The Psychology of "Femininity" in Ignorantism

One of the most important suggestions that the religion of the ignorant inculcates in society is the various strange personal and mental structures identified by that religion and imposed on to people according to their gender. Among believers, however, character does not change according to gender. There is one common soul among the faithful. But in Ignorantism, one's character changes according to a person's gender, under the effect of an artificial distinction and social propaganda.

As a result of powerful indoctrination by the Religion of the Ignorant, women have assumed a rather weak character and a less than fully competent nature. Qualities like courage, intelligence, determination, agility, reason, competence and resistance to trouble and difficulty have no place in the roles set out for women in Ignorantism. And even where these are present, they are always faint and faulty. Both men and women share the prejudiced view that all these good characteristics need to be present in men. Elements such as jealousy, capriciousness, complaining, helplessness and sentimentality have always been defined as feminine.

The Religion of the Ignorant imposes a burden on women in the form of helplessness, irrationality, ignorance, naiveté and incompetence. In the light of the distorted rules of this religion, women assume that appearance and, willingly or not, accept the obligation to reflect those defects. That state of mind imposed on women causes a very different personality to emerge, with all the attendant attitudes and behavior. The subconscious, delusional idea has been planted that these spiritual and psychological weaknesses are natural, part and parcel of being a woman. Women who adopt the role of irrationality, ignorance and incompetence shaped by society gradually do become genuinely irrational, ignorant and incompetent.

In the eyes of this false religion, the aspects of women that need to be brought to the fore are those that make them female, such as facial and bodily beauty—rather than intellectual and spiritual beauty—, and sentimentality. Even those who believe themselves members of the most cultured and contemporary section of society still abide by this rule.

Distorted views and moral values peculiar to Ignorantism are constructed around this fundamental logic.

Inability to think heads the list of the characteristics prescribed by the Religion of the Ignorant. A woman who has adopted this false belief therefore feels no need to exercise her mind on any subject. By making use of others' thoughts, she is unable to offer a solution on any matter, but merely implements those put before her. If her family falls on economic hard times, she will leave the solution to her husband to find. She herself, however, will offer no alternative as to what will be most advantageous to them or how they should go about making ends meet. She will see herself as being totally outside the issue, beyond accusing her husband of not bringing home enough money.

In Ignorantism, the female character is closed to development and progress. For that reason, a great many women make no effort to enhance their culture, abilities or experience. They tend not to follow scientific developments, technology, the economy or politics. The only fields of interest left to them are their own appearance, clothes, or makeup or matters to do with their domestic happiness.

Even faith is offered ready-made in the Religion of the Ignorant. A woman will shape her own belief in the direction of whatever her husband believes. If her intended spouse is a religious man, she will start taking an interest in religion. If he has no faith or behaves flexibly with regard to Allah's commandments, she will again begin living like him, even if in her heart of hearts she is aware of Allah's existence. She completely adopts the logical framework, perspective, tastes, world view and other judgments of her betrothed, and spends the rest of her life accordingly. For that reason, most women who live by Ignorantism have no understanding of right and wrong of their own. They set out a path for themselves by adopting the value judgments of their husband, of their boyfriend, or of their parents.

In order to survive, women who live by this satanic religion need support and protection. Indeed, they generally do not protect any weak and despairing people around them, nor strive on their behalf. They protect nobody, but are protected themselves, and make an effort for nobody, though others strive for the sake of their comfort.

Fear is another component of this superstitious religion's females. Many women think they need to exhibit fearful reactions in situations where they are not actually fearful at all. They scream theatrically, cover their faces with their hands, and appear to be very excited. For example, a woman who goes to a horror film may act as if she is very frightened, though in reality she is quite unaffected. She may exhibit sudden and exaggerated reactions in the face of incidents that have nothing frightening about them at all, which even a child could face with courage. The society of the ignorant believes that fear becomes a woman, or is a requirement of being one. The fact is, though, no entity or phenomenon is to be feared apart from Allah. All people are responsible for realizing that fact and (with the exception of physical reflexes) sincerely abiding by it.

