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The Religion Of The Ignorant
The Common Psychology And Forms Of Behavior In Ignorantism
The philosophy of life and rules of Ignorantism stem from a superstitious belief that is the exact opposite of the Qur'an's moral values. This wicked mentality dominates a person's entire life and society regards it as natural. Attitudes and behavior described as models of poor moral values in many places in the Qur'an are usually accepted as legitimate and applicable by those who live by the Religion of the Ignorant. This false religion is a lifestyle wherein
Society possesses a number of rules inherited from its forebears. In unbelieving societies, its adherents say, "... We found our fathers following a religion and we are simply following in their footsteps" (Surat az-Zukhruf, 23). They preserved these rules almost as if they were Divine laws.
It's not at all easy to step outside these laws' boundaries. Everything is done according to these predetermined rules, from ways of eating to the time people go to bed, from ways of displaying love and affection to welcoming guests. Everyone who selects this false religion and wants to progress within it is obliged to adopt a style and attitude that the great majority approves of. Indeed, the expert manifestation of these attitudes is regarded as a measure of superiority. Choices are made not for the sake of Allah but according to the misguided rules and measures set out by the religion of the ignorant. Among adherents of Ignorantism, this distorted mentality leads to wide-ranging defects of character and behavior. Below are some of the most important.
1- Affected Attitudes And Behavior
Instead of the sincerity, naturalness and authenticity found in Islam, the Religion of the Ignorant contains artificial attitudes and behaviors, far distant from sincerity. Specially adjusted, they gradually become a part and parcel of the individual's character.
As a result of his distorted mindset, an adherent of Ignorantism quickly reveals himself with the artificial behavior and gestures of his insincere style. Each of these artificial attitudes and forms of behavior is intended toward a particular end, such as communicating a message, attracting attention, showing off, or furthering personal interests.
Communicating Messages
In the Religion of the Ignorant, the expression of emotions is generally based not on speech, but on looks and behavior. Individuals cannot reconcile the open expression of many emotions with their own self-esteem. They therefore express emotions indirectly, through their actions and behavior. Such behavioral defects constitute the basic identity structure of adherents of Ignorantism. "Uncomfortable" feelings such as anger, irritation, envy, desire and admiration are often expressed indirectly.
In contrast to the nobility in Islam, coarseness is the dominant theme in Ignorantism. Silent protests, such as turning away in anger during arguments among friends, refusing to speak, suddenly turning one's back and storming out, sulking for protracted periods of time, deliberately not laughing at comical things, or wearing down the opposing side by refusing to answer or giving curt and abrupt responses are just a few of these vulgar, banal forms of behavior.
Giving Oneself Airs and Belittling Others
Adherents of the Religion of the Ignorant constantly seek to establish superiority over one another, and do everything they can to put others down, because they imagine they can rise to the top only by pushing others down.
Workplace supervisors or people of high rank generally use behavior such as appearing irritable and abrupt, or giving the impression that they are very busy and have no time for their own subordinates. Engaging in behavior that makes it clear one has no respect for others is regarded as quite justifiable in Ignorantism. One way of belittling other people in this religion is to address only certain individuals in a group, to look only at them and to ignore everyone else. Another device frequently employed is to address everyone around but the person whom one does not want to appear to be dealing with directly, even though one knows that he is interested in that particular subject.
Continuing to do what one was busy doing while another is talking, displaying as little interest as possible by refusing to look at someone who is talking, or deliberately avoiding to answer a question even though one has clearly heard it, are seen as signs of strong personality in Ignorantism. Appearing to have risen above certain things is seen as one way of attaining superiority. As a means of belittlement, the appearance of being uninterested is scrupulously adopted in all walks of life. For instance, it's very important to be the one who's greeted first. Great care is taken to ensure the other person utters the first "Hello!". Ignoring a greeting is another oft-used method of belittling another. Yet the moral criterion revealed in the Qur'an is quite different:
Seeking to achieve superiority over others by means of artificial actions and behavior, and to conceal one's own flaws and deficiencies, are defects seen in those who lack full belief in Allah and the Hereafter. Believers trust only in Allah and fear nothing but Him, but adherents of the Religion of the Ignorant, who fail to appreciate Allah as is due, live in a constant state of fear, insecurity, restlessness and flawed identity. Being humiliated in front of others, being left behind or ignored, all represent major problems for such people. They, therefore, develop a so-called internal defense mechanism, which constitutes one of their major weaknesses. In order to conceal that weakness in society, they generally act from the wicked logic of "An attack is the best form of defense."
The Behavioral Disorder Of People Living By The Religion Of The Ignorant: "Arrogance"
ADNAN OKTAR: Pharaohs and nimrods also have this self-centredness that man has. When it covers all one's body, one goes mad. He loses his consciousness. He becomes evil. This is the attribute of dajjals, pharaohs and nimrods. This also holds true for man. That is, that body goes out of control, the man goes mad out of pride, self-centeredness and arrogance. You can no longer keep him under control; then he almost totally loses his consciousness. Said Nursi says, "The whole body becomes engrossed in arrogance." He becomes insane out of arrogance, out of self-pride. He admires himself in every aspect and believes his every idea to be true. There are many such types of people, I don't know if you have ever met any. They think they are scholars, that they know best, that they are the wisest, who speak the best words and make the most appropriate diagnoses. They know no other being except themselves. The fact is however, that Allah says, I take refuge in Allah from satan, "Over everyone with knowledge is a Knower." But they think they know best.
Attracting Attention
To attract attention, to make one's presence felt or to prove oneself in a group environment, the most obvious of the artificial behavior and attitudes resorted to are:
Seeking to appear different and to give oneself a unique air by engaging in inappropriate behavior,
Adopting a heavy and serious air in a happy environment, speaking little,
Engaging in frivolous activities in situations where concentration is required,
Reacting more than is appropriate or else exhibiting an inappropriate lack of reaction,
Behaving as if one were very calm when in fact one has a storm raging inside,
Engaging in sudden changes of meaningless behavior, such as turning serious in the middle of laughter,
Starting to behave exuberantly from having been very calm, or emitting sudden guffaws of laughter,
Suddenly moving from normal speech patterns to exaggerated ones—raising one's tone of voice for example, or starting to speak in an excessively low voice; giving the same impression simultaneously by one's facial expression or gestures,
Showing off by means of adopting unusual postures,
Refusing to behave warmly until someone else has taken an interest in one, Ignoring those who do take an interest in one, looking down one's nose at people,
Seeking to be useful to or attract the attention of those who ignore, belittle or look down their noses at one,
Giving the impression one is very busy, Giving the impression of being distracted or worried,
Deliberately making mistakes or causing a scene,
Describing an event one did not witness as though one actually had...
The above displays are based on role playing. Some examples are:
Behaving as though one were surprised, angered or pleased, even though that is not actually the case, and to imply this, using the appropriate facial expressions—raising one's eyebrows, frowning, glaring, looking askance, pursing the lips and eyes; embracing protest behavior, or adopting an opposite position even when one actually shares a particular idea; refusing to speak about certain attributes, even though one actually possesses them, and waiting for others to bring up the subject; engaging in false modesty when these subjects are raised, so as to give the impression that one has other latent superior features that one hesitates to mention out of a sense of modesty.
Observing One's Own Interests
By engaging in insincere behavior, people hope to obtain various advantages. Seeking to appear pleasant to someone one does not like but who can serve one's interests, acting sycophantically and seeking to attract a person's notice at every opportunity, trying to make oneself popular, displaying false loyalty to and respect for one's employer or superior but immediately turning disloyal as soon as circumstances change—these are all normal forms of behavior in adherents of Ignorantism.
Failing to tell the truth one knows in hopes of acquiring an advantage or out of fear or hesitation; and glossing over the subject with talk of democracy and the like, are other examples of such behavior.
Showing Off
The above verse emphasizes how boasting and display, major characteristics of the Religion of the Ignorant, are widespread among people. In Islam, the greatest aim in life is to gain the approval of Allah, whereas in the Ignorantism, the greatest aim is to attain that of other people. In the Religion of the Ignorant, display is therefore of vital importance. Being liked, admired, approved of or envied is more important than anything else. In this false religion people dress, speak, decorate their homes, or choose professions to impress those around them. Their greatest aim in everything they do is to gain others' approval. When they go to a bookshop, for instance, they look at the bestsellers rather than at books about the subjects that actually interest them. When choosing a book they wonder which will be most "cool" and in line with current fashion, because their aim is not to advance their experiences, knowledge or personality, but to have something to tell others about.
In raising their children, a great many people take pains to ensure that their children acquire attributes that those around them approve of, whether these be right or wrong, rather than trying to help them become patient, tolerant, devout, compassionate or generous. For example, they send their children to the most prestigious schools, hire piano teachers even though their children have no talent, allow children to call them by their first names in order to show off to their friends that raising an arrogant child is perfectly acceptable. In Ignorantism, a child is an important opportunity for display. For the sake of the parents' prestige among their acquaintances, it is most important for their child to study at a good school, know various foreign languages, to dress attractively, be popular and have many talents. Indeed, when adherents of the Religion of the Ignorant speak, parents prefer to discuss things that will be the subject of other people's envy, rather than how modest, how affectionate or how gentle their children are. They are more interested in appearances than in their children's moral values.
Another element of display lies in having a dashing home. Rather than considering their own comfort, people attach more importance to the opinion of those around them. Which area is it located in? How many floors does it have? The kind of view it affords and the amount of floor space available will increase their own prestige. They furnish and decorate entirely in the light of other people's opinions. Even if they prefer another color, they opt for the one in fashion at the time. They buy exceedingly uncomfortable furniture just because it is expensive and showy, and put up with styles of décor they thoroughly dislike just to be able to say that such-and-such a designer carried out the work. Though they spend much of their time in that home, they never enter the drawing room except when they have guests, on the grounds that having spent so much money on it, they want "to keep it pristine." Some people even cover up the furniture and sit in a tiny room somewhere else. In short, they set aside half their home for show and half for living in.
Boasting is such an intense passion for people that they seek to show off even to those closest to them. One of the best places to do that is at parties. They issue invitations not because they actually want to see their guests, but simply to show off. They prepare every little detail for the party with that in mind. They select the food not for its taste, but for its ability to display their wealth. Their objective is not for their guests to enjoy the party, but to envy the amount of money spent on it. At such dinner parties, everyone looks at everyone else's clothes, shoes and handbags, and the jewelry and perfumes people are wearing.
At such parties, the conversation is a kind of "show-off" competition, wherein everyone seeks to prove himself on some subject. Women seek to put down other women by discussing their trips abroad, the beauty of a country they visited, the difficulties in finding good domestic staff, the make of clothes they have bought, their hairdressers, and the jewelry they have ordered. Men, on the other hand, talk about their successes in the business arena, their network of contacts, commenting on economic or political matters as if they were experts on the subject. Any sincerity, warmth or friendship is therefore impossible in conversations in Ignorantism. Indeed, such guests, as soon as they leave the gathering, without fail, end the event by criticising those who remain. They discuss the insincerity of the people concerned, their attempts to show off, how boring they were, their hosts' vulgarity, the ugliness of their interior design and the tastelessness of the food. Tired, bored and offended, they leave parties where the Religion of the Ignorant reigns.
Know-It-Alls and Priggery
Anyone following Ignorantism will be far from possessing the reason and sharpness of understanding revealed in the Qur'an. Nevertheless, such people greatly admire their own intellects, imagining themselves as far more intelligent than others. An adherent of the Religion of the Ignorant believes that he has sufficient experience to give anyone advice on any subject whatsoever. Half-absorbed information garnished from all around is fused with the conclusions drawn from his own experiences, and the individual thus imagines that he or she has acquired a great knowledge of life. Such people then seek to demonstrate that experience at every opportunity. Such attributes as reason, intelligence, moral values and culture are relegated to second place. One of the most important credibility factors here is that of age. This alleged superiority is emphasized in expressions like, "I was doing that while you were still wet behind the ears," or "I have witnessed your childhood."
Even if a person realizes that an idea he's proposed is wrong or that his alleged knowledge of a particular subject is actually limited, it's very rare for him to admit that. Having one's mistakes or errors revealed is unacceptable to members of Ignorantism. In any case the important thing is not to arrive at a conclusion or to determine the truth and the facts, but generally to satisfy one's own need for prestige.Children brought up in such environments acquire such characteristics from an early age. For example, the offspring of a cultured, intellectual, wealthy family, but one far removed from Islam, will generally become the kind of adults who knows it all, undervalue others, and believe themselves constantly in the right and well-informed on every matter. Unless children who assume the appearance of a know-it-all from an early age are given an Islamic education, they will maintain such a character at all times.
The Behavioral Disorder Of People Living By The Religion Of The Ignorant: "Egoism And Self-Interest"
Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Buyukhaber (December 12, 2008)
ADNAN OKTAR: Materialist-Darwinist ideology automatically brings with it an egoistical and selfish spirit, that is the philosophy of selfishness. People think, "No matter what happens to others, let me be safe and secure." Egoism is something horrible. It is very disturbing. Selfish societies, selfish people. Selfish workgroups always seek their own interests because they approach matters selfishly. Then, of course, they observe no laws and orders. They do not recognize legal order. They regard beauty, love, compassion, mercy and respect as utterly unnecessary. That is why this global ecomic crisis of today can flourish so well on this basis. However, were people to trust in Allah and see goodness in everything, be compassionate, protect their neighbors more than themselves, and adopt the words of our Prophet (saas), "Those who are satied while their neighbors are hungry are not one of us" as a beautiful moral tenet, then there would be a very different environment. For instance, people do not give alms, they hardly give zakat. However, Muslims protect the poor and do good to other people. They especially forgive people's debts, which is very important. They do not fear for the future and greedily accumulate wealth. They do not accumulate gold, silver or money and use it on Allah's path because they hope Allah will give them. That is why there is tension all over the world. That is because everyone holds onto his money. Everyone keeps his gold and silver back, nobody wants to engage in production. Everyone waits to see what the end will be in fear and anxiety. That should not be the case. This is a collapse. That is deadlock in the true sense of the word. This is a sickness.
Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Cay Tv (February 25, 2009)
ADNAN OKTAR: ... For instance a Muslim approaches an old, pure grandfather with compassion and wants to help him cross the street. He wants to carry his load or gives him his seat on the bus. But someone who is brought up as a selfish, egoist, irreligious person starts to look out of the window when he sees such an old man. He turns his head away, for instance, if he is walking on the street. The old man may be doubled over and in great pain from carrying his load. The other person, on the other hand, is as fit as a fiddle. He may offer the old man help with carrying his load. He can show him love and respect, and that makes one happy. Then Allah will give him strength, joy and happiness. The other person thinks he is being very clever, but the pain of that cruelty, that egoism, immediately afflicts him. He suffers an immediate blow.
Unbalanced Behavior
In the Religion of the Ignorant, the existence of people's eccentricities are seen as interesting and acceptable. While a great many people may actually have quite normal personalities, they engage in unbalanced behavior to obtain prestige and admiration from those around them.
Due to this distorted mindset of Ignorantism, some even risk their own lives to attract attention. Young people in particular put on irrational displays in order to show off their courage and win their friends' admiration. They drive at irrationally high speeds, and try to overtake the car in front, even on dangerous bends. They play "chicken" by driving towards oncoming traffic and pulling over only at the very last moment. Valuing their own lives and those of others at nothing, they want people to say, "He is insanely brave and isn't even afraid of death." The fact is, though, that he engages in such behavior not because he has lost his fear of death, but because he's fallen under the spell of the Religion of the Ignorant. However, if a young person driving at insane speeds actually has an accident, then that madness on his face will be replaced by an expression of terror. He will begin to pray for help and not to be killed. At that instant, Ignorantism will lose all its power and will be replaced by fear of Allah.
Another way to be feared and thus respected is to pretend from time to time to be unable to control one's anger. The most obvious manifestations of this, as required by the Religion of the Ignorant, are punching the wall when annoyed by something, by cutting one's hand by smashing a window, by covering one's face with both hands while waiting to calm down, or immediately resorting to alcohol. Many people even seek prestige by depicting themselves as half mad by making statements such as "I have a nasty temper," or "I have a dark side, but it doesn't always show."
Many sports that pose a risk to human life are also engaged in for the sake of projecting that image. Even though they fear being crippled, physically harmed or even killed, most people have a tendency towards such sports in order to show off to those around them. Thus Ignorantism manages to force a normally rational person to behave abnormally and to acquire a sick personality.
Feigned Incompetence
The Religion of the Ignorant demands an erroneous belief that the wealthy must be physically incompetent. This is based on the logic that wealthy people hire others to do physical work that involves expending energy. They don't prepare their own meals, for instance, but hire cooks. They do not clean their own homes, but hire staff to do the job.
They do not darn their own torn clothes, nor expend any energy on picking up the pieces up when something breaks on the floor. They give the address to their driver whenever they want to go anywhere and expect him to find the way. They have shops deliver goods to their home rather than go shopping in person. They call a private doctor to visit them at home when they are unwell, and have no idea of the hospital procedures. If their cars break down, have a flat tire, they delegate to their hired staff the task of putting matters right. These attitudes are all peculiar to the rich. These people have grown accustomed to support from others, and never feel the need to acquire any skills themselves.
This mentality leads many perfectly competent people to feign helplessness in order show off by giving the impression of great wealth. For that reason, giving the impression that one has never developed any abilities is particularly prevalent among women. That is the logic behind a young girl telling her friends, "I can't even boil an egg. I can't remember ever going into the kitchen to make something to eat. I've never sewn anything or even threaded a needle," though she knows how to do these things perfectly well. Such people seek to give the impression of being accustomed to having others do everything for them.
Being Difficult to Please
Why does someone dislike an object and regard it as worthless? Someone living in a mansion, for instance, may not like an apartment and may criticize the décor. Yet an apartment block will seem like a palace for anyone who lives in a hovel, under much worse conditions.
Why does a person not admire someone else's intelligence? Because he believes himself to be far more intelligent. Why does a person not enjoy someone else's ideas? Because he has much better ones. Why does a person not value someone else's profession? Because he imagines that he possesses far greater abilities. Not liking things, therefore, generally means that one possesses a better version of them.
Therefore, those who wish to give the impression that they possess the best of everything never much care for anything. Even if they do like something, they never admit it and always try to find some fault to criticize. For example, someone who accompanies friends to a high-class restaurant will always look for something wrong with the food, or the décor, or the behavior of the waiters, even though he has never been to such a high-class restaurant all his life. He will imply that he's eaten in far superior places by offering such criticisms as "I didn't think the food was all that good. The view was very poor, and how did they do such decoration? It was distressing."
Whenever young girls see a more attractive rival, they always look for flaws to emphasize their own superiority. A girl who admires her own hair, if she sees someone with even prettier hair, will make criticisms like "Look at her hair, that style really doesn't suit her, and it looks a bit thin." When a tall girl sees another prettier, but slightly shorter girl, she will immediately seek to belittle her by saying how short she is.
Due to that mistaken mindset in Ignorantism, you'll never hear anyone praising anyone whom they perceive to be superior, more intelligent, attractive or talented. It is next to impossible to see a newspaper commentator praising other newsmen of roughly the same age, praising them as more intelligent, or saying that their analyses are more accurate than his own. It's equally rare for any artist to esteem another artist whom he regards as enjoying the same standing, or to admit that the other artist is more beautiful and talented. Rather, one generally sees fierce criticism raging between such people. For instance, one psychologist will not like the methods employed by another. A dietician will criticize the methods used by another dietician, and a television presenter will always find something to criticize in his rivals.
