Introduction:

The excuse of ignorance (udhr bil jahl) is a shari’ah principle that emanates from the Divine Justice and Mercy of Allah (عز و جل ), and when correctly applied, it is another sign of the supremacy and truthfulness of Islam. The general concept is that someone is neither accountable nor punishable for that which he/she has no knowledge of. This is applicable to both actions and detailed beliefs as these matters are concerning transmission of knowledge that is not available to a person in his normal state and he cannot be expected to arrive at these by means of the intellect alone.

The punishment for Kufr (disbelief) is not applied in this life - until a person has received the warning and the proof has been established upon him - this is a general rule agreed upon by most. Allah (عز و جل ) says:

 “…And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger.” [Al-Isra 17:15]

In this above ayah it is clear from Allah (عز و جل ) that, He does not punish anyone until the proof is established against him by the sending of a Messenger to him. However, we must immediately understand two points here. Firstly, this ayah is concerning ‘punishment’ and not the attribute of ‘belief’. i.e. this is not saying ‘everyone is a Muslim (believer) until the warning reaches him’. Rather the ayah means that people will not be punished until the warning reaches them.

Secondly, this ayah is about the punishment for those who have not yet received the message of Islam - it does not legitimise all acts of disbelief for everyone (all

people) - as some people could abuse this principle. One of the many reasons for the sending of Prophets was to remove the excuse of ignorance from the disbelievers on the Day of Judgement as Allah (عز و جل ) says:

“…In order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers…” [An-Nisa 4:165]

Ibn Mas'ood (رضي الله عنه ) narrated that Rasool (صلى الله عليه و سلم ) said:

“No one likes to give an excuse more than Allah, and this is why He sent the Prophets as givers of good news and as warners.” [Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

However today, many ‘deceived’ Muslims have misapplied the excuse of ignorance, and they have used ignorance as an excuse for not knowing the correct method of worshipping Allah (عز و جل ). In fact, ignorance in Islam is not an excuse but rather, it is a clear misguided path that will lead one to the Hell fire.

The Necessary Gateway to the fold of Islam:

According to the Divine Law (Hukm Shari’ah), a person is not a Muslim merely by attributing himself to Islam, or by a Muslim name or the utterance of some words. For a person to become a Muslim in reality, so that he can escape the eternal Fire, there are conditions in the shahadah that he has to accept and fulfil (this has already been explained with detail in the previous chapters). Also according to the Shari’ah, judgement on an individual, if he manifests his contradiction of the meaning of the Shahadah, then this may lead to the judgement of invalidity concerning his Islam. For a person to enter the fold of Islam, there is a minimum level of knowledge to be understood and accepted. That minimum level of knowledge, once accepted and affirmed is a foundation for the rest of the deen, and it is a gateway to the remaining beliefs and laws of Islam.

We can make an analogy here between a person who calls himself a doctor without ever having studied medicine or any other subject that would be required to qualify as a doctor. A sick patient would not approach such a person for medical treatment as this individual claiming to be a doctor would be completely ignorant of medical practice and thus be unable to cure the patient. Someone does not become a doctor just by claiming to be a doctor, or by intending to be a doctor, rather there is a basic level of knowledge required to qualify as a doctor. Similarly, a person is not a Muslim if he does not know what Islam is. He can claim to be a Muslim, or intend to be a Muslim, but if he is ignorant of the core Islamic belief, then he fails to become a Muslim.
It is amazing that people are so neglectful of founding their belief on sound knowledge and certainty - instead they are hopeful that some emotions and general Islamic concepts will be enough to save them from the Hell-fire. When people would not take such risks regarding their own health, which is a matter of short-term physical benefit, then it is even more appropriate that they do not take risks with their eternal condition - that is the affairs of the next life.

