Is Ignorance an Excuse?
Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch
Question
I’ve heard that excuse of ignorance (in sin and shirk) only applies to those who’ve studied the deen maximally. As I suffer waswas about kufr for the past few years, one of the cures for that is by increasing the number of dhikr, salah etc., but at the same time I learn the deen in a very slowly (even borderline—if not actually—lazy) pace. Since I heard that fatwa, my waswas recurred (I got whisper on whether I’ve studied the deen maximally or not to get the remission). Is it true that the excuse of ignorance only applies to those who studied the deen maximally? What’s the threshold of “maximal” here? Jazaakumullaah khayran.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
In general, ignorance of the central and foundational issues of Islamic beliefs, Islamic law or other personally obligatory knowledge is not an excuse at all for any Muslim.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.” [. ]
Exceptions
The only exceptions to this are for those who don’t have access to knowledge either actually or effectively.
Actual Lack of Access
If someone enters Islam but lives in an area that does not have Muslim scholars or access to any means of seeking knowledge – such a person is excused until such access is available
However, if one lives in a Muslim-majority area or who can potentially access knowledge/scholars they are obliged to do so and are not excused.
Effective Lack of Access
If one embraces Islam and has access to a teacher, they are excused due to the necessary amount of time it takes to learn each foundational issue.
This is because it is not possible for someone to learn all that they need to know overnight. Seeking the minimum level of knowledge will invariably take time and as long as one is not neglectful in putting in that time, one is excused for that which they have not covered yet.
Personal Obligation
Aside from these to scenarios one is obliged to take whatever means available to seek Sacred knowledge to the extent that is personally obligatory on them.
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Yusuf Weltch teaches Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he completed four years at the Darul Uloom Seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences.
He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he studied for three years in Dar al-Mustafa under some of the most outstanding scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib.
In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Quran and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Quranic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.