Another feature set out for women by the society of the ignorant is, as already mentioned, a lack of manual dexterity. Many women are raised from early childhood to believe themselves untalented. For that reason, their physical coordination is poor and they feel no need to improve it. For example, it is regarded as perfectly normal for a woman not to learn how a broken appliance can be repaired or to understand how complex devices work. It is regarded as normal for her to fail at changing a flat tire or many other jobs requiring physical coordination. Yet this totally artificial trait is imposed on women by the Religion of the Ignorant. Many women are actually exceedingly competent and practically minded, and fail only at activities of this sort because this propaganda makes them believe they lack ability. It is of course natural that they should be unable to perform tasks exceeding their physical strength, but everything else is a result of their indoctrination.

The character of women in the society of the ignorant is described as intrigue-loving and cunning in many verses of the Qur'an. One verse concerns the actions of the woman who had the Prophet Joseph (as) thrown into prison because of her intrigues:

"Feminine wiles," as they are commonly referred to, are based on hypocrisy and deceiving others. Ignorantism, however, has established a model that legitimizes the way that a woman gives the impression that she is naïve and innocent to soften a man's heart, or fills her eyes with tears and starts weeping when she wants him to do something. She spreads gossip about a woman she is jealous of, seeming to praise her while actually running her down. She adopts a cold, uninterested air so the others should take an interest in her and to show how valuable she is, and gives the impression that, despite her own wishes, she is sought after and a subject of interest. Never calling her boyfriend on the phone or asking after his well-being, and not being joyful and chatty—all are all feminine tactics in the Religion of the Ignorant. A young girl will be seen more often with other male friends in order to make her boyfriend jealous, adopting a greater interest in the men around her, pretending to be interested in someone in whom she really isn't—all this is part and parcel of the feminine wiles she has learned since childhood.

The female character of Ignorantism is built on fundamental guile. Therefore, a woman raised in that belief can actually develop a very cruel nature while appearing to be tearful, soft and innocent. She may shed floods of tears in order to obtain more money from her husband who is experiencing financial difficulties. She may resort to caprices and initiate conflict to obtain an expensive new outfit. Adding further to the burdens of someone already in a difficult situation solely for one's own comfort and interests, while appearing on the surface to be so sensitive, is exceptionally cruel behavior.

One can also ffrequently encounter women in the Religion of the Ignorant who join with other women to plan how to rule their husbands. This is a behavioral defect entirely directed by satan. They determine a policy aimed at governing their husbands through specific tactics they learn from one another. They give one another advice such as, "Make him his favorite dinner. Be pleasant and tell him how much the new dress you want costs while he is watching his favorite program. Or first make him a cup of tea, light his cigarette, chat about this and that. And then once he is relaxed, get around to the subject at hand." These are the strategies such women set out in their husbands' absence. Among the intrigues women teach one another is such insincere advice as, "If you want to make him jealous, get dressed up, go out and come home late. Don't pay him too much attention if you want to keep him interested. The more interest you show in him, the quicker he'll cheat on you."

Ignorantism encourages people to have different mindsets and psychologies, according to their physical traits and differences. In contrast, the religion described in the Qur'an directs people to have one perfect state of mind, an ideal personality and a superior moral understanding, with no regard to gender. Different moral and psychological models envisaged for men and women have no place in the religion of Allah. This is frequently related in the Qur'an. In total contrast to the Religion of the Ignorant, it is revealed that both men and women of faith possess the single, common and ideal moral values and character of the believer:

As stated above, there may be such social arrangements as division of labor and sharing of responsibilities based on the physical differences between men and women. These do not justify, however, contrary to everyone's conception—and consisting entirely of the indoctrination of Ignorantism—such gender distinctions as women cooking, doing the dishes and washing clothes. There is no special responsibility imposed on women on this subject in Islam. Allah has revealed that there is no distinction between men and women:

In conclusion, the most rational solution is for men and women to come to an understanding and organize jobs of all kinds between themselves.

It is of course inappropriate, in the absence of a particular necessity, for women to undertake heavy labor and work that exceeds their physical capacities. Yet to interpret that to mean that women are helpless, deficient beings in need of assistance and to indoctrinate them into that mindset is the product of the Religion of the Ignorant, which contains indoctrination, direct or indirect, to the effect that women, created physically weaker, should also have weaker characters. The fact is that there is no difference between men and women, apart from the strength of their muscles. Men and women have the same responsibilities in the Sight of Allah, and will both be called to account.