2- Flawed Manners Of Speaking
Speech helps people express their thoughts and emotions, their wishes and desires, and establish wide-ranging communication with others. In the Religion of the Ignorant, however, speech has become a means whereby the distorted mindset of that religion is revealed to the outside world. When they speak, adherents of Ignorantism reveal all their complexes, personality defects, psychological problems and mental flaws. By means of speech as well as by behavior, most try to give the impression that they are different than what they really are and that they are superior. In this section, we shall consider the speech of adherents of the Religion of the Ignorant in terms of style, content, attitude, and other characteristics.
The Behavioral Disorder Of People Living By The Religion Of The Ignorant: "Flawed Manners And Pretension"
Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Kral Karadeniz (March 6, 2009)
ADNAN OKTAR: I sometimes come across mannerless and ignorant people with earrings and weird T-shirts, very short hair and who drawl when they speak. They have developed very interesting new ways of speaking. To sum up, they are bizarre. They speak, extending the words, and wear earphones … According to their own way of thinking, they have an ultra modern appearance, but the fact is that they are both ignorant and ill-mannered. I have no problem with their shaving their hair or cutting it short. They are free to do that if they like. But it is foolish to believe that such an appearance gives them a contemporary look. Because being contemporary means being full of love, compassion and mercy, being careful and conscientious, knowing how to speak and what the words one utters really mean, paying attention to cleanliness, not disturbing other people, loving people because they are created by Allah, admiring everything, including flowers, plants, children and other beauties, protecting them and seeing the intricate aspect of events. That is what being contemporary means.
Artificial and Insincere Speech
Ignorantism is a religion of patterns. So long as people implement these patterns, they are popular and appreciated within society. Patterns of speech occupy an important place in human relations, particularly within this false religion. Speech in the Religion of the Ignorant takes place by the most appropriate patterns being selected and used in accordance with prevailing circumstances. Whether the individuals actually mean the words they utter is not relevant at all. Since there is a great difference between what they feel and what they communicate to the outside, members of Ignorantism fit the definition of hypocrites. Although hypocrisy is a source of deep shame for any normal person, those who live according to the Religion of the Ignorant are unaware even that they have fallen into a shameful position.
In Ignorantism, people learn to give the appearance of loving when they actually hate, of being uncaring when they actually love, of being sad when such is not so, of rejoicing when this is untrue, of laughing or crying when doing so is insincere, and of being astonished when they really feel no reaction at all. They also do all these things in light of the prevailing circumstances.
Since the people around them also possess the same mindsets, they see nothing amiss with falsity and insincerity, and regard them as natural. When their turn comes, they don't hesitate to display the same insincerity and false character. Various forms of insincere speech include:
Adopting an exaggerated style to attract greater attention when describing events,
Portraying something banal as something important, and something important as if it were banal,
Making it clear that one knows foreign languages by sprinkling one's speech with foreign words, even when perfectly adequate equivalents in the mother tongue are available,
Behaving as though one had considerable knowledge of the subject being discussed even though one has little actual familiarity with it, and adding something one may have heard about the subject to give the impression that one enjoys a wide mastery,
Displaying artificial and exaggerated reactions even though one is utterly unaffected by the subject under discussion, and uttering words that indicate condemnation, sorrow, agreement or support, even though one actually feels none of these. An example would be using parrot cries like, "I don't believe it!" or "I'm flabbergasted," even though one is not the least bit surprised.
Most of this is not sincerely felt. In fact, the listeners are usually well aware that these words are all false. What matters, however, is for these patterns to be used expertly. Insincerity and hypocrisy have become so normal in the Religion of the Ignorant that even if someone does speak honestly and appears sincere, that is referred to as something extraordinary. In circles that live by Ignorantism, people succeed in society to the extent to which they succeed in hypocrisy. Looking at a great many who have come to be admired in society, you can see their expertise at implementing these rules. Men use insincere speech as a means to further their business careers, and women as a means of showing off among family and acquaintances. Their husbands' positions, how their children are doing at school, their wealth, social relations and activities are all duly exaggerated out of all proportion. The following are examples of insincere speech:
Forced laughter at another person's jokes, because it would seem bold not to, or to play up to that person or to curry an advantage from him, even though one actually finds nothing funny at all; adopting an exaggeratedly arrogant style when angered, and using one's tone of voice to make that irritation apparent are among the behavioral disorders experienced by those who live by the religion of the ignorant.
The Behavioral Disorder Of People Living By The Religion Of The Ignorant:"Artificial Manners"
Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Kackar Tv (March 12, 2009)
ADNAN OKTAR: In many sections of society that live by the religion of ignorance one encounters extremely artificial behavior and speech. For instance when one person meets another, he says, "Ooohh, where have you been all this time? I have really missed you a lot." Instead, he could candidly say, "Allah has caused us to see one another. Let us give thanks to Him." What is the point of continuously repeating, "Believe me, I am so glad." Are you trying to convince him because you have told a lie? For instance he swears that he is very glad. Do you have to feel sorry? Of course you will be glad. What I am referring to is such artificial, forced ways of speaking. This is an unnatural way of speaking employed in many sections of the society which seriously disturbs people. There are of course also people who speak sincerely. It comforts a person's heart. He speaks candidly, just how he feels. But in the case of an artificial person you want him to stop talking as soon as possible. It is a form of speech that is hardly bearable. This is also something that makes you understand. If something bores you, then that person lives by the Religion of the Ignorant. But if one listens to it readily, with ease, if one is comfortable with his conversation and existence, that means he does not live by the Religion of the Ignorant, insha'Allah.
Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Kanal 35 (Izmir) (February 14, 2009)
ADNAN OKTAR: For instance he is very artificial, he uses gestures, adopts a crazy style like an artist, as if reciting a poem. You know there are such types around; very artificial types with an incomprehensible insincere attitude who put on a weird show. They convey the message of the religion with a very bizarre style resembling such a show. Those who pay close attention and check their memories will immediately understand. They unwisely employ a heavenly style while talking about religion as if there were any need for it. Their eyes become dull, as if in contemplation. They engage in something with light music in the background. Something like the music of a pipe, a reed flute. Why do they need it? The religion is the obvious fact itself. A person who really enjoys himself has a natural expression. But they are not happy. The majority of them put on a show, a show of happiness. This is something very painful.
Hollow and Pointless Speech
In the Religion of the Ignorant, the most distinguishing feature of speech is its hollow, pointless nature. Speaking just for the sake of hearing one's own voice or for absolutely no reason at all has become a habit. Clichéd subjects that cannot possibly lead to any conclusion represent the basis of such conversations, whose subject matter is generally very wide-ranging. Having a chitchat, as it's termed, represents an important part of daily life in Ignorantism. Such conversations usually open using the same, tired formulae, such as "Nowhere else in the world would . . ." or "No other country would ever . . ." or "In the last 24 hours . . ."Then the discourse is enlarged on and expanded by saying, "If I were to rule," "We will never get anywhere," or "I taught them all they know." One of the most popular kinds of speech is aimed at familiar or unfamiliar ideas on all kinds of subjects. Talk of this kind never leads anywhere, and even if it does, never brings any benefit. It generally stems from a desire to give the impression that one possesses ideas, thoughts and thorough analyses.
Fruitless and Unwise Speech
In the Religion of the Ignorant, even subjects that need to be briefly discussed are made complex and irresolvable. Problems that could have been solved in a short time are prolonged for hours. Conversations turn into mutually entrenched positions, stubbornness and personality displays. Business conferences and residency meetings all stage such scenes. Lack of wisdom pervades at all times. It is impossible to express subjects in an intelligent, wise and rational form, because wisdom is a superior attribute that Allah gives only to those of His servants He selects. It is revealed in one verse of the Qur'an that:
Adherents of Ignorantism who lack the reason and wisdom revealed in the Qur'an are unable to explain in minutes, or even hours, a subject that could be summed up in a few sentences. Sometimes they prolong a subject capable of a very swift summary for several minutes, thus enjoying the full flavor of it. On television chat shows, problems that could be dismissed very quickly are debated for hours, with no definite conclusions ever reached. The following is revealed on this subject in the Qur'an:
In the Religion of the Ignorant, many words are spoken without ever touching on the essence of any subject. Although people speak a lot, they never actually say anything. They make even the simplest subjects very complex by unnecessary verbiage and meaningless connections. They seek to attract attention, to demonstrate the importance of their thoughts and ideas, and to demonstrate their knowledge or culture. Their own personality is raised on even vital issues, while the issue at hand is relegated to the background. To a considerable extent, features described in the Qur'an with the following verse manifest themselves in the speech in the religion of the ignorant:
To the above we might also add: everybody speaking at the same time, interrupting others, abandoning a subject halfway and turning to another that one considers to be more important, and involving oneself in every subject, appropriately or not, and whether or not one has any knowledge of it.
Thoughtless Speech
In the Religion of the Ignorant, thoughtlessness frequently manifests itself in conversation. Continuing speaking, unaware that the subject under discussion is of no interest for the listeners, forgetting what one has said and repeating it all over again, describing things that everyone knows as if they were terribly original, and prolonging matters even though everyone's time is limited are the most obvious examples of such thoughtlessness. Inappropriate and unfunny witticisms also reveal speech that's even more lacking in wisdom.
Tactlessness is one form of thoughtless speech. Uttering words that can easily be misunderstood, failing to grasp their implication and committing gaffes as one talks all fall into this category. Although there may generally be no deliberate intention to belittle or mock, offending others by words thoughtlessly uttered is a form of behavior peculiar to Ignorantism. Needlessly bringing up various material or physical flaws of people present, or failing to bear these deficiencies or handicaps in mind, may well offend those individuals. For example, bringing up such inappropriate matters as baldness, short stature, or lack of financial means in the presence of people suffering these afflictions, or making humiliating jokes about them, typify the thoughtlessness particular to the Religion of the Ignorant.
