The Religion Of The Ignorant

The custom of Ignorantism, whereby people are classified according to beneficial interests, is shaped during high school years. Groups in high schools are bound together by mutual interests. These groups are generally formed by youngsters from families of similar income levels, students from similar socio-economic circles, diligent students or lazy students. The class as a whole unites only in the face of other classes or against the teachers.

Attitudes welcomed in the Religion of the Ignorant are moral defects such as opportunism and arrogance, rather than virtues indicated in the Qur'an, such as modesty, honesty and submission to Allah. This distorted logic first develops in high school, where students will be popular because of their wealth, attractiveness or "attitude." The way they walk, dress, speak and move become the fashion and are imitated by others. High schools always have their own styles of walking, laughing and dressing. The classic style is a blasé air, an insolent facial expression caring nothing for what is around it, a bag on one shoulder, and a rolling, ponderous, indifferent gait. Laughing loudly and swearing are thought to be signs of character and are widely esteemed. The subjects that groups of friends discuss are generally the same. Girls talk about people they like, clothes and make-up; and boys discuss girls, clothes, football, teachers and lessons.

Judging people not according to their character and moral values but by their material wealth is a deviant sickness of Ignorantism. At high school, it is most important to appear to be wealthy, and intense efforts are made to that end.

Someone wearing ordinary clothes will generally find it hard to approach a group wearing designer labels. It is essential to be beautiful or wealthy to join. An ugly student will be unable to join a group whose members are handsome or beautiful. The caprices of the rich and beautiful are generally tolerated, and a blind eye turned to their spoiled behavior, because they are the source of the group's prestige and pride. Even taking the school bus is regarded as a sign of wealth up to a certain age. As many additions as possible are made to the school uniform to give the impression of being well-off. Girls try to wear high-quality, expensive hair clips. Both boys and girls have a strong interest in brand labels. Designer sweaters and socks all stem from an effort to give the impression of wealth. That's why the best way for a family to please their high school children is to buy them designer outfits. The less well-off compete by means of a few brand-name clothes they've saved up for, because the most important criterion is money and the signs thereof. Money is the way to be esteemed and popular with those around.

Even as examples of poor moral values begin to seem attractive, so good values begin to be denigrated. Attitudes like modesty and honesty begin to seem unattractive. Being hard-working is only esteemed in internal school relations. Taking notes, copying or studying together forges friendships between certain hard-working but asocial types. In choosing one's friends, it is important to select the most entertaining. Ethics are not considered a prime consideration. It's entertainment value and making jokes that matter. As a result, friendships are always temporary and are not based on sound foundations. As their true characters begin to form, students split away from one another, since as people grow older, more powerful interests than making others laugh and entertaining them come to the fore.

Everyone will have a best friend, to whom they will confide what happens with their boy or girlfriend, and with whom they will share all their secrets. Their sincerity will be in direct proportion to the level of information imparted on that subject. They will confide their thoughts about everyone to that person alone, and will expect them to do the same in return. This is a friendship of confidences. The fact they know things about each other that nobody else does represents a special source of pleasure for the pair concerned. In order to give the impression they know certain things to make others jealous, such sincere friends whisper to one another in group situations, and look one another in the eye and smile.

It never enters a student's head whether their friend has proper moral values, is a believer, has faith, or is honest. Important matters of that kind are not generally grasped during the high school period. Devout people are laughed at, so nobody easily speaks of their beliefs.

Relations between the genders are based upon exploiting one another. Boys tickle or slap girls playfully on the pretext of being intimate. They're keen for their friends to see them together with the girl who can earn them the most prestige. As for girls, going out with the most handsome boy in the class is also a source of pride. Partners are also exchanged in groups of boys and girls. When they tire of one, they start going out with a friend's ex boy- or girlfriend, and tend to criticize whoever they have just split up with.

Everyone must go out over the weekends in order to have something to talk about on Monday morning. If they've not actually been anywhere, they will start to make up fantasies in order not to feel at a disadvantage, and will relate these stories as if they were real. Girls and boys take pleasure in making double entendres or being sharp-tongued, beginning as a form of defense mechanism against other people but eventually becoming a normal style. Since a group psychology generally dominates in schools, those with a very placid and easygoing nature entering school suddenly adapt to the group psychology and begin doing and saying things they never would normally. Wrong and ugly behavior is welcomed within the group. When with the group, students risk doing things they would never do alone. They oppose their teachers and wolf-whistle at girls, trying to maintain their position in the group.

Seeking others' approval, one of the most significant characteristics of the Religion of the Ignorant, also begins during the high school years. Seeking to prove oneself is a widespread phenomenon. Students constantly seek approval from teachers, friends and relatives. Since these all must be pleased differently, they adopt a number of different personalities, which leads to a rather distorted character emerging. During this time, the feature of Ignorantism of changing personality is acquired. The structure expected by the group matters in the formation of a person's character, not his own will. Since different requests come from all kinds of people, an unstable morality develops. This is very definitely the exact opposite of the moral values of a believer, who serves Allah alone, seeks His approval only, tries to please only Him, and therefore possesses a very sound and stable character. This difference between believers and deniers is described thus in the Qur'an: