The Issue of Excuse by Ignorance
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Question:
What is your opinion, Your Eminence, regarding the issue of excuse by ignorance, particularly in matters of creed? Please clarify this matter for us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Creed is the most important of matters, and it is the greatest obligatory duty. Its reality is faith in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and the divine decree, its good and its evil. It is also faith that He (Glorified and Exalted is He) is the one who is worthy of worship, and the testimony to that, which is the testimony: "There is no god but Allah." The believer testifies that there is no true object of worship except He and the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, whom Allah sent to the two groups, the jinn and mankind, and he is the seal of the prophets. All of this is necessary, and this is the core of the creed. Therefore, this is necessary for both men and women alike, and it is the foundation of the religion and the foundation of the faith.
It is also obligatory to believe in what Allah and His Messenger informed us of regarding the Day of Resurrection, Paradise and Hellfire, the Reckoning and the recompense, the spreading of the records and their being taken in the right hand or the left hand, the scale of weighing deeds, and so on, from what the Qur'anic verses and the Prophetic hadiths have brought.
Ignorance of this is not an excuse. On the contrary, it is obligatory for him to know this and to reflect upon it. He is not excused by saying, "I am ignorant of these matters," when he is among the Muslims, and the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) have reached him. This is called turning away; it is called being heedless and willfully ignorant of this great matter, so he is not excused.
As for the one who is far from the Muslims, in the outlying regions where there are no Muslims, and the Qur'an and the Sunnah have not reached him, then he is excused. His ruling is the ruling of the people of the interval (al-fatra) if he dies in this state. His ruling is the ruling of the people of the intervals who are tested on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever responds and obeys the command enters Paradise, and whoever disobeys enters the Fire.
As for the issues that may be hidden from some people at times, such as some rulings of prayer, or some rulings of zakah, or some rulings of Hajj, these may be excused by ignorance, and there is no blame in that, because they are hidden from many people, and not everyone is able to understand the jurisprudence of them.
These issues are easier in their matter. It is obligatory for the believer to learn, to understand the religion, and to ask the people of knowledge, as Allah, the Exalted, said: [Surat al-Nahl: 43]. It is also narrated from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said to a people who gave fatwas without knowledge: Sunan al-Bayhaqi 1:995, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 1037a.
Therefore, it is obligatory for Muslim men and women to gain understanding of the religion, to be discerning, to ask about what is unclear, not to remain silent in the face of ignorance, not to turn away, and not to be heedless. This is because they were created to worship Allah and obey Him and there is no way to that except through knowledge. Knowledge is not obtained like this without seeking and asking. It is necessary to seek knowledge, and it is necessary to ask the people of knowledge so that the ignorant one may learn. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
What is your opinion, Your Eminence, regarding the issue of excuse by ignorance, particularly in matters of creed? Please clarify this matter for us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Creed is the most important of matters, and it is the greatest obligatory duty. Its reality is faith in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and the divine decree, its good and its evil. It is also faith that He (Glorified and Exalted is He) is the one who is worthy of worship, and the testimony to that, which is the testimony: "There is no god but Allah." The believer testifies that there is no true object of worship except He and the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, whom Allah sent to the two groups, the jinn and mankind, and he is the seal of the prophets. All of this is necessary, and this is the core of the creed. Therefore, this is necessary for both men and women alike, and it is the foundation of the religion and the foundation of the faith.
It is also obligatory to believe in what Allah and His Messenger informed us of regarding the Day of Resurrection, Paradise and Hellfire, the Reckoning and the recompense, the spreading of the records and their being taken in the right hand or the left hand, the scale of weighing deeds, and so on, from what the Qur'anic verses and the Prophetic hadiths have brought.
Ignorance of this is not an excuse. On the contrary, it is obligatory for him to know this and to reflect upon it. He is not excused by saying, "I am ignorant of these matters," when he is among the Muslims, and the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) have reached him. This is called turning away; it is called being heedless and willfully ignorant of this great matter, so he is not excused.
As for the one who is far from the Muslims, in the outlying regions where there are no Muslims, and the Qur'an and the Sunnah have not reached him, then he is excused. His ruling is the ruling of the people of the interval (al-fatra) if he dies in this state. His ruling is the ruling of the people of the intervals who are tested on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever responds and obeys the command enters Paradise, and whoever disobeys enters the Fire.
As for the issues that may be hidden from some people at times, such as some rulings of prayer, or some rulings of zakah, or some rulings of Hajj, these may be excused by ignorance, and there is no blame in that, because they are hidden from many people, and not everyone is able to understand the jurisprudence of them.
These issues are easier in their matter. It is obligatory for the believer to learn, to understand the religion, and to ask the people of knowledge, as Allah, the Exalted, said:
So ask the people of the message if you do not know.
فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَWhy did they not ask when they did not know? Indeed, the cure for ignorance is asking.
ألا سألوا إذ لم يعلموا، إنما شفاء العي السؤالHe upon whom Allah intends to bestow goodness, He confers upon him an insight in religion
من يرد الله به خيرًا يفقهه في الدينTherefore, it is obligatory for Muslim men and women to gain understanding of the religion, to be discerning, to ask about what is unclear, not to remain silent in the face of ignorance, not to turn away, and not to be heedless. This is because they were created to worship Allah and obey Him and there is no way to that except through knowledge. Knowledge is not obtained like this without seeking and asking. It is necessary to seek knowledge, and it is necessary to ask the people of knowledge so that the ignorant one may learn. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.