Disrespectful and Mocking Speech
Adopting a stubbornly insistent, argumentative style is another hallmark of Ignorantism. Raising one's voice is a method employed to dominate others and impose one's views on them.
Refusing to address people present, employing such terms as "him over there," addressing a person without looking at him, and interrupting are all ways of belittling the other party. Failing to answer or ignoring questions by pretending one has not heard, in order to give oneself a serious air is another means. Deliberately making someone repeat something one has heard perfectly well, pretending to misunderstand, and starting up a conversation with another person when someone else is speaking, making it clear that one is not listening to them, are other examples of being disrespectful. Mocking speech includes making it clear that one is not interested in what someone else is saying, or despises it by adopting an authoritarian tone.
Speaking on the Telephone
Using a tone or style different from the one usually employed is another feature of the Religion of the Ignorant. Pronouncing "Hello" in different insincere ways according to one's status at the time—such as adopting an ultra-serious tone of voice if one enjoys high rank—is one such example.
Other behaviors to be encountered in Ignorantism when speaking on the telephone include finding the courage to say things that one would hesitate to say in person; sitting anxiously by the phone when waiting for a call from a person one is hoping to benefit from, yet at other times only answering after letting the phone ring for a long time.
Sending silent messages to onlookers by rolling one's eyes when speaking with someone, using artificial terminology to introduce oneself, slamming down the receiver to make it plain that one is angry, making insincere compliments to the other party and then disparaging or mocking them after hanging up are also peculiar to the Religion of the Ignorant.
Backbiting and Gossip
Surat al-Qalam, verses 10-13, describes the banal and vulgar behavior displayed by members of Ignorantism:
The words backbiter and slandermonger indicate a form of behavior frequently encountered in the Religion of the Ignorant. Adherents of the satanic religion treat people well to their face, and then criticize them behind their backs. Nobody takes any interest in improving people's deficiencies or mistaken ideas. In fact, any need to enlighten others is seldom felt. Any kind of mistake becomes the butt of mockery or gossip.
Gossip, literally a source of entertainment in Ignorantism, occupies an important place in social life. Although one would expect this poor character trait to be criticized and rejected, it is in fact encouraged in society. The Qur'an's message on this subject is as follows:
The Behavioral Disorder Of People Living By The Religion Of The Ignorant: "Vain Talk"
Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Kanal 35 (February 1, 2009)
ADNAN OKTAR: Vain talk is such a torment. How difficult it is to listen to the vain talk of an artificial person. Such people are crushing. They make a rational person feel quite wretched. The best thing to do is to leave that scene. On the other hand, if someone comes and starts gossiping, then the best thing you can do is start praising the person they are gossiping about; you take that pleasure of gossip from that person. A few words of praise would make that gossip meaningless.
3- Mockery
Another common behavioral defect in the Religion of the Ignorant, mockery is openly forbidden in the Qur'an, and it is revealed in one verse just how much it is to be avoided:
"Woe to every scorner and mocker" (Surat al-Humaza, 1).
In Ignorantism, on the other hand, no rule prevents anyone from mocking and belittling another at the first opportunity. On the contrary, lining up alongside the mocking one is a much more attractive proposition. We may cite the following examples:
Mocking certain people by rolling one's eyes when one is in the company of people one knows well,
Bringing up people's errors, faults and flaws with the intention of disparaging them and subjecting them to ridicule,
Mocking people's physical features, and by referring to their deficiencies or weaknesses sarcastically in terms of enormous praise.
Additionally, disparaging people by means of jokes and barbed comments, or giving them cruel nicknames, belittling people with looks and gestures, imitating them in a manner designed to humiliate them, seeking to put down someone else by means of the style, tone of voice and words one selects, smiling at others in such a way as to draw attention to a flaw in the way they are speaking, and whispering about people so that they cannot hear are all behaviors often displayed in the Religion of the Ignorant.
Other features of Ignorantism are group mockery of a person who makes clumsy mistakes, teasing those known for their innocence or good intentions, looking for something to laugh at in every word uttered, and embarrassing others whom one dislikes or wishes to demean by embracing them in public. The fact is, however, that such behavior is strongly condemned and forbidden in the Qur'an:
4- Indifference
One fundamental element of the Religion of the Ignorant is the appearance of indifference. In this superstitious religion, indifference is employed to supposedly suggest intelligence, ability and personal superiority. It is believed that indifference is the way to give the impression of being someone very special, with a far superior character to anyone else. Indifferent attitudes are therefore prevalent, especially among the young.
Consider the most popular boys or girls in high school. You'll seldom see modest, loving, respectful and sincere behavior in such individuals. Behavioral traits of that kind, the most important features of proper moral values, are regarded as demeaning in Ignorantism. In order to be popular among members of this religion, one should be as arrogant and indifferent as possible. Greeting nobody, but being the one always greeted by others is of the greatest importance in this regard, as is being the person who is shown affection rather than showing it oneself. Such people appear to take no interest in one's surroundings, distancing themselves from anyone who displays a sincere attitude, and are close to only a few favored friends.
A second aspect to indifference manifests itself in the logic of "Don't worry about it," or "That's the way we do things," which in turn pervades the society of the ignorant. Ignorantism regards keeping one's cool in the face of danger as a virtue. That is why so many people among them die, are crippled or fall ill. One example of this indifference is the way that someone will say, "Don't worry about it, we are not afraid of such things" instead of repairing an electrical cord so worn that it represents a fire hazard. Or the way that residents of an apartment block brush aside a possible danger by saying, "Don't worry about it, this is a strong building nothing will happen" when the plumbing needs fixing. Indeed, most people skip going to the doctor for years under the logic that "I'm as strong as an ox, nothing will happen to me," and feel no need to receive any treatment for their illnesses. Due to this indifference in the Religion of the Ignorant, a very high number of people live for years unaware of the tumors or viruses in their bodies, and are already at death's door by the time these are finally diagnosed.
Another danger indifference brings is the possibility of causing harm to others. Some, for example, will leave a 3-year-old child alone at home, with the idea that nothing will happen. Often people return home to find their children seriously injured from playing with the gas or electricity, or killed by eating medicines or falling out a window. Reports of this kind appear every day in the newspapers. However, at this point the indifference of Ignorantism reveals itself. Reading such reports, people fondly believe that such things could never happen to them, and so carry on in just the same way as before.
Indifference is so prevalent in the society of the ignorant that people are always telling one another not to worry, that nothing untoward will happen. Indeed, because of that religion's distorted mindset, people are embarrassed to take precautions in the face of any danger, or even to suggest that others do so. For instance, it's very difficult for workers in a plant with no sprinkler system to suggest that the necessary apparatus be brought in, or to request that the elevator be modernized. In all likelihood, others at that plant will treat those making such requests as cowardly. In fact, though, the consequences of indifference resulting from the "show everyone what you are made of" mindset are generally harmful to the individuals involved.
One very important point to emphasize is that of course, excessive panic or sudden loss of control are undesirable forms of behavior in the face of danger. In the Qur'an, Allah commands people to be submissive, to place their trust in and rely on Him when facing times of danger. Some verses on this subject read:
As can be seen in the above verses, the Prophet Jacob (as) advises his children to be submissive, but also reminds them to take precautionary measures in what they do. That is the behavior required of a sincere Muslim. Neither the indifference required by the Religion of the Ignorant nor lack of submission—which Allah has revealed to be displeasing to Him—are proper forms of behavior. People must use their intelligence and take precautions against any perceived threat, and must also submit to our Lord in the knowledge that no danger can be overcome unless He so wishes.
5- Cruelty
Ignorantism brings with it an exceedingly ruthless and inhumane attitude, such that the great majority are exceedingly thoughtless and lack compassion for those around them. For that reason, people become depressed, offended, and upset many times each day. Because of the cruelty of the Religion of the Ignorant, their lives are full of tension, distress and suffering. Even people known for being extroverted and joyful spend hours weeping when they go to bed. They suffer enormous pain, because Ignorantism completely dominates society in general and it is exceedingly difficult for adherents to put up with the behavior and gestures that this false religion brings with it, even if they do exactly the same themselves.
Consider, for example, someone whose financial situation compels him to wear the same clothes to work every day. That causes him considerable distress, because other people will inevitably talk, attach little value to him, and mock him with thoughtless comments along the lines of "Haven't you anything else to wear?"
It is most troubling to know that in a workplace, school, or anywhere within a community are people who talk behind others' backs. People inevitably come to hear what has been said about them and feel great distress as a result.
People manage to distress each other by very clever methods in the Religion of the Ignorant. For example, telling someone wearing a new outfit, "It's great, but it doesn't really suit you. The one you wore yesterday was more you," is generally done for the purpose of disparaging the other party. There is no room for praise, compliments or references to beauty in Ignorantism. Therefore, people do not praise one another's attributes. Telling someone with a new hair-do, even though one may actually like it, that, "The other style suited you more" is the kind of barb employed in the Religion of the Ignorant. Finding some flaw in every thing of beauty and speaking about what is flawed rather than what is attractive is a rule in Ignorantism. A requirement of this rule is to avoid praising an attractive person by saying things like, "She's pretty, but I've seen prettier," or, "She's pretty, but her dress lets her down," or, "She would have been even prettier if her eyes were green."
Enjoying oneself at the expense of other people's errors or deficiencies is another cruel aspect of the Religion of the Ignorant: Laughing at someone's being cross-eyed, for example, behind their back, saying, "I can't tell if he's looking at me or you," or "I can't manage to look him in the eye." Saying things like "Hold tight!" when handing something to a clumsy person, or telling someone who's going bald of all the new hair restorers on the market, or saying things like, "They've developed a new hair-replacement treatment. We'd better get you an appointment," or, "It looks like you've lost a few more hairs since last night." Saying ignorant things to a short person such as "How's the air down there?" or, "How's the view from down there?"