The model of helplessness proposed by Ignorantism turns a woman capable of acting perfectly normally, healthily, rationally and consistently, into an object of pity. Gradually, that helplessness becomes part of her character.

The woman of the Religion of the Ignorant is therefore far removed from the noble, upright and rational behavior unique to the female believer. The female character shaped by this religion contains just about all the personality defects and abnormalities that male and female believers should avoid, as described in the Qur'an.

The Affected Female Character

The term "affected," employed to describe a particular type of human, is actually one of the varieties of character of the Ignorantist. Although its traits all violate religious moral values, it has received wide public acceptance and even respect in certain circles. The reason may be that all of this character's negative aspects have not been openly and logically compared with the moral values of the Qur'an, and have not been fully laid out for people to see. However, in this section, you will witness how people far removed from the moral values of the Qur'an implement this character with all its defects.

The Affected Character Is Built on a Facade

One of the main features of the affected personality is how the individuals who bear it never uses their true mindset or personality. Their entire lives are built on affectation. They never react to events in a genuine or sincere way. They never reveal genuine love, say what they really think, or speak to reveal their true state of mind.

Affectation is the principal trait of those who possess a false spirit. For example, a person with an affected character may appear to be very distressed in the face of an event which actually touches her not at all. Despite actually feeling nothing inside, she may try to give the impression of how upsetting the event was by such expressions as "Oh dear! Whatever happened next?" and "How terrible!" In reacting in that way, also affected are her tone of voice, looks, facial expression, gestures and even posture. Such a person may never once have revealed her true face, spoken with her true voice or reflected her authentic personality even to close friends with whom she has spent the previous 40 years.

Someone with an affected character never feels or displays true love for anyone else, because selfishness predominates alongside affectation. The person most loved by someone with such a nature is herself. She likes herself much more than she does anyone else. She believes herself to be more intelligent and cultured than anyone else, and attaches no importance to anyone else, including her children, spouse and parents. She is therefore unable to approach anyone with a genuine, sincere love. Any displays of affection are therefore a façade. She never, for example, embraces the person in front of her, compliments others, or mentions their positive traits in a genuine manner. People of this kind usually praise the other person's outfit, and ask where they got it and what it cost. Or they may like a particular hairstyle and ask where the person had it done. A piece of jewelry may attract their attention, and they will compliment that. Yet they never praise another's moral virtues, or the attractive aspects of their appearance. They never refer to humility, compassion, patience, conscience, fear of Allah or generosity. Neither do they wish to give people's physical features any pre-eminence. They are thus unable to show love and win people's hearts.

People with such a character always have two faces, two tones of voice and two personalities. One belongs to themselves, the other is the one they show to the outside world. They never, for example, possess the honesty to tell others what is in their heart at that moment. Even if they do not love someone, they may still put on a false show of affection. They may fraudulently talk about how cultured someone is, when they actually believe him to be ignorant, or rain down praises on an outfit they don't care for. It is generally impossible to have any faith in their words. One cannot seek their advice, because they will inevitably conceal their true thoughts and say what is appropriate to the circumstances. Neither is their joy natural and sincere. They smile not because something gives them genuine pleasure or because they are happy, but because they think they need to. They wear smiles though their hearts are troubled and distressed. They never let their happy appearance drop—if such is in their interests—even with people whose company they don't enjoy, no matter how bored they are. They can utter false laughter in situations where their pride is offended, when they feel belittled, or where they are disparaged.

"The Affected Character" in the Religion of Ignorance

People with an Affected Character Pay Little Attention to Cleanliness

From the outside, such people may seem to be rather well groomed, because display occupies an important place in the affected personality. As in all matters, however, these people's understanding of cleanliness is directed only towards display. They live quite filthy lives in those areas nobody can see. Cleanliness is merely a troublesome chore performed to gain others' esteem. According to this mindset, therefore, there is no need to be clean if there is nobody around.

