الجاهلية
al-Jāhiliyya
The order in which God’s law does not govern; also the Arabia that preceded Islam.
What it means
Al-jāhiliyya names the condition of a society that does not live under the law of God. The word has a historical meaning, the Arabia before Islam, and Faruqi adds a wider one: any order or regime where God’s law is not in force. The Quran asks, “Is it the judgement of the jāhiliyya they seek? Who is better than God in judgement for people who are certain?” (5:50). The Quran uses the word four times, for the pride of the unbelievers (48:26), for the display of former times (33:33), for wrong thoughts about God (3:154) and for false judgement (5:50). Some modern Muslim writers apply the word to societies of any age that set aside divine guidance.
Often misunderstood as
It is often taken to mean a lack of intelligence or learning, when the word refers to disregard of divine guidance in conduct and law.
Term and Arabic as listed in Ismail al Faruqi, Toward Islamic English (International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995), p. 28, listed as AL JĀHILIYYAH. The definition is restated here.