All these are methods of cruelty employed in Ignorantism. Others include laughing at someone who has fallen, mocking someone whose clothes are tattered, or imitating someone who stammers.
In such situations, those on the receiving end generally respond with behavior appropriate to the Religion of the Ignorant. They may laugh to avoid giving the impression that their feelings are hurt. Yet inside, they still feel the pain those words caused. Alternatively, they may counterattack by referring to a defect in the other party, and thus this ugly behavior takes on a life of its own.
6- Provocative Tactics
Another important feature of Ignorantism is seeking to anger other people. Some people behave this way to annoy people they do not like, and others, to take revenge on someone who has offended them. For others, it becomes a lifestyle all of its own. They take pleasure in exposing others' weaknesses and watching them become angry, and satisfy their own worldly urges in this way. They behave toward their parents, teachers or friends in ways expressly designed to anger.
However, this component of the Religion of the Ignorant is not implemented in a blatant manner. Angering other people has its own particular methodology, which methods include:
"Playing It Cool"
This method is frequently employed by those who enjoy annoying others. Adopting an exceptional calm on subjects which others find important or feel excitement or concern about, is one way to upset them. One often encounters this behavior in young people's attitudes towards their parents. A young girl who wants to get back at her mother for not letting her go out in the evening will respond to all her mother's questions in a very calm, indifferent tone of voice.
While the woman frantically searches for car keys she has mislaid and asks her daughter to help her look, the girl may reply, "I haven't seen the key," in a placid tone and keep on reading her magazine. When her mother is talking on the telephone and urgently needs a pen and paper to write something down, her daughter may get up—very slowly—and bring her those items in an annoyingly laid-back manner. When her mother asks happily what she did at school that day, she may reply merely, "Nothing much." Asked how her day went, the daughter may just reply, "Fine," and carry on with whatever she's doing, knowing that all such behavior will annoy her mother.
Acting in a very calm manner is designed to hinder someone in a hurry and to slow them down—another method of annoying others with Ignorantism. For example, telling someone who's late for work that he's left his briefcase upstairs, just as that person is heading out of the door, and then walking very slowly upstairs to retrieve it, is performed with the sole purpose of irritating that other person. A student who listens with obvious lack of interest to something his teacher is telling him excitedly, and finally replies, "I have no idea what you are talking about" makes himself feel good by annoying that teacher. This is also behavior appropriate to the Religion of the Ignorant.
Another variation of "playing it cool" is failing to provide satisfactory answers to questions posed. For instance, when asked, "I've looked everywhere, but I can't find my shoes. Have you seen them?" merely replying "Yes" is a tactic designed to irritate. Merely answering "In the room," when asked where the shoes were seen, and failing to state which particular room forces the other party to ask still more questions, such as, "Which room? Wherein the room? In which cupboard, and on which shelf?" An issue that could be resolved in a single sentence is prolonged for several minutes, putting the other party to great trouble. Therefore, failing to give full and satisfactory replies is one of the irritating methods employed in Ignorantism.
"Pretending not to Hear, See or Understand"
In societies of the ignorant, this method is usually employed by people who dispute with each other in order to get back at each other. They use it to upset the person they have disputes with by annoying them, imagining that they are inflicting their revenge in this way. In a social setting, for example, looking at those one disputes with disdainfully and not talking to them, as if they did not exist, laughing at everyone's jokes except theirs, greeting everyone else but not them, not saying goodbye to them even though one does to everyone else, and asking after everyone's health except those particular individuals'. Cutting them dead this way effectively means "Just that you know, you are of no importance to me," according to the criteria of the Religion of the Ignorant.
People who have made this technique a habit use it very often. Pretending not to listen even though they can actually hear perfectly what another is saying , and making it clear how little they value them with such things as "Sorry, what were you saying?" or, "Did you say something?" is Ignorantist behavior adopted by such people. Making someone else constantly explain what one understands perfectly is another way of irritating others. Asking, "How do you mean?" when told that one is dawdling over and to act a bit faster, is a way of putting that person to extra trouble and making them regret having complained in the first place. The way that a young girl asks, "How do you mean?" when her mother asks her to be tidier is an annoying tactic employed in the face of such criticism. The fact is, everyone knows what acting quicker or being tidier means, and these matters can be put into practice without the slightest difficulty.
"Barbed Comments"
Another means of annoying other people is uttering barbed comments. At a business meeting attended by someone who has been appointed to a senior position through knowing someone influential, saying, "I wish I had important contacts so I could get to the top!" is one example. Alternatively, saying, "We have to pay the price for other people's mistakes" in the presence of someone who has made an honest mistake is another way of making barbed comments. Not mentioning a name, but referring to "certain people" is another of the ugly rules that apply in the Religion of the Ignorant.
A student envious of someone who always obtains higher marks may say, "Certain people actually study all night but never let on" in that person's presence, simply in order to annoy him.
"Annoying with a Glance"
People generally resort to using looks to express what they cannot put into words. An imputation expressed in a look can never be proven, and people can easily deny the intention behind their facial expressions. For example, anyone who directs a look of hatred towards someone can always say, "I was thinking of something else. That's why my expression changed. It had nothing to do with anyone," then everyone has to accept his explanation. Alternatively, when someone who used a mocking look says, "No, I was listening to you very carefully. It's just that something came into my head which is why you may have formed the impression I was laughing at you," no one can object. There is no physical proof of mockery in a facial expression. Yet a person's expression can express all kinds of opinions, positive or negative, in a crystal-clear way. So a great many in the society of the ignorant rely solely on looks to annoy others.
One's eyes can also hold a mocking look designed to make it clear how much one despises someone else. This method assumes the form of laughing with one's eyes while one's face remains expressionless. Someone who appears to be listening very seriously to what another has to say, but whose eyes are full of laughter, is actually saying, "Keep on talking, but what you are saying is going in one ear and out of the other."
7- Being Closed To New Ideas And Criticism
In terms of character and moral values, a person who lives by the Religion of the Ignorant can never register any progress through life. The Ignorantism places a strict ban on new ideas and criticism. It is almost impossible to criticize or suggest new ideas to someone older, richer, more cultured, in a higher position, more attractive or more experienced than oneself. Indeed, so strict are the rules in this regard that friendships that have lasted 20 or 30 years can come to an end, never to be restored, as the result of a single criticism.
For example, in the Religion of the Ignorant, it is exceedingly humiliating for anyone to be told about his behavior, moral values, character or gestures by another party. That is why in the society of the ignorant, you'll generally never see anyone asking anyone else's opinion or seeking their advice.
It is almost impossible, for instance, to hear such questions as, "Is there anything in my character you don't like? Can you see any flaws in the way I laugh, or walk, or in my facial expressions? Do you have any advice to give me about my personality? How could I be easier to get on with or more beloved?" or, "What do you think of my taste in clothes? Have you any advice you could give me as one listens?" That is in total contradiction of Ignorantism for someone to seek to improve himself by seeking advice from others. Everyone regards himself as the best, the most cultured, the most refined and the most intelligent. Even if he knows he has flaws and needs to work on himself, he'll never want to let those around him know.
The Religion of the Ignorant is completely against seeking advice and criticism. Consider, for example, a doctor or engineer who's an expert in his own field. If a client says that he has received a different opinion from another professional, the answer will inevitably be along the lines of, "In that case, go to him." Experts in their own field are generally reluctant to take advice from their colleagues and want clients to act on their own recommendations.
Under this belief, it's impossible for someone to take kindly to criticism from anyone younger—a nephew, for example. Practically no young person can make any suggestions about the character of his aunt or uncle. A youngster who wants some relative to be more patient, tolerant or more considerate will likely meet with a mocking, indifferent or angry reaction. People who answer, "I am not about to take advice from someone your age," imagine they need no help from anyone younger. But a young person with proper morals and deep faith can be a great deal more intelligent and spiritually mature, and have a finer conscience, than an older person without faith.
Indeed, the words spoken by the Prophet Abraham (as) to call his father to the true path, as revealed in the Qur'an, set an example:
In Ignorantism, rank and culture prevent criticism from being taken on board. A worker can never advise the boss of the factory where he works; neither regarding work, nor that person's character, nor any other matter. Indeed, if an intolerant, oppressive employer does receive advice from one of his employees, very likely the first thing he'll do is fire that worker. Offering advice in such a way is a grave insult in the Religion of the Ignorant.
However, this is a most erroneous perspective and incompatible with the moral values of the Qur'an. The arrival of criticism is a sign of a great blessing and of great friendship. The Qur'an commands people to encourage what is good and forbid what is bad. It is of course very poor behavior to prevent someone from abiding by this command or to turn one's back on good advice.
8- Attitudes Towards Guests
When people lose their spiritual values, the gap is filled by the Ignorantism, itself built upon irreligion. The Religion of the Ignorant will inevitably be present wherever Islamic moral values are absent. Wherever Ignorantism is found, behavior compatible with proper moral values such as humanity, consideration and devotion will be lacking.
We can cite the attitude of adherents of the Religion of the Ignorant towards guests. First, however, it will be useful to examine the pleasing aspects of Islamic moral values on this subject.
Assume that you are a guest in the home of someone living by the moral values of the Qur'an. Whoever receives you will be delighted to have you as his guest, because welcoming a guest is regarded as a virtue in Islam, and guests are always treated with the greatest respect. From the moment you enter his home, therefore, you will experience smiling faces, and warm and sincere interest, even from people you meet for the first time. Even if your host has only limited means, he will muster them all to welcome you, because in the Qur'an, Allah teaches a custom of welcoming by offering things even before they are needed. The attitude towards guests of the Prophet Abraham (as), as revealed in the Qur'an, reveals just what the perspective on guests should be:
As can be seen, the Prophet Abraham (as) treated his guests with great consideration, even though he did not know them, and offered them refreshment without causing any embarrassment.
