The Issue of Excuse by Ignorance
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
A message was received by this program from Asyut in the Arab Republic of Egypt, sent by a brother of ours from there, Taha ibn Muhammad ibn Mahmud ibn 'Abd al-Baqi.
Our brother Taha has a collection of questions. For example, he asks: What is the position of the Salaf (may Allah have mercy on them), such as Imam Ibn Taymiyyah and Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, regarding the issue of ignorance as an excuse? Is it a valid concept? Did the Salaf address it? Or is it invalid and has no basis in the issue of tawhid (the oneness of Allah)?
Answer:
Ignorance, in general, may be an excuse, and it may not be an excuse.
If the person of legal age is far from the people of Islam and the people of knowledge, such as one who grows up in lands far from the Muslims, and the message, the Qur'an, and the Sunnah have not reached him, then he is excused due to ignorance. He will have the ruling of the people of the intervals (ahl al-fatarat) on the Day of Resurrection: they will be tested, and if they respond, they will enter Paradise, and if they disobey, they will enter the Fire.
He may also be excused in minor matters in the branches of jurisprudence that may be hidden from someone like him, just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) excused the man wearing the fur coat when he entered the state of ihram wearing the fur coat and applying perfume. He had entered the state of ihram for 'Umrah, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: He did not order him to pay a fidyah (ransom payment) for wearing the fur coat or for applying the perfume, due to his ignorance.
So the conclusion is that ignorance is an excuse in matters where such issues in the branches of jurisprudence may be hidden, or in the case of one who is far from the Muslims and from hearing the Qur'an and the Sunnah, such as the people of lands far from the Muslims at the edges of the world, and like the people of the intervals (ahl al-fatarat) to whom the messages did not reach. These people are excused due to ignorance.
The correct view is that they will be tested on the Day of Resurrection, and whoever responds to the command will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys will enter the Fire. As for one who is among the Muslims, who hears the Qur'an and hears the Sunnah, he is not excused, neither in 'aqidah (creed) nor in anything else. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said: [Al-An'am: 19] Allah made the Qur'an a warner, and Muhammad made him a warner. So the Qur'an is a warner and Muhammad is a warner. Therefore, the one to whom the Qur'an and the Sunnah reach, and who lives among the Muslims, is not excused. He has to ask, he has to gain knowledge of the religion, and he has to learn. And Allah is the One to be asked for help.
The presenter: And Allah is the Helper, may Allah reward you with good.
A message was received by this program from Asyut in the Arab Republic of Egypt, sent by a brother of ours from there, Taha ibn Muhammad ibn Mahmud ibn 'Abd al-Baqi.
Our brother Taha has a collection of questions. For example, he asks: What is the position of the Salaf (may Allah have mercy on them), such as Imam Ibn Taymiyyah and Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, regarding the issue of ignorance as an excuse? Is it a valid concept? Did the Salaf address it? Or is it invalid and has no basis in the issue of tawhid (the oneness of Allah)?
Answer:
Ignorance, in general, may be an excuse, and it may not be an excuse.
If the person of legal age is far from the people of Islam and the people of knowledge, such as one who grows up in lands far from the Muslims, and the message, the Qur'an, and the Sunnah have not reached him, then he is excused due to ignorance. He will have the ruling of the people of the intervals (ahl al-fatarat) on the Day of Resurrection: they will be tested, and if they respond, they will enter Paradise, and if they disobey, they will enter the Fire.
He may also be excused in minor matters in the branches of jurisprudence that may be hidden from someone like him, just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) excused the man wearing the fur coat when he entered the state of ihram wearing the fur coat and applying perfume. He had entered the state of ihram for 'Umrah, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him:
Remove the fur coat from you and wash the perfume from you, and do in your 'Umrah what you would do in your Hajj.
انزع عنك الجبة واغسل عنك الخلوق، واصنع في عمرتك ما أنت صانع في حجتكSo the conclusion is that ignorance is an excuse in matters where such issues in the branches of jurisprudence may be hidden, or in the case of one who is far from the Muslims and from hearing the Qur'an and the Sunnah, such as the people of lands far from the Muslims at the edges of the world, and like the people of the intervals (ahl al-fatarat) to whom the messages did not reach. These people are excused due to ignorance.
The correct view is that they will be tested on the Day of Resurrection, and whoever responds to the command will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys will enter the Fire. As for one who is among the Muslims, who hears the Qur'an and hears the Sunnah, he is not excused, neither in 'aqidah (creed) nor in anything else. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:
And this Qur'an was revealed to me that I may warn you thereby and whomever it reaches.
وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَنْ بَلَغَThe presenter: And Allah is the Helper, may Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.