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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 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.
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:
Those who were already settled in the abode, and in faith, before they came, love those who have migrated to them and do not find in their hearts any need for what they have been given and prefer them to themselves even if they themselves are needy. It is the people who are safe-guarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful. (Surat al-Hashr, 9)
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:
You who believe! Do not nullify your charity by demands for gratitude or insulting words, like him who spends his wealth, showing off to people and not believing in Allah and the Last Day. His likeness is that of a smooth rock coated with soil, which, when heavy rain falls on it, is left stripped bare. They have no power over anything they have earned. Allah does not guide disbelieving people. (Surat al-Baqara, 264)
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:
As for those who are tight-fisted and direct others to be tight-fisted, and hide the bounty Allah has given them, We have prepared a humiliating punishment for those who disbelieve, and also for those who spend their wealth to show off to people, not believing in Allah and the Last Day. Anyone who has made satan his comrade, what an evil comrade he is! What harm would it have done them to have believed in Allah and the Last Day and to have given of what Allah has provided for them? Allah knows everything about them. (Surat an-Nisa', 37-39)
Other verses state that parsimony is a characteristic of unbelievers:
Have you seen him who turns away and gives little, and that grudgingly? (Surat an-Najm, 33-34)
Surat al-Qalam refers to garden owners with the parsimonious character of Ignorantism. The verses read:
We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden when they swore that they would harvest in the morning but did not say the redeeming words, "If Allah wills." (Surat al-Qalam, 17-18)
In the morning they called out to one another, "Leave early for your land if you want to pick the fruit." So they set off, quietly saying to one another, "Do not let any poor man into it today while you are there." (Surat al-Qalam, 21-24)
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 constantly observing the interests of believers, raising their levels of well-being, always seeking the greatest measure of Allah's approval, refusing to be swept away by evil and worldly desires and to be deceived by satan and his whisperings, constantly increasing in faith and reason and improving moral values. In this way, the noble characters of Muslims who seek maximum approval from Allah are reflected outwardly. This is described in the Qur'an:
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are fierce to the disbelievers, merciful to one another. You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking Allah's good favor and His pleasure. Their mark is on their faces, the traces of prostration. That is their likeness in the Torah. And their likeness in the Gospel is that of a seed which puts up a shoot and makes it strong so that it thickens and grows up straight upon its stalk, filling the sowers with delight—so that by them He may infuriate the disbelievers. Allah has promised those of them who believe and do right actions forgiveness and an immense reward. (Surat al-Fath, 29)
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.
Another 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. He has no personality of his own, and being entirely without integrity, can immediately change personality in the light of the circumstances.
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.
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. There is an ethical machismo with 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 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. Accessories such as large chains or medallions are indispensable accessories of machismo.
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 society, the macho character constitutes the majority's personality structure. Rather than being regarded as odd, it receives support and acceptance.
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.)
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.
Just as the concept of "respect" changes according to place and environment, it also changes with age. In the Religion of the Ignorant, people need to prove their self-confidence, that they attach no importance to anyone and therefore have no fear of them—in other words, that their personalities are fully developed. This they do with the exceedingly vulgar and disrespectful behavior commonly referred to as "being real" or "acting natural."
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, in the words of the Qur'an, since 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:
Know that the life of this world is merely a game and a diversion and ostentation and a cause of boasting among yourselves and trying to outdo one another in wealth and children: like the plant-growth after rain which delights the cultivators, but then it withers and you see it turning yellow, and then it becomes broken stubble. In the Hereafter there is terrible punishment but also forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure. The life of this world is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion. (Surat al-Hadid, 20)
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 traditions handed down from its forebears, superstitious beliefs and countless ethical 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.
Ignorantism defines not just people's day-to-day behavior, but their entire lives and perspectives; who they select as friends, how to discriminate between people, what a person's rights and wrongs should be. High school years are one of the most critical periods in a person's life, when the foundations of the Religion of the Ignorant are laid. Concepts envisaged by Ignorantism, along with mindsets, forms of behavior, reactions and ethical understanding are all shaped at this time.
One of the most obvious features of the Religion of the Ignorant, which is the thirst for rank and status, first emerges in a powerful form during the high school period. This thirst is emphasized in the Qur'an in these words:
… [the life of this world is] a cause of boasting among yourselves… (Surat al-Hadid, 20)
In the high school years, a climate of competition emerges among students. Those who learn to be competitive with regard to grades and taking notes will also begin practicing this in other matters they will encounter in later life. Trampling on one another in subjects in which they are rivals is regarded as completely normal, and when it comes to areas where people share joint interests, looking out for one another is equally unexceptional. Outside school, a spirit of unity against the prevailing environment forms, although between classes or different groups in the same class, there is unrestrained competition.
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