The Definitive Statement on the Excuse of Ignorance and Its Limits
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Question:
A questioner says: May Allah reward you with good. What is the definitive statement regarding the issue of the excuse of ignorance, and what are its limits?
Answer:
Ignorance is an excuse for one who is in a remote land to which the Qur'an has not reached, and to which nothing of the call of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has reached, in a remote land to which nothing has reached. This is rare. The call has now reached the East and the West through the conquests and jihad in the path of Allah, and in our present time through the media. The call has reached the East and the West, and I do not think there is anyone here who has not received it, even those in the remote areas, even those in the remote areas have received it, and the shepherds in the wilderness have received it through radio and other means of communication. So the call has reached the call to all people, the East and the West. Therefore, no one is excused by ignorance. Second, the obscure matters that require clarification from the scholars of knowledge; in these, one is excused by ignorance. The matters that are obscure in themselves and require clarification; the one who is ignorant of them is excused until it is clarified to him.
As for the clear matters and what is known from the religion by necessity, such as the obligation of prayer, zakah, and fasting in Ramadan, and before that, the obligation of the oneness of Allah and singling Him out for worship, the prohibition of riba (usury or interest), the prohibition of zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), the prohibition of gambling, and the prohibition of bribery; these are clear matters. No one is excused by ignorance of them because they are known from the religion by necessity, and everyone knows them. Yes.
A questioner says: May Allah reward you with good. What is the definitive statement regarding the issue of the excuse of ignorance, and what are its limits?
Answer:
Ignorance is an excuse for one who is in a remote land to which the Qur'an has not reached, and to which nothing of the call of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has reached, in a remote land to which nothing has reached. This is rare. The call has now reached the East and the West through the conquests and jihad in the path of Allah, and in our present time through the media. The call has reached the East and the West, and I do not think there is anyone here who has not received it, even those in the remote areas, even those in the remote areas have received it, and the shepherds in the wilderness have received it through radio and other means of communication. So the call has reached the call to all people, the East and the West. Therefore, no one is excused by ignorance. Second, the obscure matters that require clarification from the scholars of knowledge; in these, one is excused by ignorance. The matters that are obscure in themselves and require clarification; the one who is ignorant of them is excused until it is clarified to him.
As for the clear matters and what is known from the religion by necessity, such as the obligation of prayer, zakah, and fasting in Ramadan, and before that, the obligation of the oneness of Allah and singling Him out for worship, the prohibition of riba (usury or interest), the prohibition of zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), the prohibition of gambling, and the prohibition of bribery; these are clear matters. No one is excused by ignorance of them because they are known from the religion by necessity, and everyone knows them. Yes.
Source
قضية العذر بالجهل — alfawzan.live
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.