BENEFIT 289: Ignorance is Divided Into TWO TYPES

1. جهل إدراك؛ وهو عدم معرفة المعلوم على حقيقته Ignorance of comprehension, which is lacking knowledge of something in its true form. 2. عدم القبول للمعلوم ولو عرفه وأدركه. Refusal to accept [the truth], even after acknowledging and understanding it. Both meanings are found in the Qur'ān. The first type is exemplified in the saying of Allāh: ﴿قَالُوا۟ سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ لَا عِلۡمَ لَنَاۤ إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمۡتَنَاۤۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَلِیمُ ٱلۡحَكِیمُ﴾ "They (angels) said: Glory be to You, we have no knowledge except what you have taught us. Verily, it is You, the All-Knower, the All-Wise." [Surah Al-Baqarah: 32] Additionally, Allāh says: ﴿لِلۡفُقَرَاۤءِ ٱلَّذِینَ أُحۡصِرُوا۟ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِ لَا یَسۡتَطِیعُونَ ضَرۡبࣰا فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ یَحۡسَبُهُمُ ٱلۡجَاهِلُ أَغۡنِیَاۤءَ مِنَ ٱلتَّعَفُّفِ تَعۡرِفُهُم بِسِیمَـٰهُمۡ لَا یَسۡـَٔلُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ إِلۡحَافࣰاۗ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا۟ مِنۡ خَیۡرࣲ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِیمٌ﴾ "[Charity is] for the poor who have been restricted for the cause of Allāh, unable to move about in the land. An ignorant [person] would think them self-sufficient because of their restraint, but you will know them by their [characteristic] sign. They do not ask people persistently [or at all]. And whatever you spend of good - indeed, Allāh is Knowing of it." [Surah Al-Baqarah: 273] An example of the second, which is more commonly found in the Qur'ān, is the ignorance of acceptance (i.e., the ignorance of acting in accordance with knowledge). This is reflected in the saying of Allāh: ﴿وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱللَّغۡوَ أَعۡرَضُوا۟ عَنۡهُ وَقَالُوا۟ لَنَاۤ أَعۡمَـٰلُنَا وَلَكُمۡ أَعۡمَـٰلُكُمۡ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَیۡكُمۡ لَا نَبۡتَغِی ٱلۡجَـٰهِلِینَ﴾ "When they hear slanderous talk, they turn away from it, saying, “We are accountable for our deeds and you for yours. Peace ˹is our only response˺ to you! We want nothing to do with those who act ignorantly.” [Surah Al-Qaṣaṣ: 55] ﴿خُذِ ٱلۡعَفۡوَ وَأۡمُرۡ بِٱلۡعُرۡفِ وَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنِ ٱلۡجَـٰهِلِینَ﴾ "Take what is given freely, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant." [Surah Al-Aʿrāf: 199] The Benefit of This Categorisation: From this categorisation, we understand that when Allāh mentions ignorance in relation to shirk or kufr in the Qur'ān, it generally refers to the second type of ignorance (refusal to accept the truth), not the ignorance of comprehension. If it were referring to ignorance of comprehension, then those described as disbelievers or polytheists would not be punished with painful torment despite their ignorance. If this were the case, what would then be the purpose of sending messengers as bearers of good news and warnings? We learn from this that the knowledge negated for the disbelievers is the knowledge of acceptance. As for the knowledge of comprehension, it is established by the clear evidence presented to them, as Allāh says about Fir’awn and his people: ﴿وَجَحَدُوا۟ بِهَا وَٱسۡتَیۡقَنَتۡهَاۤ أَنفُسُهُمۡ ظُلۡمࣰا وَعُلُوࣰّاۚ فَٱنظُرۡ كَیۡفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِینَ﴾ "And, although their hearts were convinced the signs were true, they still denied them wrongfully and arrogantly. See then what was the end of the corruptors!" [Surah An-Naml: 14] Similarly, Allāh says about the People of the Scripture: ﴿ٱلَّذِینَ ءَاتَیۡنَـٰهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ یَعۡرِفُونَهُۥ كَمَا یَعۡرِفُونَ أَبۡنَاۤءَهُمۡۖ وَإِنَّ فَرِیقࣰا مِّنۡهُمۡ لَیَكۡتُمُونَ ٱلۡحَقَّ وَهُمۡ یَعۡلَمُونَ﴾ "Those We have given the Scripture recognise this ˹Prophet˺ as they recognise their own children. Yet a group of them hides the truth knowingly." [Surah Al-Baqarah: 146] ___ القول الفصل في العذر بالجهل 12-13