Ignorance is a kind of illness and disability.
Ignorance is a kind of illness and disability. [^1] اَلجَهْلُ أدْوَأُ الدَّاءِ. Ignorance is the most severe illness. [^2] الجَهْلُ مُمِيتُ الأحْيَاءِ وَمُخَلِّدُ الشَّقَاءِ. Ignorance kills the alive and perpetuates misfortune. [^3] الجَاهِلُ لاَ يَعْرِفُ تَقْصِيرَهُ وَلاَ يَقْبَلُ مِنَ النَّصِيحِ لَهُ. The ignorant does not recognize his own fault and does not accept the advice of the benevolent. [^4] الجَاهِلُ مَيِّتٌ وَإنْ كَانَ حَيّاً.
An ignorant person is dead, though he is apparently alive. [^5] الجَاهِلُ صَخْرَةٌ لاَ يَنْفَجِرُ مَاؤهَا، وَشَجَرَةٌ لاَ يَخْضَرُّ عُودُها، وَأرْضٌ لاَ يَظْهَرُ عُشْبُهَا. An ignorant person is like a rock which does not flow water, a tree which does not bear a green leave, or a ground that does not grow a plant.
[^6] Imam ‘Ali (as) addresses Allah in one of his supplications this way: أنَا الجَاهِلُ: عَصَيْتُكَ بِجَهْلِي، وَارْتَكَبْتُ الذُّنُوبَ بِجَهْلِي، وَسَهَوْتُ عَنْ ذِكْرِكَ بِجَهْلِي، وَرَكَنْتُ إلَى الدُّنْيَا بِجَهْلِي. I am an ignorant person, who disobeyed You because of his ignorance, committed sins, forgot Your remembrance, and got interested in the material world. [^7] Bad State Bad state means immortality that is one of the worst problems.
The insightful people believe it is the most severe concealment, which deprives human from understanding the truth, gaining blessings and Allah’s nearness, seeking His way and countenance, comprehending Qur’anic teachings and the traditions,. كَلاَّ إِنَّهُمْ عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَمَحْجُوبُونَ. Surely on that Day they (the sinners) will be covered from the Mercy of their Lord.
(83:15) [^8] The Almighty has stressed on the importance of purifying the soul from vices and adorning it with virtues over any other duty of humans. After swearing eleven times in His Qur’an, the Almighty has stated the eternal fortune and salvation of the purified servants and the disappointment of the sinners: قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا. وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا. He will indeed be successful who purifies it (the soul). And he will indeed fail who corrupts it.
(91:9-10) Human’s immoral state leads to moral blindness, remoteness from the truth, deafness to the call of Allah and His prophets, and lack of awareness of Allah’s Mercy. The Messenger of Allah (S) said: خِصْلَتانِ لاَ تَجْتَمِعَانِ فِي مُسْلِمٍ: البُخْلُ وَسُوءُ الخُلُقِ. A believer does not possess two attributes; stinginess and bad morality. [^9] Imam ‘Ali (as) stated: لاَ وَحْشَةَ أوْحَشُ مِنْ سُوءِ الخُلُقِ.
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