Bismillaah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

as-Salaamu`alaykum wa rahmatuAllaahi wa barakaatahuh Class Attendees and Site Visitors!  Welcome!

To Summarize The Book entitled: "Aspects of the Days of Ignorance (Masaa'il-ul-Jaahiliyyah)"

A classical work written by one of the great Imaams of the past, Shaikh-ul-Islaam Muhammad Ibn 'Abd-il-Wahhaab, rahimahullaah. The book Masaa'il-ul-Jaahiliyyah (Aspects of the Days of Ignorance) is a small treatise consisting of a few pages, which is basically a summarized list of a hundred and twenty-eight points - each point representing one aspect of belief or practice that the people of the Days of Ignorance were upon, which Islaam came to oppose.

The subject matter of this treatise is one of great importance, for the aspects of the Days of Ignorance have not ceased to be acted upon till this very day. And the people that call towards these misguided beliefs and practices of the Days of Ignorance are many, such as the innovators and the people of desire.

The time and environment in which the Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, was sent to was founded upon ignorance. It was a time in which the people of the Arab peninsula were praying to statues and idols, supplicating to deceased humans, burying their newborn daughters alive, clans carried out feuds for years, and owners would beat their slaves severely. This was the point in time where guidance was not to be found, and those who held the books once revealed by Allaah, had changed them in order to acquire a small gain in this worldly life. Thus the people did not know the truth from falsehood, and because of this, they created many practices and incorporated many beliefs of which Allaah sent no authority for. These practices and beliefs were what the Prophet, sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, was challenged with when he came with the guidance and the Religion of truth. So Allaah commanded His Messenger to oppose and contradict the disbelievers in what they were upon from beliefs and actions, except for that which He allowed to continue.

So the Days of Ignorance became the opposite of Islaam. The author of this book, Imaam Muhammad Ibn 'Abdil-Wahhaab, rahimahullaah, indicates this valuable point in the introduction of his treatise, saying: "This is since with (understanding) one side of the opposite, the goodness of the other side of the opposite can be made apparent. And it is by (making apparent the) opposite of something that matters become clarified."

Therefore if one studies one side of the opposite, which is the aspects of the Days of Ignorance, in this case, he can better appreciate and understand the other side of the opposite, which is Islaam. This is since the message of Islaam came to eradicate many of the false and misguided practices and beliefs popular amongst the people of that time and location. Therefore, it is hoped that the reader can better understand what Islaam consists of, by seeing what it's opposite - the Days of Ignorance - was about.

Class Notes:  The First Three Aspects were discussed on January 2, 2006@ 7:00 PM in the **Back To Basics** Room Under The RELIGION AND THEORY CATEGORY, Sub-Category: Islam

which is meeting on an indefinite schedule as to be formally announced @ 7:00 PM EST, 12 MIDNIGHT GMT, 4:00 PM PACIFIC TIME - CHECK ROOM LISTINGS.

YOU MAY DOWNLOAD PALTALK @ http://www.paltalk.com

Check Modules on This Site: For Book Purchase Information, PDF Download Information in English and in Arabic.  Thank you!