The Islamic belief originates through the acceptance of the general foundation of Islam, the Shahadah of “Ashhadu Allah ilaha illallah Wa Ashhadu ana Muhammad ar RasoolAllah.” The verbal testification of this statement qualifies a person to become a Muslim. The individual must understand this Shahadah and not contradict the essence of its meaning. After this general belief in the two foundations of the Shahadah, the Muslim must then accept everything that emanates from them. A Muslim not only has to believe in the fundamental pillars of Iman but also has to believe in the other important branches of Iman, both of these being the detailed beliefs, which are arrived at through transmission from the text, and thus are textual beliefs and can only be arrived at through conveyance. Whosoever ignored or rejected these detailed beliefs after hearing about them and their evidences, then such an individual would not be regarded as a Muslim but rather as an apostate (murtad) as he would have rejected the components of Islamic belief.

So by distinguishing between these two matters (the entrance into Islam and its minimum requirement of knowledge - and the detailed Islamic beliefs), we deduce that the excuse of ignorance applies to the person who is unaware of detailed beliefs only if prior to this he has understood and accepted the general basis of belief. Thus he is still regarded as a Muslim.

The one who is upon Shirk and is ignorant of the belief of Islam is still a mushrik, even though he has not heard the message to Islam. The excuse for him

is with regards to his punishment in the next life is as Allah (عز و جل ) wills, however this ignorance does not mean he is a Muslim. These are the two issues that contemporary Islamic callers have grouped together as though they are a single, unitary affair. The conditions of belief and the Shari’ah treatment of an individual concerning punishment or pardon are different matters that depend on various evidences and indicative actions. To confuse these specific and detailed matters would distort the Divine message of Islam and would result in making excuses where they would not apply or even guilt when it would not be justified.

Shari’ah Reasons why the ‘Excuse of Ignorance’ does not Apply in suspending Disbelief in cases of Major Shirk:

Evidences from the Quran

Allah (عز و جل ) says:

“So know La ilaha illallah…” [Muhammad 47:19]

The ayah is a direct command to know the meaning of La ilaha illallah. It is a command for certainty of belief in the conditions of the Shahadah. Knowledge ('ilm) is the first and indeed it is a condition for the validity of all other conditions. You cannot be truthful and certain about that which you do not know. Allah (عز و جل ) says:
 

“…Except those who bear witness to the truth and they know.” [Az-Zukhruf 43:86]

The exception of punishment is made for those who know the meaning of the Shahadah, i.e. understand it and affirm it with certainty. The ayah clarifies that to be Muslim; one must know the basis of Islam. The reader must be reminded that the cause of Islam is not ignorance; rather the cause of Islam is the knowledge of its basis. Allah (عز و جل ) says
 

“He it is who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them and teaching them the Book and the Al-Hikmah. And Verily, they had been before in manifest error (dalaalin mubeen).” [Al-Jumu’ah 62:2]

In the previous two Ayat it is made clear that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم ) came to those who were in a state of disbelief- they were not Muslimeen (people who truly worship Allah). The phase ‘unlettered ones’ possesses the meaning that they had not previously been guided by a revealed book. This ignorance however, did not suspend the classification of clear error (dalaalin mubeen) from them, a Quranic term that has been used for major kufr. e.g. Allah (عز و جل ) says:

“And when Ibraheem said to his father Aazar, ‘Do you take idols as aaliha (false deities)? Verily, I see you and your people in manifest error [dalaalin mubeen]’.” [Al-Anam 6:74]

And:

“When he said to his father and his people, ‘What are these images to which you are devoted?’ They said ‘We found our fathers worshipping them’ He (Ibraheem) said: ‘Indeed, you and your fathers have been in manifest error (dalaalin mubeen)’.” [Al-Anbiya 21:52-54]

And:

“Then the parties differed so woe unto the disbelievers from the meeting of a great Day. How clearly will they see and hear, the Day when they will appear before Us. But the Zalimoon today are in plain error (dalaalin mubeen).” [Maryam 19:37-38]

And:

“And the Fire will be placed in full view of the erring. And it will be said to them, ‘Where are those (false deities) that you used to worship, instead of Allah? Can they help you or (even) help themselves?’ Then they will be thrown on their faces into (the Fire) they and the Ghawoon (devils, and those who were in error), and the whole armies of Iblees (Shaitan) together. They will say while contending therein. ‘By Allah, we were truly in manifest error (dalaalin mubeen)’.” [Ash-Shu’ara 26:91-97]

And:

“This is the creation of Allah. So show Me that which those besides Him have created. Nay the Zalimoon are in manifest error (dalaalin mubeen).” [Luqman 31:11]

And:

“Shall I take besides Him Aaliha (deities of worship)? If Ar-Rahmaan (The Most Beneficient) intends me any harm, their intercession will be of no use for me whatsoever, nor can they save me. Then verily I should be in manifest error (dalaalin mubeen).” [Ya-Sin 36:23-24]

Allah (عز و جل ) says:
 

“Allah bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but He, and the angels and those having knowledge…” [Al-Imran 3:18]

This ayah connects the matter of worship to knowledge. This shows that knowledge is a cause of belief and ignorance is its opposite.

Allah (عز و جل ) also says:

“Those who disbelieve from among the people of the Book and the mushrikeen were not going to leave until there came to them the clear evidence. A Messenger from Allah reciting purified pages.” [Al-Baiyyinah 98:1-2]

In this ayah, Allah (عز و جل ) mentioned that the people were in a state of disbelief until the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم ) came to them. A point to be noted here is that the ayah declared them to be ‘Mushrikeen’ and it did not identify them to be ‘Muslimeen’. The ayah is very clear that knowledge and acceptance of the clear proof (Baiyyinat) is the necessary requirement of belief. Allah (عز و جل ) says:

“Say: ‘Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of their actions? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought they were acquiring good by their deeds. They are those who deny the ayat of their Lord and the Meeting with Him. So their actions are in vain. And on Yawmal Qiyaamah (day of reckoning) We shall give them no weight. That shall be their recompense, Hell, because they disbelieved and took My Ayat and My Messengers by way of jest and mockery.” [Al-Kahf 18:103-106]

In the above group of Ayat we see that there are those people who intend to do good but they lose everything because of their denial of the Ayat, which resulted in a false belief and misguidance. This proves that intentions alone are not sufficient to establish the correct belief and save one from the Fire. Some will argue that this group of Ayat are not relevant to the discussion of the excuse of ignorance, or that it even supports their view, because it says the cause of their

loss is denial of the ayat. However, we should know that there are two types of Ayat, firstly there are those signs of Allah (عز و جل ) in the creation and these are the rational evidences that establish our rational basis of belief.

Secondly there are those Ayat of Allah (عز و جل ) in his revealed text, the Quran. These second type of Ayat are actually established upon the first type, as one has to accept that the Quran is the Word of Allah (عز و جل ) based upon the evidences and signs proving the existence of Allah (عز و جل ) and the miracle of the Quran, before individual Ayat are accepted.

Indeed the kuffar (disbelievers) are condemned by Allah (عز و جل ) for rejecting the rational basis of the Quran. Man is challenged upon that in many different ways. Even if one was to restrict the meaning of Ayat here to the textual verses then this still does not contradict the fact that knowledge is transmitted in those Ayat - which, establishes a minimum requirement of valid belief. Therefore ignorance is not the cause of belief but rather knowledge is the cause of belief. Allah (عز و جل ) says:

“And as for those who disbelieve in their Lord is the torment of Hell and worst indeed is that destination. When they are cast therein, they will hear the (terrible) drawing in of its breath as it blazes forth. It almost bursts up with fury. When they are cast therein, its keeper will ask, ‘Did no warner come to you?’ They will say, ‘Yes indeed, a warner did come to us, but we belied him and said, ‘Allah never sent down anything you are only in great

error’, And they will say; ‘Had we but listened or used our intellects we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire!’.” [Al-Mulk 67:6-10]

This is another Ayah that is used to justify the Shirk by the Mushrikeen. However, it is actually against them. The ayah explains that as people enter the Fire they admit that Prophets did approach them - and indeed they have come and the final Prophet has come. From among the worst of those mushrikeen are those leaders and governments of today who make laws or take kufr laws and make themselves as legislators. These people often have much wealth and all the resources of the country are available to them, yet they give orders to imprison, torture or murder those who oppose their shirk, so indeed they received the warning and rejected it.

Also the fact that the ayah mentions about the warning to them is a confirmation of the fact that the belief is a matter of acceptance of the foundation of belief rather than the ignorance of it. Thirdly, this Ayah is very clear in its connection with knowledge as it mentions that these disbelievers will confess that they did not listen or use their intellects. Therefore the belief is connected to a minimum requirement of knowledge and the understanding of that knowledge. The one who does not use his intellect will not understand the belief (aqeedah) that will save him. Therefore ignorance is a cause of people entering the Hellfire. There is no way that the mere utterance of the shahadah establishes belief in a person, rather he must have a minimum level of knowledge that he affirms and if he contradicted that minimum level then attribution of belief is suspended from him.

Allah (عز و جل ) says:

“Yet they have taken besides Him Aalihah (deities of worship) that created nothing but are themselves created and possess neither harm nor benefit

for themselves and possess no power (of causing) death nor (of giving) life nor of raising the dead.” [Al-Furqan 25:3]

This ayah is one among many we could have chosen to prove the same point. Like many other ayat it connects the matter of worshipping Allah (عز و جل ) to the belief that Allah (عز و جل ) is the only Creator of everything (Rabb ul Aalameen), through rational proof and thus criticizing and blaming the one who does not agree with that. Allah (عز و جل ) made clear that the knowledge and ignorance are not the same. They are not the same in any respect - neither in their reality, nor in their results in this life, not in their status or in their ultimate outcome as Allah (عز و جل ) says:

“Say: Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” [Az-Zumar 39:9]
This Ayah is general to all types of knowledge - that is the knowledge of Shahadah and the knowledge of the detailed beliefs and the laws. How can we say that the one who is ignorant of the meaning of Shahadah is a Muslim just as one not making any Shirk? This is ridiculous and Allah (عز و جل ) emphasized the difference emphatically when He (عز و جل ) says:

“Not alike are the blind and the seeing; Nor are (alike) darkness and the light; Nor are (alike) shade and sun's heat; Nor are the living (believers)

equal with the dead (disbelievers). Verily, Allah makes whom He wills to hear, but you cannot make hear those who are in the graves. You are only a warner.” [Fatir 35:19-23]
The Ansar (people of Madina) were attributed to disbelief before the news of the Prophet reached them as Allah (عز و جل ) says:

“…and remember Allah’s favour on you, for you were enemies of one another but He joined your hearts together, so that by His Grace you became brothers, and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire and He saved you from it…” [Al-Imran 3:103]

Allah (عز و جل ) says:

“And say to those who were given the Book and to those who are illiterate ‘Do you submit yourselves?’ If they do, they are rightly guided but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the message. And Allah is All-Seer of (His) worshippers.” [Al-Imran 3:20]

Allah (عز و جل ) also says:

“Say ‘This is my way, I call to Allah, with baseerah (insight/knowledge) I and whosoever follows me, glory to Allah and I am not of the mushrikeen’.” [Yusuf 12:108]

This makes very clear that worship of Allah (عز و جل ) is based upon knowledge and that the Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم ) called to Allah (عز و جل ) based upon knowledge and that is the case with all who follow him. They cannot be Muslim except through knowledge of La ilaha illallah. Allah (عز و جل ) says:

“…Who is more wrong than those who invent a lie against Allah to make men astray without knowledge? Verily, Allah will not guide the people who are Zalimoon (wrong-doers polytheists).” [Al-Anam 6:144]

This clearly mentions ignorance as the cause of disbelief rather than prevention to disbelief. Allah (عز و جل ) says:

“…but those who disbelieve invent a lie against Allah though most of them have no understanding.” [Al-Maidah 5:103]