When Ignorantism prevails, however, people's attitudes are exceedingly selfish and inconsiderate. If you go to the home of someone under the spell of the Religion of the Ignorant, you will experience an intense feeling of being a burden, because under the moral values of that religion, a guest is regarded as just another mouth to feed.
People concerned over mutual interests, of course, play host to one another at specific times to keep their relations on a sound footing. However, under the rules of Ignorantism, when one person visits the home of another, he is later expected to repay that hospitality in kind. Being someone else's guest three or four times in a row is out of the question!
The hosts impatiently await their guests' departure. They cannot abide their presence for more than a few hours. If the guest has not been specifically invited for dinner, they will not offer him anything to eat. Since the emphasis is on sending the guest back home by incurring as little expenditure as possible, a few of the very cheapest things may be brought in and handed round. Hosts generally set aside the best for themselves and minimize costs by offering the worst to their guests. It's regarded as the height of bad manners for guests to have more than one helping at dinner, and if they do ask for any more, the hosts will secretly gossip in the kitchen about how ill-bred they are, saying things like, "Don't they eat a lot? Let's hope they don't stay too long." Neither is the guest's wandering about the house welcomed, and no matter how long they may stay, never are they invited out of the living/dining room. If the guest does happen to leave the room, they are made to feel that this is unwelcome.
If the guest has traveled from a long way away and must stay for a few nights, the hosts' patience will be tried to the extreme. In a short while, everything the guest eats, does, and wears will become a separate cause for complaint. The hosts will calculate every penny they've spent, from the olive pits left on the plate to the cups of tea consumed, from the number of meals the guest has eaten to the number of baths taken and the volume of water consumed. Their every action will soon make the guest feel unwanted. It's therefore impossible to feel comfortable in such a home.
Of course, guests also behave in accord with the rules of the Religion of the Ignorant. That means seeking to extract as much benefit as possible from the home in which they are guests and never thinking whether they are making their hosts at all uneasy. They will engage in many other forms of thoughtlessness.
In conclusion, no matter what the situation, people establish an environment that troubles both themselves and others. The reason for this is poor moral values, far removed from those of the Qur'an. The difference between the warmth that Islam encourages in a person and the moral values prevailing in Ignorantism can be seen clearly in every aspect of daily life. Due to the inhumane, thoughtless and selfish behavior created by the Religion of the Ignorant, a great many are troubled, unable to live at ease or find a close, trustworthy friend. Nonetheless, millions continue to abide by Ignorantism with the greatest determination, thus causing themselves great distress. This situation is described in the Qur'an:
9- The Psychology Of Age In Ignorantism
The Religion of the Ignorant stipulates a form of behavior for every age group. This is not written down or described anywhere, but people who live in the world are aware of this, and practice it in all its details. For example, they believe that when they approach 50 or 60, their lifestyles, manner of speech, clothes, tone of voice and style must all change in accord with Ignorantism.
The main principle of this change is pessimism, founded on withdrawal from the blessings of this world. People reaching that age generally start to complain about life. Asked how they are, such people will give negative replies along the lines of "As well as can be expected, under the circumstances" or "Trying to recover my health." They entertain the superstitious belief that they have no right to take any pleasure from life and from now on, they should distance themselves from its blessings.
According to the Religion of the Ignorant, the menopause in women and the andropause in men is a time when behavior needs to be totally overhauled. A great many people of that age abandon everything of beauty. They cease taking care of their bodies. They attach little importance to their appearance and pay scant attention to cleanliness. They begin wearing dark-colored clothes, generally preferring brown, grey and black—a kind of mourning for their lost youth. They imagine that there is no need for bright colors like red, orange, yellow, green or pink. Yet this is a most meaningless rule. People can use the colors created by Allah and benefit from this blessing at all ages.
At this age, some people's behavior and style undergo a total change. Even though they have no physical infirmities, they believe that they have to be slow-moving and lifeless. Their reactions become dull, and they begin talking very slowly, one word at a time. They spend a long time describing something that could be clarified quickly, and regard this as another requirement of old age.
People who were full of life in their youth suddenly, and of their own free will, lose all hope, joy and vivacity. For example, they experience no excitement in the face of a beautiful view, an attractive person, a pretty song or a demonstration of good behavior. On the contrary, they often grow sad at such moments.
According to the false rules of Ignorantism, people must start waiting for death after reaching such an age. That is why nearly all who have reached their 60s are just waiting to die. Production comes to a standstill, out of their prevailing belief that nothing remains to be done. Death is certainly close at hand at that age, and that fact should not be forgotten. However, those who live by the religion of ignorantism do not prepare for death by striving to attain moral perfection, having a deep fear and love of Allah. On the contrary, theirs is a vain life spent in pretending to ignore the Hereafter. They unwisely wait for death, merely "killing time" until it comes.
Someone who produced ideas in his youth now ceases to use that ability. Another who was once very clever and able now begins to pretend to understand nothing, to hear with difficulty, to think slowly and be good for nothing, just because he has reached a certain age. Most people spend the final 20 years of their lives looking out the window, or watching soaps on television, totally divorced from the beauties of this world. This damage stems from the fact that accustoming themselves to not using their talents leads to a gradual slowing down of the mental faculties and early senility. The loss suffered by a person who adopts this kind of behavior and lifestyle will surely be much greater in the Hereafter.
The correct course of action is for a person to work both physically and mentally and to perform good deeds in this world for the sake of the Hereafter, to the extent that their capacities permit, as long as they have no serious illness. In one verse Allah commands: "So when you have finished, work on" (Surat al-Inshirah, 7). No doubt that this command of Allah's applies to people of all ages.
10- Discrimination In Ignorantism
One of the most important features of Ignorantism is how it values people. This satanic religion divides people into two major groups—rich and poor. A different perspective and thus a different form of behavior is applied to each. The difference in attitudes towards rich and poor is just about the same all over the world, in terms of gestures, tone of voice and even glances. An American adopts this behavior required by the Religion of the Ignorant, as does a Frenchman, and a Russian.
This difference in behavior may be summarized as follows:
1-Ignorant people generally adopt a delicate, softer tone of voice towards those who are wealthier and of higher status than themselves, and speak as courteously as possible. When dealing with someone poorer, however, their tone of voice grows more natural, whatever the person's real voice sounds like. Their speech becomes harsher and cruder, with no need for courtesy felt. The subject is dealt with as briefly as possible. One example can be heard in the tone of voice when speaking to one's boss and those used in addressing the cleaning lady. Since there is a probability of securing some kind of advantage from the boss, his employees will speak in a gentle, respectful tone, to make it clear that they respect him. Since they have no expectations from the cleaning lady, they employ a style that shows no respect at all.
2- When a wealthy person arrives, people's movements are quick and careful. Everyone is at great pains to ensure that everything is as that person would wish, to fulfill his every desire, and make sure that nothing untoward happens. When a poor person arrives, nobody generally bothers at all. Everyone behaves calmly, slowly and disinterestedly. When a wealthy person enters, everyone stands up, dusts himself off and pays attention to how he sits back down. Nobody stands for poor people, however, nor even glances in their direction, and nobody alters the position they're sitting in.
3- Unlike poor people, the wealthy are generally addressed in very polite, formal language. A rich person entering a shop will be asked "How may I be of service?" in a very respectful manner, however a poor person will be addressed in a humiliating tone and will be asked "What do you want?"
4- Wealthy people are paid the most careful respect. Even if quite young, they will still be treated with the respect normally due someone much older. People even give their seats up to very young individuals, and kiss their hands if they are in a country where such a custom applies. However, even if a poor person is quite elderly, he will still be treated like a child, and be addressed with expressions more appropriate to children, such as "And how are we today?", "you tell me now, what do you want?"
The way this discrimination is reflected in people's behavior can be clearly observed even when entering shops. As soon as wealthy regular customers enter a boutique, all the staff will head towards them. They'll be greeted with smiles, and be asked what they'd like. Whatever they ask for will quickly be placed before them. More will be brought out for inspection before the first have even been examined. The staff will have permanent smiles on their faces. If the customer has children in tow, compliments will be rained down upon them.
Assume that poor customers enter the same shop. If it is apparent from their clothes and general appearance that they have little money, no one in the shop will show much interest in them. Nobody will even approach them unless they ask a question of one of the staff. If they ask to see anything, it will be brought out very slowly and reluctantly. The staff will generally not produce anything else for that customer's inspection. In addition, the sales assistants will wear bored, irritated expressions, since the staff will want those customers to leave as quickly as possible. They will deliberately glance outside when fulfilling that customer's wishes or else chat with someone else in the shop. If the customers have children in tow, they will irritably ask them to keep an eye on them.
This example is most instructive in revealing the attitude of Ignorantism, because this logic and behavior can also be seen in bank cashiers, waiters, tailors, and grocers. Wherever you go in the world, you can see similar behavior in people who live far removed from proper religious moral values.
In the Religion of the Ignorant, for someone to be shown respect and interest, that person must possess obvious material means. The greater that person's fortune, the greater the admiration felt for them by members of Ignorantism. When you go to a restaurant, for instance, you see that wealthy customers are the subject of great interest and concern. Indeed, if they are best-known celebrities, it's unlikely that their money will be accepted at all. Their very presence in the restaurant is regarded as an honor, and they are not asked to pay their bill. Yet if a poor person hasn't have enough money, there will be a huge scene. He will be shouted at, humiliated and thrown out. In other words, no money at all will be requested from the wealthy, but the poor must pay down to the very last penny.
Wealth is the sole difference between these two people, meaning that respect and interest are not shown to individuals, but rather to their wealth. This is one of the ugly aspects of the Religion of the Ignorant.
