jahilliya · noun — A pre-Islamic period of ignorance and darkness. It carries an Arena rating of 1613, earned across 14 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, jahilliya ranks #850 of 17,146 for Most Storied Words, #1,060 of 17,176 for Most Incisive Words, #1,476 of 17,163 for Most Sublime Words, #2,993 of 17,172 for Scariest Words.
Why “jahilliya” is a great word
A state or era of spiritual ignorance, barbarism, and societal chaos, specifically the historical condition of Arabia before the advent of Islam. From Arabic جَاهِلِيَّة (jāhiliyya, "ignorance"), from the root j-h-l (to be ignorant). Unlike *jahil*, which names an ignorant individual, or *Islam*, which signifies submission and divine guidance, *Jahilliya* is the totalizing abstraction of an entire age adrift. It is the scent of blood-warm dust after a tribal raid, the hollow weight of stone idols in a barren shrine, and the restless clamor of a society without a revealed law—the profound silence before the recitation.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From Arabic جَاهِلِيَّة (jāhiliyya, “ignorance”).
noun
- A pre-Islamic period of ignorance and darkness.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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