So what clearer proof do people require concerning the fact that disbelief may be caused by ignorance? Allah (عز و جل ) is mentioning that most of those doing this kufr are doing it in ignorance. Allah (عز و جل ) says:

“You do not worship besides Him but only names which you have named, you and your fathers, for which Allah has sent down no authority. The command is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him, that is the straight deen but most men know not.” [Yusuf 12:40]

The ayah is absolutely clear that most people are not upon the straight deen of islam because they are ignorant and following each other in shirk, ignorance is the cause of their disbelief. Allah (عز و جل ) says:

“Say ‘Do you command me to worship other than Allah, O you ignorant ones (jahiloon)?’” [Az-Zumar 39:64]
The ayah is clear in showing ignorance to be the attribute of those who call to shirk.

Allah (عز و جل ) says:

“And if anyone of the Mushrikoon seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the Word of Allah, and then escort him to where he can be secure, that is because they are men who know not.” [At-Taubah 9:6]

This ayah contains two proofs showing that ignorance is not a suspension to the judgement of major kufr in the case of shirk. Firstly, the ayah called the people mushrikoon before they have heard the Word of Allah (الله عز و جل ). Secondly, the ayah ended by attributing the cause of there shirk to ignorance.

Evidences from the Sunnah

1) Uthmaan (رضي الله عنه ) reported that Nabi (صلى الله عليه و سلم ) said:

“He who dies knowing La ilaha illallah shall enter Paradise.”
[Reported by Muslim]

This hadeeth shows that knowledge of the meaning of the shahadah is a condition of its validity. Therefore ignorance is not an excuse to suspend the judgement of kufr from a person; rather it is one of the major causes of kufr.

2) Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه ) reported that Nabi (صلى الله عليه و سلم ) said:

“By Him in whose Hand is the Soul of Muhammad, there is not one from the nations of the Jews and the Christians who hears about me and then dies while he has not believed in what I have been sent with except that he will be one of the companions of the Fire”. [Reported by Muslim in kitaabul Imaan]

We see from this hadith that merely hearing of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم ) may be enough for a person to be in the Fire, if he is not accepted as the Proplet of Allah. This is concerning accepting of Prophet-hood and is secondary to matters of tawheed. Some may seek to use this evidence to prove that a person is not a disbeliever until the evidence is made clear to him. In fact, the evidence does not give weight to that, and this is because the evidence merely says that the one who is unaware of the Prophet-hood will not be punished for rejecting the Prophet-hood. It does not call those people believers. The subject matter of this evidence is the finality of Prophet-hood and not matters of tawheed.

3) Anas (رضي الله عنه ) reported that a man said:

‘Oh Messenger of Allah, where is my father?’ He (صلى الله عليه و سلم ) said: “In the Fire”, So when the man went off, he (صلى الله عليه و سلم ) called him and said: “Indeed my father and your father are in the Fire.” [Reported by Muslim]

This hadeeth is an evidence indicating that the classifications of people who have not yet received the evidence are not ‘muslim’. The father of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم ) lived before the final revelation and after the time of the

previous revelation’s purity, due to the ignorance caused by this, he was not called a ‘believer’ as some would suggest.

4) Iyaad bin Himaar (رضي الله عنه ) reported that Nabi (صلى الله عليه و سلم ), while delivering a sermon one day, said:

“Behold, my Lord commanded me that I should teach you that which you do not know and that which He has taught me today.  (He has instructed thus): The property which I have conferred upon them is lawful for them. I have created My worshippers as one having a natural inclination to the worship of Allah (عز و جل ) but it is Shaitan who turns them away from the right religion. He makes unlawful that which has been declared lawful for them and he commands them to ascribe partnership to Me (عز و جل )", although he has no justification for that.  Verily, Allah (عز و جل ) looked towards the people of the world and He showed hatred for the Arabs and the non-Arabs, with the exception of some remnants from the People of the Book.  He (further) said: I have sent you (the Prophet) in order to put you to the test and put (those to the test) through you. I sent the Book to you, which cannot be washed away by water, so that you may recite it while in the state of wakefulness or sleep."  Verily, Allah (عز و جل ) commanded me to burn (kill) the Quraish.  I said: My Lord, they would break my head (like the tearing) of bread.  Allah said: You turn them out as they turned you out, you fight against them and We shall help you in this, you spend and you will be given more. You send an army and I shall send an army five times greater than that. Fight with those who obey you against those who disobey you. 
The inmates of Paradise are of three types: one who wields authority and is just and fair; one who is truthful and has been endowed with power to do good deeds; and the person who is merciful and kind-hearted towards his relatives and to every pious Muslim, and who does not stretch out his hand in spite of having a large family to support. 
He continued: The inmates of Hell are of five types: the weak who lack power to (avoid evil), the (carefree) who pursue (everything irrespective of the fact that it is good or evil) and who do not have any care for their family or for their wealth those dishonest people whose greed cannot be concealed even in the case of minor things; and the third type, who betrays you morning and evening, in regard to your family and your property.  He also mentioned the miser the liar and those who are in the habit of abusing people and using obscene and foul language.

Abu Ghassan in his narration did not mention: "Spend and there would be spent for you.” [This hadith is reported by Muslim]
This hadeeth shows that at the time of the dawning of Islam the majority of people were in a state of disbelief.

5) Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه ) reported that Nabi (صلى الله عليه و سلم ) said:

“Every child is born on the Fitrah (of Islam), but his parents make him a Jew or a Christian. It is like the way an animal gives birth to a normal offspring. Have you noticed any born mutilated before you mutilate them?”
[Reported by Bukhari and Muslim]

This hadeeth proves that firstly, there is no excuse of ignorance due to the fact that it is the Fitrah that drew us towards the truth. People only contradicted their original state by submitting to the corrupting influences around them. Secondly, the hadith explains that the people are being drawn into kufr by their families, friends and society and thus they can not be classed as Muslim once this corruption has drawn them into shirk.

This is supported by the following hadith: “A man is upon the deen of his close friend so look to whom you befriend.” [Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhi]
When it is kept in mind that the disbelievers knew all of this only too well, is it not very strange indeed for a person to claim he is a Muslim while not knowing as much of his deen as the disbelievers of Makkah knew, while he pays lip service to the letter of confession of faith without believing anything of its meaning, without committing himself to it. The precocious among such modernists believe that tawheed means merely the belief that Allah (عز و جل ) is the sole Creator, Provider and Ruler. Are not the plebeians among the disbelievers more knowledgeable and hence worthier than him?
If all this is perfectly clear to you, and you have come to know with certainty the nature of disbelief which Allah (عز و جل ) said:

“Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom he wills.” [An-Nisa 4:48]

Conclusion:
It is clear from what has been mentioned above, that the excuse of ignorance is a principle that has been misapplied by the majority of people today which includes scholars and their blind followers (muqalideen) to justify kufr in spheres, which have no shari’ah justification.
Belief consists of its foundation and entry point and then its pillars and branches ignorance of the pillars and branches is not the same as ignorance of its primary foundation and entry point. If a person is ignorant of the door of entry and does not enter it in reality, even though he thinks he has, then he is not in the house but outside of it. What’s more, ignorance of a matter and a suspension of punishment does not equate with the presence of belief. Rather, we must distinguish between Divine Evidence whose subject is punishment and other evidence whose subject is the attribute of belief and its signs and causes. If we distinguish between these subjects then we will understand that there is a minimum level of knowledge that is required to enter into the fold of Islam and that the absence of this knowledge will mean the person is not a Muslim, even if they have a legitimate excuse of ignorance to delay their punishment either in this world or in the next world. We could have mentioned many more principles concerning the belief along with accompanying evidence from Quran and Sunnah to further prove the basis we have mentioned. However, we have already more than sufficiently proven this fact and there is no need to elaborate upon that which is clear.