In Islam, people are evaluated solely according to their moral values. A person who is poor but possesses decent moral values is many times superior to a wealthy person who defies the commandments of Allah. For that reason, there is definitely no discrimination between people in Islam. Proper moral values count, not wealth, status or power. In one verse Allah reveals:
11- The Criteria For Choosing Friends In Ignorantism
In Islam, the sole criterion for choosing friends is their moral values. In the Religion of the Ignorant, the yardstick is very different.
Every culture has a number of rules peculiar to itself. For example, someone from a pseudo-intellectual milieu will be careful that the friends he selects are compatible. He will first look at external appearances and prefer to establish friendship with someone who dresses scruffily, wears a neckerchief around his neck, thick boots on his feet, pays little attention to cleanliness, and has a goatee and odd accessories, rather than someone clean and tidy who dresses classically in well-ironed clothes. That is because in Ignorantism, external appearance generally reflects a particular culture. This erroneous view of life cares little for moral values or other people, and thinks that nobody has any responsibilities toward anybody else.
There are also circles that consider only the financial circumstances of the person before them. In the Religion of the Ignorant, the price of the clothes a person wears must first be analyzed to establish whether he is worth talking to, taking ideas from and establishing friendships with. The make of a person's jacket, shoes, bag, perfume, wristwatch, shirt and even socks are all of the greatest importance. Next, it's important to establish whether they have a car, if it's parked anywhere visible, and if so, the particular model.
These are preconditions for taking the first step. In the second step, information needs to be obtained about the individual's family, such as their father's profession, where they studied, their mother's acquaintances, the hairdresser they frequent, where they vacation, which district they live in—all are necessary in deciding whether to establish a permanent friendship. If the person before them passes all these tests, then that individual's moral values, character, beliefs or world view, no matter what they may be, are of no importance: He or she enters the category of potential friend.
Some people possess all these qualities, but are totally without any form of culture. Not well-rounded, coarse, they have the most repellent moral values. They mock those around them and protect their own interests above all else. They have no idea how to mend relations with people, apologize, or even admit their mistakes. In situations that conflict with their own interests, they find it easy to lie and take no interest in others' problems. They put up with no difficulties for the sake of others' comfort, health or happiness, and are ignorant of self-sacrifice. Yet you see a huge number of admirers around such people. In fact the only reason for the interest shown in them, even though everyone sees their character and moral defects, are the warped criteria prevailing in Ignorantism.
Therefore, in the society of the ignorant, you seldom see groups of friends from different classes with very different material means. The rich establish friendships with other wealthy people, the moderately well-off with other moderately well-off, the cultured with the cultured, and the poor with others like themselves.
According to the morality of the Qur'an, there is one measure for friendship; the person's sincerity, moral perfection and his fear and love of Allah. For believers, possessions, the quality schools one attends, one's profession or luxurious villa are of no meaning or importance. That is because the friendship of believers is directed to the real abode of the Hereafter, where material values have no importance at all. The origin of the love of a believer for another believer is Allah's manifestation in that person, an exuberant love for Allah and a profound fear of Him.
12- Opportunism And Self-Interest
One of the most distinguishing features of anyone who takes the Qur'an as his guide is exceptional altruism. Such a person knows that all his possessions actually belong to Allah and have been given to him in trust to seek His approval, for which reason they have to be consumed on our Lord's behalf. That expenditure—in other words, the giving of alms—is one of the main religious observances in Islam.
Believers must give the assets they possess, to the fullest extent possible, to those listed by Allah in the Qur'an:
The alms are for: the poor, the destitute, those who collect it, reconciling people's hearts, freeing slaves, those in debt, spending in the way of Allah, and travelers. It is a legal obligation from Allah. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba, 60)
This religious observance, to be performed for Allah's pleasure, is a source of great pleasure, joy and contentment for believers, and its importance is emphasized in various verses of the Qur'an. In Surat al-Baqara, it is revealed that those with true devoutness are those who, "despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to travelers and beggars and to set slaves free" (Surat al-Baqara, 177). And in Surat al-Insan it is revealed that believers "... give food, despite their love for it, to the poor and orphans and captives" (Surat al-Insan, 8). Another verse describes the importance of the subject: You will not attain true goodness until you give of what you love. Whatever you give away, Allah knows it. (Surah Al 'Imran, 92)
No doubt, one of the most important characteristics of a society of altruistic believers is their practice of giving alms in order to gain the approval of Allah. Members of the society think about the general interest, rather than their own individual concerns, and behave accordingly. When their own interests conflict with those of another member, they act in accord with that other individual in order to gain Allah's approval. Examples of the superior moral values experienced between believers who migrated to Madina and the believers living there are described in the following terms in the Qur'an:
In contrast, the Religion of the Ignorant constructs a model of society totally based on personal interests. Someone raised in Ignorantism is encouraged from childhood to develop a self-interested, egotistical character. The model that people observe in their families, friends and society as a whole is a self-interested, opportunistic one that observes and defends personal interests only. Under such influences, a child learns that it is "Everyone for himself."
Self-interest and opportunism are features of this religion. Extracting the most advantage for one's own interests under all circumstances is an indication of clever self-interest. Accordingly, people must consider their own interests wherever they may find themselves, and act for their own maximum advantage.
Relations between individuals are also shaped according to that principle. In the workplace, employees seek to extract the maximum advantage from their employer, and vice-versa. The customer seeks to extract the most from the sales representative, the sales representative from the customer, and friends from one another.
In societies living by the Religion of the Ignorant, exploitation is regarded as normal and becomes the basis of society's moral values. Everyone makes constant, intense efforts to exploit those one step below them on the ladder. Missing such an opportunity is regarded as naiveté, or stupidity. Such a mindset, based on the philosophy of "You only live once," stems from having no fear of Allah. This conflict of interests leads to people having vulgar characters.
On occasion, some members of Ignorantism sometimes engage in altruism, and helping the poor and needy. Yet these allegedly altruistic adherents of the Religion of the Ignorant don't do these things sincerely in order to gain the approval of Allah, as is the case with believers, but to show off to others. The situation of such people is described as follows in one verse:
Such people donate large sums of money to organizations set up to help the poor or orphans. Yet these donations inevitably take place in the media spotlight, where hundreds of thousands can witness this philanthropy. And that is the goal in mind. These people are in fact very mean and never make the slightest effort to help others. With these ostentatious donations, they are actually engaging in a form of commerce. In return for the money they donate, they are purchasing a good image in society, which feeds their pride and represents a kind of capital for even more profitable investments. It is revealed in the Qur'an that such people are actually very parsimonious and that the alms they donate are given solely for reasons of show:
It is stated in other verses that parsimony is a characteristic of unbelievers:
In Surat al-Qalam garden owners with the parsimonious character of Ignorantism are referred to. The verses read:
The garden owners described in the verses try to go to their work without encountering any poor people, because they do not wish to help them. When they do meet one, however, they will be obliged to give them money, out of their concern that people will form an unwelcome opinion of them. In short, they have a most insincere, hypocritical and vulgar character—one of the classic features of the Religion of the Ignorant.
Believers of noble characters seek only the approval of Allah and compete with one another in doing good. In order to please Allah, what matters is not the skill that people show in accumulating wealth and property, but how much they consider His approval in what they do. The cleverness acceptable in the Sight of Allah is attentiveness and consciousness to constantly observe the interests of believers, raise their levels of well-being, always seek the greatest measure of Allah's approval, refuse to be swept away by evil and worldly desires and to be deceived by satan and his whisperings, constantly increase in faith and reason and improve moral values. In this way, the noble characters of Muslims who seek maximum approval from Allah are also reflected outwardly. This is described in the Qur'an:
The Psychology of Imposition
In Ignorantism, controlling and establishing dominion over the others, and directing them in the manner one wants are important and necessary for survival, as is portraying oneself as different from how one really is. This may be summarized as imposing one's will. In the Religion of the Ignorant, one of the ways of rising to the top is mastery of the art of imposing one's will on others, which has its own unique techniques and tactics. This is such an important matter that a great many books have been written offering advice on the subject.
Naturally, the most important means employed in imposing one's will on others are finding weaknesses in others that stem from features of Ignorantism. The more an individual's character conforms to the Religion of the Ignorant, the greater his weaknesses, and thus capacity to be imposed on.
Weaknesses such as pride and arrogance, the desire to put on a show, the urge to be praised and appreciated, sentimentality, portraying oneself as different to how one really is, and efforts to take advantage of situations, can easily be manipulated with expert techniques in any direction one wishes.
The people to be imposed upon—who might be anyone, from a public employee to a bridegroom candidate that one is too keen to marry—must possess some means that could possibly secure an advantage for one. In all social arenas—business, school, commerce, politics, social life, marriage—there are people that might be of assistance to others, that might help them secure an advantage of some sort, or help them strengthen their social position, once they have been imposed upon. All that is necessary is that the necessary connection be established in light of the relevant position and conditions.
The degrees of imposition are directly proportional to the expertise, effort and determination of the individual doing the imposing. In the same way, the cleverness, expectations and weaknesses of the person being imposed affect that imposition and its extent.
13- Hangers-On
Another ugly character revealed by Ignorantism is the hanger-on. The most obvious of these people live as though they were rich when they are not actually so, wear expensive clothes and live in good houses they really cannot afford, even though their families are in difficult financial circumstances. Such people come by these means by riding on the coattails of someone they specially select. They live their lives by using that person's money, acquaintances, and everything else they possess. In return they perform various functions, such as doing all that person's dirty work, satisfying their wishes and maintaining their self-confidence.
If you look carefully, you can spot a hanger-on beside almost every wealthy or famous individual. Both dress in the same way, but you can immediately tell the hanger-on. He's the one who is constantly humiliated, shouted at, who performs services, constantly praises the other party, agrees with whatever he says, and does everything he wants. The other party is praised, has all his wishes met, all his words agreed with and generally humiliates the hanger-on.
