The point, then, is that among those three categories is the one who, while living under Islam, seeks to revive a practice of the Age of Ignorance. Whether he is called a “follower” or a “seeker,” the act of seeking is itself a form of intent and desire; thus, anyone who wishes, within Islam, to act upon any of the customs of Jahiliyya comes under the purview of this ḥadith.

A Jahili practice comprises every custom on which they once persisted, for a sunna is a habitual way—a path repeatedly trodden by a group of people—whether they considered it an act of worship or not. Allah Most High says, “Many ways have passed away before you; so travel through the land…” (Āl ʿImrān 3:137). And the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “You will surely follow the ways of those who came before you.” Following, in this sense, means imitation and adopting their pattern; whoever acts upon any of their ways has followed a Jahili sunna. This is a comprehensive text that makes it unlawful to imitate any of the practices of the Age of Ignorance, whether in their festivals or in anything else.

The term “Jahiliyya” may denote the state itself—and this is its predominant usage in the Qur’an and the Sunnah—or it may denote the person characterized by that state. An example of the first usage is the Prophet’s statement to Abū Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him): “You are a man who still possesses traits of Jahiliyya.”