In the homes of people with an affected character, close attention is paid only to cleanliness in the guest room. Only the visible parts of that room are actually cleaned. At first glance the armchairs look very clean, but the backs have in all likelihood not been wiped down for months and everywhere is covered in dust. The radiator covers are clean, but when you remove them, the sight that emerges is exceedingly primitive. There may be places in such homes that have not been touched for years. Dirty areas include neglected places containing old furniture, cupboards, underneath the carpets and the bathroom walls, generally harboring germs.

Most important of all, however, is the lack of attention such people pay to personal cleanliness. One distinguishing feature of those people is how they seek to cover up the dirt on their bodies, that have not been washed for days, by spraying scent over them. Though accompanied by the scents of attractive and expensive perfumes, these people have generally not come into contact with water for days. After visiting the hairdresser, they don't wash their hair for some time, in order to avoid having to pay any more money and to keep their hairdo intact. Before going out, they wash only the visible parts of their bodies, and ignore the regions under their clothes. They are therefore frequently subjected to infections, but live with these illnesses for years without ever being concerned about them. They pay no heed to the cleanliness of the food they serve people, and they generally try to keep down costs by serving poorly-washed vegetables, ancient oils, and stale ingredients mixed with fresh ones. They don't hesitate to endanger others' health for the sake of their own interests. Indeed, it never even crosses their minds that this unclean food could damage people's health. Any such person eventually becomes used to filth, and regards this as the natural order of things.

All this stems from the fact that the affected character is built on an unbelieving system. They never employ their consciences, and are never clean, altruistic and considerate as commanded by Allah, unless forced to be.

Their Perverse Views of Religion

In the affected personality, religion is perceived very differently from the manner described in the Qur'an. According to the perverse outlook of many people with such a character, religious belief stems not from devotion to Allah but from a desire for social acceptance. People with such perverse rationale therefore use devotion, in their own tiny minds, as a means of display, but essentially fail to adopt the relevant moral values and lifestyle. Allah has revealed the existence of such people in the Qur'an. In verses, Allah says:

These characters have a distorted understanding of religion, peculiar to itself and far removed from the Qur'an. Even if they say they are religious, they are actually very flexible on the subject of what is permitted and prohibited in the religion. They don't tremble in fear of Allah as they should. They therefore fulfill the requirements of the moral values of the religion which they believe to be easy, and ignore those that seem difficult or incompatible with their interests. For instance, they pray once during the day but can easily elect not to perform other prayers if they are sleepy, invited to a party or out shopping, saying, "There is no need to perform all prayers; once is enough." This is extremely perverse attitude, incompatible with the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Or they make excuses by erroneous reasons such as, "It's my intention that counts, not my actions." However, Allah states in the Qur'an that this is wrong.

According to this perverse outlook, religion is brought up only on specific days, alongside specific people or during specific events. For example, people with affected personalities consider funerals or the Mawlid as opportunities to display themselves as devout. In such situations, they act in a way to demonstrate the fake importance they attach to religion. Of course acting with sincere intentions is praiseworthy, but the difference is that in performing such acts, people with affected characters forget about Allah, regard death and the Hereafter as being far removed, and behave to put on a show for those around them. (Surely Allah is beyond that!)

In fact, most of those who live by the affected philosophy put on a thin headscarf on occasions of this kind, wear predominantly black colored, elegant and expensive clothes and head off to the funeral. Where they see the relatives of the deceased, people of this character assume a sorrowful expression and express their condolences with sorrowful words. Reference is made to the deceased's "time" having come and to wishing healthy lives for those who remain. As this takes place, however, there is no state of mind that feels helplessness before Allah, that knows that death is close at hand to this person as well, and that fears having to render account. On the contrary, the funeral is perceived almost as a social meeting, albeit with a different form and rules. Competitiveness in looking elegant and gossiping continue here, too. Who has attended? Who is wearing what? Who is wearing what brand of headscarf and what make of glasses?

The mind of the affected character is the exact opposite of the moral values of religion. Affected people mostly never think that Allah pervades and enfolds all places, has dominion over them at all moments, of the responsibilities religion imposes on them, or of Allah's punishment, justice or might. They may never think of acquiring any understanding on these subjects. They generally do not know the moral values commanded in the Qur'an, and if they do know, they certainly do not practice them.

