Tafseer: The meaning of "Judgment of the Days of ignorance":

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Allaah تعالى says:

﴿أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ ۚ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّـهِ حُكْمًا لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ﴾

{Do they then seek the judgment (rulings) of (the Days of) Ignorance? And who is better in judgment than Allaah for a people who have firm Faith.} [Surah al-Maaidah (5): 50]

Tafseer al-Muyassar (by the Group of Prominent Scholars):

Do these Jews want to judge among themselves with (the rules) introduced by the Mushriks, the idol worshipers – which is only misguidance and ignorance?!

It should never be done so, nor is it befitting - for those who have understood His Sharee`ah, and have believed in it and have certainty that the Judgment of Allaah تعالى is the truth (and just) - for who can be more just than Allaah تعالى in His Judgment?

--end of quote.

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Tafseer al-Sa`dee:

﴿أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَـهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ﴾

{Do they then seek the judgment of (the days of) ignorance} meaning: Do they (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم!) seek the judgment of the days of ignorance by turning away from you and ignoring you? Every judgment which opposes that which Allaah تعالى has revealed to His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم is considered as “judgment of the days if ignorance”. There is no “then”; it is either the judgment of Allaah تعالى and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم or the judgment of the days of ignorance. Whoever ignores the first (i.e. the Judgment of Allaah) will be tested with the second, which is based on ignorance, oppression and disobedience. That is why Allaah تعالى aligned it with the days of ignorance. As for the Judgment of Allaah تعالى, then it is based on knowledge, justice and equity, light and guidance.

﴿وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْماً لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ﴾

{And who is better in judgment than Allaah for a people who have firm faith}. Al-Mooqin (the one who is firm in his faith) is the one who knows the difference between these two judgments; and due to his firmness, distinguishes between (and knows) the good that is in the Judgment of Allaah تعالى and he has no doubts about it and he follows it. Al-Yaqeen (Certainty) is the complete knowledge which motivates the person towards action.

--end of quote.

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Tafsee Ibn Katheer:

And the saying of Allaah تعالى:

﴿أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ ۚ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّـهِ حُكْمًا لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ﴾

{Do they then seek the judgment (rulings) of (the Days of) Ignorance? And who is better in judgment than Allaah for a people who have firm Faith.}. Allaah تعالى criticizes those who ignore Allaah’s commandments, which includes every type of righteous good thing and prohibit every type of evil, but they refer instead to opinions, desires and customs that people themselves invented, all of which have no basis in Allaah’s religion. During the time of Jahiliyyah, the people used to abide by the misguidance and ignorance that they invented by sheer opinion and lusts.

The Tatar (Mongols) abided by the law that they inherited from their king Genghis Khan who wrote Al-Yasaaq, for them. This book contains some rulings that were derived from various religions, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islaam. Many of these rulings were derived from his own opinion and desires. Later on, these rulings became the followed law among his children, preferring them to the Law of the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.  Therefore, whoever does this, he is a disbeliever who deserves to be fought against, until he reverts to Allaah’s and His Messenger’s decisions, so that no law, minor or major, is referred to except by His Law.

Allaah تعالى said:

﴿أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَـهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ﴾

{Do they then seek the judgment of (the days of) ignorance} meaning: they desire and want this and ignore Allaah’s judgment,

﴿وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْماً لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ﴾

{And who is better in judgment than Allaah for a people who have firm faith}, who is more just in decision than Allaah for those who comprehend Allaah’s Law, believe in Him, who are certain that Allaah is the best among those who give decisions and that He is more Merciful with His creation than the mother with her own child. Allaah تعالى has perfect knowledge of everything, is able to do all things, and He is just in all matters.

Ibn Abu Haatim narrated from his route to al-Hasan (al-Basree) who said: “Whoever judges by other than the Judgment (Commandment) of Allaah تعالى, then that is from the judgment of the days of ignorance.”

Al-Haafidh Abu Al-Qaasim al-Tabaraanee recorded that Ibn `Abbaas رضي الله عنهما said that the Messenger of Allaah said:

أَبْغَضُ النَّاسِ إِلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، مَنْ يَبْتَغِي فِي الْإِسْلَامِ سُنَّةَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، وَطَالِبُ دَمِ امْرِىءٍ بِغَيْرِ حَقَ لِيُرِيقَ دَمَه

“The most hated people to Allaah are: a person who seeks that the traditions of the Pre-lslaamic Period of Ignorance should remain in Islaam and he who seeks to shed the blood of a person without justification.” [Mu`jam al-Tabaraanee (10749)] Imaam Al-Bukhaaree recorded from Abu Al-Yamaan narrating a similar Hadeeth, with some addition. [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6882)]

--end of quote.

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