Invitation to Ahmadiyyat — Page 111
111 There was a time when even Muslim women discharged the func - tion of jurists. Hadrat ‘Umar ra once said that the Ans a r i women had more knowledge of the Holy Quran than he did, which meant that even common people were so knowledgeable about the Holy Quran that they could disagree with a learned one, not because of naivety or ignorance, but on the basis of reason. Who can deny the knowledge and insight of Hadrat ‘ A yeshah ra ? Today no one cares about religious knowledge other than those who are incapable of learning anything else. People opt for religious educa - tion only because they don’t have to spend anything to get it and receive food and boarding for free. What good can such knowl - edge bring and of what benefit are such scholars to the world? There are many other Traditions to support this. This, however, does not mean that all forms of knowledge will disappear. It only speaks of religious knowledge because the expansion of worldly knowledge is already established in Hadith. Tirmidh i records, on the authority of Ab u Hurairah, that in the latter days, people will acquire knowledge for purposes other than religious ones. 34 This is exactly what is happening today. Secular sciences have advanced so far that people are left amazed. On the other hand, religious learning has fallen so low that ignorant people easily pass for reli - gious scholars. The Social Condition of Muslims The Holy Prophet s as has also described the social conditions of the time of the Promised Messiah as. He has foretold so many signs that they portray a complete picture of the social conditions of