished
because when the nobles among them commit crimes, they were relieved but when the
meagre commit the crime, they were punished. By Him who hold my life in his hand, if
Fatimah bint Muhammad ever steal, then I will cut her hand”.1
As for modern jahiliyyah, there is a famous Malay phrase, “Yang jerung dilepas, yang
bilis ditangkap” (Release the big criminal and punish the meagre one). Sometimes, both of
them are punished. But the punishment for the nobles will much more lighter than meagre,
even though the first’s crime was much graver.
2.3) Fanaticm
The fanatism meant here is the one that base on race, nationality, wealth, title, etc. Those
elements divide the society and create a feeling of dissimilarity. In classical jahiliyyah, each
of the Arab clan was very proud of themselves. Abu Jahl once secretly went out by night to
listen to Muhammad as he was praying in his house while Abu Sufyan b. Ḥarb and al-Akhnas
b. Sharīq al-Thaqafi also did the same thing. Every one of them chose a place to sit where he
could listen, and none knew where his fellow was sitting. So they passed the night listening to
him, until as the dawn rose, they dispersed. On their way home they met and reproached one
another, and one said to the other, 'Don't do it again, for if one of the light-minded fools sees
you, you will arouse suspicion in his mind.' Yet they continued doing this for the next two
days. Abu Jahl later told al-Akhnas ibn Shariq, “We competed with Banu ‘Abd Manaf in
everything to attain status & nobility. They fed people, so we also fed people. They gave
charity, so we also gave charity. They looked after people; so did we. We did these until we
1
Narrated by Bukhari & Mulsim.

5. became equal. And now they say, ‘A prophet has come from us who receives revelations
from the sky’ How can we possibly be able to compete with this? By Allah, we will never
believe in him and we will never accept his message!”2
In modern jahiliyyah, people are so proud with their race and nationality. People from
richer race look down at those below them. Citizens from developed countries perceive
themselves as superior upon those in developing countries.
Islam encourage people to have the feel of belonging, but at the same time put the
limit when Prophet (pbuh) said,
“There are four charateristic of jahiliyyah that still practiced by my follower:
1. Fanatic with his own lineage.
2. Looking down at others’,
3. Wailing for dead people,
4. Wishing for the rain to pour through the stars.3
And in another hadith, “There is no superiority for Arabs upon non-Arabs nor non-Arabs
upon Arabs, whites upon blacks nor blacks upon whites, except with peity”. 4
3) Moral Degeneration
The comparison between classical and modern jahiliyyah regarding the moral degeneration
can be condensed in following particulars:
2
Tarikh Ibn Ishaq.
3
Narrated by Muslim
4
Narrated by Muslim

6. 3.1) Drinking habit
Alcoholic drinking is highly treasured in both of classical and modern jahiliyyah. In classical
jahiliyyah, there were many poems that praised the habit. In modern time, beer become a
symbol of being adult and wine as symbol of high status.
Alcoholic drink is haram
3.2) Adultery
Since materialism has been embraced consciously or unconsciously as prominent ideology,
businessmen will keep thinking on how to get the money from your pocket. Think mindset
leads people to start thinking to breach each others’ belongings, and this including the dignity
and chastity of women whom undoubtful are mothers, daughters or sisters of others. Their
value will gradually deescalate from human being to be prizes.
In classical jahiliyyah, adultery always took place among neighbours especially for
full housewives whose husbands always travel abroad. That’s why having sex intercourse
with neighbour’s wife was specifically mentioned by Prophet (s.a.w.) as one of the gravest

7. sins.5
In modern time, women are oftenly go to work, and adultery always takes place in
among that circle.
Hereby are some of the marital adultery concepts practiced during jahiliyyah time
with comparison with current era.
No Classical jahiliyyah Modern jahiliyyah
1. Maqt (‫:)مقت‬ A wife who lost her husband
will be offered to be married by her step-
sons starting from the eldest. If no one
accepted her, then she will be prisoned
until her death.
Parents are abandoned alone, dumped or
sent to elders care centres in order to get
rid of them. In certain circle, mothers are
forced or sold to become prostitutes by
their own children.
2. Baghaya (‫:)بغايا‬ Prostitution. Once she
delivered a baby, the baby will be brought
to a Qafah (‫)قافة‬ to identify the father.
Prostitution still been practiced.
However, the babies dumped or sold or
need to be raised alone by the mother
because no act protects the lineage right
of the child except through DNA test
which involve a lot of money
3. Shighar (‫:)شغار‬ Marrying a woman under
1st
man custodian to the 2nd
man as the 2nd
will marry the 1st
back with a women
under the 2nd
custody.
Women are not protected by any
custodian. The slogan “Women
Freedom” is interpreted by many moral
experts as “Free to get the women”.
4. Mut’ah (‫:)متعة‬ Prostitution in the name of
religion. Contracted for certain period of
The very same mut’ah is still practiced
by Shities. However, it is very similar to
5
Narrated by Bukhari.

8. time. prostitution except it is worse because
the doers use religion as the reason and
think they will be awarded by the God
by doing so.
5. Badl (‫:)بدل‬ Swiping partners. Still practiced by certain circle.
6. Safah (‫:)سفاح‬ Polyandry. Once she
delivered a baby, she will name any of her
man as a father, and he cannot reject it.
Practiced without wedlock. However,
the babies are denied from their lineage
right except through DNA test
7. Istibdha’ (‫:)استبضاع‬ Wife is sent to another
man by her husband to bear that man
child. Once she is pregnant, she’ll return
to her husband.
Still happening with additional of
booming sperm tubes business in certain
communities.
Nevertheless, homosexual community in classical jahiliyyah was limited to lesbians
and gays, but now, bisexual and transgender have joined the circle and publicised as LGBT.
4) Economic exploitation
No Classical jahiliyyah Modern jahiliyyah
1. Usury based monetary transaction. Under the name of conventional
financial system
2. Misappropriation of the Orphan’s
Property.
In some places, orphans’ properties are
totally abandoned. In some others, the
collections using their name are

9. exploited by others.
3. Human sold as slaves Human trafficking, as they are sold as
workers without salary, or almost no
salary, as sex slaves, as prostitutes, as
drug carrier, even for organ mining.
4. Monopolization Monopolization even protected by
legislation
5) Religious Bankruptcy
No Classical jahiliyyah Modern jahiliyyah
1. Polytheism Atheism/ Liberalism
2. Islam was branded as a religion
that split the family apart.
Islam is branded as a religion of cruelty,
terrorism and mistreating the women
3. Overly believe the superstitious
power.
Certain community repeat the same
practice of classical jahiliyyah while
some others are overly deny the
superstitious power including the high
power
4. Prioritizing forefathers’ traditions against
religion
Prioritizing Western conducts against
religion

10. Worshippers of grave and statue
CONCLUSION
1) Almost all practices of classical Jahiliyyah are be exercised in modern world, but
most of them are in worse condition
2) It is a task of Muslims as people who received Allah’s enlighten to deliver efforts to
correct this mistake according to their circumastances.
3) Just as the hideousness is worsening, the responsibility had also become more
difficult. But consciously or unconsciously, the tools and applications to carry out the
task are also more accessible.
4) Divine revelation (Qur’an and hadith) were the best guides, and always the best to
guide to overcome those symptoms, for those who meditate it.