It is actually very easy to spot this perverted aspect of the affected personality. If asked to make a sacrifice for Allah's approval, then these perverted mentalities will probably rise to the surface. Such people are unwilling to undertake even the slightest difficulty for the sake of Allah's approval. They cannot countenance renouncing their lifestyles, luxuries or surroundings. For example, if they think that there will be a reaction from others as they fulfill a requirement of the moral values of religion, they choose other people's approval over Allah's. They never make any concession with regard to their wealth, entertainments, travel, ways of dressing or habits. However, as long as they do not repent and change themselves, this attitude will cause them a great loss both in this world and the Hereafter. Someone who avoids the slightest discomfort for the sake of gaining Allah's approval in this world will suffer great regret in the Hereafter.

True moral values of the Qur'an must influence a person's whole life. Those who believe in Allah live their entire lives according to His religion and compatibly with His approval, and practice the moral values of the Qur'an. They never evaluate the religion of Allah according to whether it is compatible with their own interests. When that evaluation occurs, then that is not true religion. The perverted view of religion in the affected character, therefore, is far distant from the moral values of Islam. In verses, Allah states that religion must be made unique to Him:

They Never Abandon Their Affected Characters, Even Under the Most Difficult Conditions

Another feature of the affected character is how it dominates peoples' entire lives. That dominion is so powerful that such people never abandon their own rules, even under the most difficult conditions. Funerals are, again, an example of this. Even at the deaths of their closest friends, even of their husbands or children, such people are never willing to forego their characters, which are the direct opposites of the moral values of the Qur'an. Since people with such wicked characters never use their ability to reason, they cannot fully comprehend the might and greatness of Allah, which is why they do not fear Him. Just about no event affects them particularly deeply, nor leads them to behave with genuine sincerity. Such events as a close friend contracting a dangerous illness, their children being injured or their spouse coming close to death produce no deep effect in their souls. They never learn from people's experiences. They never think that one day, something similar might happen to them, and never seek to improve their moral values and rectify their mistakes.

The one event that affected characters cannot withstand and at which they totally collapse is their own deaths. To die is the one thing they fear most, and experience terror when they feel that death is really close at hand. Only then do they abandon their ugly personalities and show their true faces. The panic felt when an earthquake strikes, for instance, may lead them to abandon their affected character. At such a moment, their facial expressions, tone of voice, behavior and way of calling on Allah all suddenly may change. Such people may be aware of their helplessness, be humble, full of fear, genuine and sincere. The moment the earthquake ends, however, that effect suddenly vanishes and the affected characters re-appear. That is because the force that caused their character to change, albeit for a moment, is not fear of Allah but fear of death. Once that fear has passed, this character re-emerges in all its ugliness.

The Affected Character Gives Rise to Sloth, Incompetence and Ignorance

Affected people tend to be skilled at nothing, have no competence in any field, and are ignorant. The world offered to people of that character is a very narrow one. They take an interest only in certain areas of life and know nothing about anything beyond.

Affected people are interested in such matters as clothes, make-up, brands of perfume, the private lives of those around them, travel plans and hairdressers' addresses. Little else is of any deep interest. They have not the slightest interest in the torture inflicted on Muslims in East Turkistan, for instance, the cruelty experienced in Palestine, people oppressed and killed everyday in Iraq, people starving to death in Africa, the spread of atheism in the world, the abandonment of Qur'anic moral values or the moral degeneration among young people. They are sensitive only to their own interests. The problems of others, even of their closest friends, interest them not at all. They take an interest in a subject only if it affects their interests in some way.

Unless they or one of their family fall ill, they never feel sympathy for the sick. So long as they are not poor, they never empathize with the plight of poor people. So long as they are not hungry, they do not comprehend the plight of those who are. In order for them to show any sensitivity on a subject, they must first experience it themselves. No subject that fails to touch them personally or cause them any discomfort is at all important. Their seeking to solve a problem, making efforts to save those suffering from that problem and find a solution all depend on the situation being harmful to them. However, as long as they live by the same character, it becomes impossible for them to devise a wise and rational solution. If they live in a country at war or suffering starvation, and they themselves are affected, then they may well look for a remedy, because their own lives are involved. But if they live in luxury far from such countries, then the plight of those people interests them not in the least. In that sense, the affected character is most ruthless and cruel.