The hanger-on's most important duty is to entertain the person he is with, restore his spirits and maintain his self-confidence. That means telling that person how attractive he is when he feels himself to be ugly, cheering him up when he is downcast, laughing at his jokes, listening to his problems and coming up with solutions, and consoling him by showing the respect that nobody else truly feels for him.
These two people spend every hour of the day together. They go everywhere together, go the hairdresser and places of entertainment together, live together and even spend the nights together. When shopping, hangers-on generally wait for the other to try on clothes, help him dress, say which clothes suit him, hold his bags, answer the mobile phone for him, pass on messages, and fulfill all his wishes. After buying many things for himself, the person trying on the clothes will then buy the hanger-on a few items as recompense for all the services he has performed. The wealthy party generally picks up the tab for his hanger-on whenever they go out to eat, to the barber, or to a place of entertainment.
Another distinguishing feature of a hanger-on is that he generally stays in the home of the person he's attached to, rather than in his own. He uses the facilities provided there, wears the clothes in his friend's wardrobe, eats in that house, and orders around the serving staff as if they were his own. In order to do all this, however, he constantly flatters his friend's parents, and behaves in a very intimate manner. The parents begin to regard this individual as one of the household, in order that their child should not be left alone, accept the situation and start looking after the hanger-on. This causes them no discomfort since one of the hanger-on's main talents lies in imposing himself on others. The hanger-on is able to adapt any form of behavior to his own interests. He has a great understanding of how to be all things to all men, immediately adopting the style that someone else likes. Such people generally have no personality of their own, and being entirely without integrity, can immediately change personality in the light of the circumstances.
14- Aggressive Attitudes In Ignorantism
Another requirement of the Religion of the Ignorant is to have an aggressive character, because being the winning party in any conflict is a matter of prestige. Being victorious is a sign of superior intelligence, strength or character. Being defeated is a sign of weakness. Therefore, people do all they can to emerge victorious from any conflict or debate.
Conflict is also regarded as an indicator of personality. If a person can stand up for himself in the face of a situation he does not like, then this—according to Ignorantism—shows that he possesses a strong character. Thus you can witness frequent scenes of strife among people who do not live by the true religion.
One of the most obvious arenas of such conflict is in traffic. Driving for even a quarter of an hour, you can encounter hundreds of attitudes peculiar to the Religion of the Ignorant.
In traffic, people tend to disparage drivers around them and do all they can to demonstrate how little worth they attach to them. They refuse to give way to one another. If someone behind them blows the horn, they regard this as an insult and deliberately drive very slowly, in order not to be browbeaten. They criticize all the other drivers around them, and frequently make rude hand signals. Whenever you take a taxi or a bus, you can often hear them shout inside their cars, "Are you blind? Keep your eyes open! You could get a battleship through there! You're not the only one in a hurry!"
The fiercest conflicts, thus the strongest reactions of Ignorantism, emerge in the wake of accidents. Invariably, when two cars crash into each other, each driver casts blame on the other. In all probability, the guilty party will strongly deny any responsibility. Both sides tend to put on displays of anger, shouting and trying to browbeat the other. If that fails, they put on temper tantrums, imagining that this will intimidate the other party into admitting guilt. If this, too, is insufficient, they may resort to physical violence to protect their image.
It is generally imagined that in situations of this kind people start fighting because they are unable to stop themselves. The fact is, however, that behavior of this sort is a requirement of the Religion of the Ignorant and is planned right down to the finest detail. People involved in traffic accidents have already learned by heart the gestures they will employ and even the words they will use as they get out of their vehicles. As soon as an accident takes place they automatically start implementing these rules they have learned by rote. These gestures and words, common to all parts of the world, are thus resorted to as a requirement of Ignorantism.
15- The Macho Spirit
Another common personality trait widespread among males in the Religion of the Ignorant is machismo.
Their macho spirit begins in adolescence and generally continues up to middle age, exerting a major effect on attitudes and behavior. These men have common attitudes and forms of behavior.
This personality trait has its own principles and in its advanced form, can become a philosophy and ethical system. It has its own rights and wrongs and its own virtues. Under this system, it is gravely immoral to cast one's eyes on the daughters of friends or neighbors. When this is done to someone not living locally, however, this is regarded as macho behavior. There is a superficial logic of protection of local women and daughters. In theory, rightness or honesty is an unchanging element of the macho spirit, but in practice, all kinds of falsehood are seen as cleverness and highly esteemed.
This wicked culture is generally based on proving oneself, so an aggressive state of mind predominates. Posing as a psychopath, sudden interventions, unbalanced behavior and being ready to fight at any moment are indications of how macho a man is. One method frequently resorted to is adopting an off-putting and exceedingly unbalanced appearance in order to be feared.
Their conversations generally concentrate on football, fighting or the opposite gender. It is highly esteemed to engage in long conversations discussing political, economic or social matters, with second-hand information obtained from print media.
The macho, with such individual traits as indifference and aggression, satisfies his social and ideological impulses with partisanship. A fanatical group psychology rules, manifesting itself in various forms, such as supporting a particular football team or group of friends, or being from the same area or town or same street. How such people protect and support one another is a component of macho ethics.
With increasing age, a man moves away from the macho mindset in direct proportion to the social, economic and cultural level he has achieved, and there is a move towards a new personality that altered circumstances require. For example, for people who haven't registered very much social improvement and who belong to a lower-class culture, the macho character becomes a complete identity as the result of the lack of character resulting from ignorance. People who know they'll be unable to rise to the top in society by means of their professions, culture and intelligence will give themselves airs and generally feel the need to cling to machismo with both hands. That mindset continues throughout their lives. Since this applies to a large section of the society they live in, the macho character constitutes the majority's personality structure. Rather than being regarded as odd, it receives support and acceptance.
Yet it is also worthy of mention that courage, protecting others and honesty, which are the attributes of this character type, are definitely admirable features. But the type of character described here does not live by the essence of these beautiful attributes, merely adopting a few examples of them as a pretense. Indeed, such people do not embrace these attributes as features of moral perfection.
16- The False Concept Of Respect
We first need to examine the concept of respect revealed in the Qur'an, according to which a believer feels enormous respect for Allah, first and foremost.
Surah Al 'Imran refers to those "who stand in awe of Allah" (Surah Al 'Imran, 199). Surat al-Anbiya' says: "... They outdid one another in good actions, calling out to Us in yearning and in awe, and humbling themselves to Us" (Surat al-Anbiya', 90). In Surat al-Muminun, believers are described as "those who stand in reverent awe of their Lord" (Surat al-Muminun, 57). In other verses, respect is employed as a component of the sincere awe felt towards Allah.
The source of believers' feelings of respect, therefore, is the respect they feel for Allah. Respect shown for other human beings is a reflection of that fundamental respect. Since believers feel respect for Allah, they respect everyone who obeys Him and seeks to earn His approval—in other words, all believers. A believer never feels sincere respect for those who are unworthy of it—for those who deny Allah, who behave in a manner that contravenes His approval and who refuse to recognize Him. He treats them gently and speaks the best of words, but it is never possible for him to feel an inner respect for them.
The conception of respect in Ignorantism is of course totally different from the true concept of respect described in the Qur'an. The respect in believers, as already stated, is a genuine and sincere one stemming from respect for Allah. In the Religion of the Ignorant, on the other hand, it manifests itself in hypocritical forms of behavior founded on superficial models and formalistic relationships of mutual interest.
According to Ignorantism, showing respect implies courteous behavior and adopting regular models of speech. Respect is regarded as an attitude that helps a person obtain a place in society, whose duration and form are always changing according to the circumstances and person involved.
Since the philosophy of the Religion of the Ignorant is based upon hypocrisy and falsehood, respect is shown under compulsion and unwillingly. People merely endure the times when they are obliged to show respect. Respect is not part of their characters. From that point of view, Ignorantists feel most at ease in circumstances where they do not have to show respect for anyone and where they can easily reveal their true natures. Under those circumstances, a person's defects of style, distorted ethical understanding, and true feelings and attitudes about other people emerge.
Since the philosophy of the Religion of the Ignorant is based upon hypocrisy and falsehood, respect is shown under compulsion and unwillingly. People merely endure the times when they are obliged to show respect. Respect is not part of their characters. From that point of view, Ignorantists feel most at ease in circumstances where they do not have to show respect for anyone and where they can easily reveal their true natures. Under those circumstances, a person's defects of style, distorted ethical understanding, and true feelings and attitudes about other people emerge.
Environments perceived as "natural" have their own particular forms of intrusive behavior. The most obvious manifestations include opening the refrigerator in the kitchen of a stranger, someone one does not know, rummaging through a friend's room, opening a closet and trying on clothes, putting one's feet up on the furniture, assuming a recumbent posture when sitting down, being tactless under the guise of sincerity, speaking loudly, and swearing.
As we've seen, Ignorantism's ethical model is the exact opposite of all the moral principles revealed in the Qur'an. It has been forgotten that an account must be rendered to Allah and that people have been taken in by the baubles of the transitory life of this world. This society is ignorant, as described in the Qur'an, since it lives as if it is completely unaware of the existence of Allah and the Hereafter.
The sole arena for people in this society is the life of this world. But the fact is, the life of this world offers nothing but deception:
An ignorant society that has forgotten Allah quickly produces a culture that takes the life of this world as its sole criterion. This culture contains superstitious beliefs handed down from its forebears, and countless rules based on relationships of mutual interests. The Religion of the Ignorant is the name of the culture in question.
Someone born into this society will adopt its culture over a long process of education. From the moment they acquire awareness, they are immersed in the culture of Ignorantism, first from their families and then from those around them. They increasingly learn to use others for their own personal interests, to look out for number one, and to seek goods and status. Members of the society of the ignorant do everything necessary to teach them how to prove themselves as "proper" men.