Moreover, since the culture presented by the affected personality is solely for display, these people are exceedingly ignorant and badly informed. They devote all their time and mind to show off. Therefore, the affected are unable to come up with ideas on subjects requiring intellect. They cannot be of any use to those around them, and fail to add anything positive to their surroundings. In fact, people of affected character are generally a burden on rational people at times of emergencies and constitute a problem. Since they are irrational and incompetent, and of no use when measures need to be taken, time needs to be set aside to look after them. For example, instead of calling a doctor or dealing with bystanders after a traffic accident, such people actually confuse the situation further by crying and engaging in mindless behavior. They do not use their reason to come up with solutions. For that reason, not only are such people a danger to themselves, but also to those around them.

Because affected personalities have no objective, ideals or beautiful aims, their lives are dominated by a great lethargy. Apart from dashing off to some entertainment, the hairdresser, a sports event, shopping or to visit a friend, there's never any urgency to any of their affairs. Their haste is concerned solely with themselves. They never hurry for the sake of others' welfare, health or security. Time is of little value to them, and they waste it quite happily. They can spend days, months and even years without doing anything useful, interested only in themselves and their own particular circle. They therefore move slowly, talk at length on all subjects, and are unable to come up with a quick solution to the smallest matter. For example, it takes them weeks or even months to decide on a change of décor in their homes. They are also capable of devoting days to such questions as what outfit to wear, what hair style to adopt, what jewelry to wear, or which shoes to buy.

This lethargy imposed by their character is reflected in their mental activities. Their minds work slowly. They cannot easily distinguish right from wrong, speak with any wisdom or use their intellect to make positive contributions to anyone's moral values, personality or lifestyle.

The Vulgarity of the Affected Character

One major claim of people with an affected personality is that of nobility. These people, imagining that nobility consists of appearance, attitude and various rules of etiquette, portray themselves as exceedingly noble to those around them. They imagine that wealth brings with it a natural nobility, which they can achieve by learning a few international conventions regarding eating, standing up, and dressing.

In fact, however, beneath such people's courteous exteriors there tends to lie a character that's cruel, vulgar and a far cry from noble. The attitudes they display in the face of events that clash with their own interests, or toward people to whom they attach little value, make this crystal clear. For example, when affected people regarded as exceptionally courteous in their circle lose their bag in a shop, they begin behaving in a most vulgar manner. They shout at the staff, and immediately accuse people of theft. They demand the bag be found at once, otherwise they will sue. They shout at people who have nothing to do with the matter, quite irrationally and in a very vulgar tone of voice. At that moment, their fine manners and nobility vanish. Their true natures emerge when they imagine their own interests will be damaged.

A great many examples can be given of how such matters as compassion, nobility and courtesy are based solely on imitation in the affected character. For instance, such people will be full of affection towards the child of a friend who comes on a visit. They will place the child on their lap, caress it, lavish attention on it or take care that no harm comes to it. But when the child of a poor person arrives, their attitude is quite different. They are reluctant for that child to sit on the living room furniture, to eat off good plates, or to wander about the house. They are reluctant to touch or caress it. They display no kindness, but behave with great ill temper.

People with such a nature are unable to put up with any changes to their lifestyle, for which reason they are angered easily. Imagine such people all dressed up and trying to make it to a party where they've been invited. They speak and behave most politely to those around, but if they're unable to find a space left in the parking lot, their attitude suddenly changes. When they realize they must park some distance away and walk, they start blaming the parking attendant. They try to get their own way by humiliating him. If their persistence fails to achieve results, they become rude, and their manner of speaking and tone of voice undergo an alteration. No vulgarity is too much for them, since the affected personality's nobility is based solely on appearance.

True nobility stems from faith and is lived in the soul. Only one who has faith in Allah, expects to be recompensed for all things by Him, and lives the beauty of the soul required by Qur'anic moral values, can possess true nobility and greatness. Such a person will behave in an honorable, noble, generous and dignified manner, without chasing after personal interests, in a manner that doesn't change according to the circumstances or persons concerned. In the Qur'an, Allah reveals that true nobility and honor belong to Allah and those who follow Him: