Abstract
The hadith "Man Māta" is a well-known narration preserved in both Shiʿa and Sunni sources, underscoring the imperative of "recognizing the Imam before death." However, the interpretation of "Mītat Jāhiliyyah" within this hadith has sparked considerable debate among scholars and traditionists. Various meanings have been attributed to this term, ranging from "disbelief" and "hypocrisy" to "misguidance," "eternal damnation in Hellfire," and "the state of ignorance prevalent before the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him and his family)." Shiʿa narrations present this concept with greater diversity and detail compared to their Sunni counterparts. Adopted a semantic approach, this study deployed a descriptive-analytical method to explore both syntagmatic and paradigmatic relationships and elucidate the meaning of "Mītat Jāhiliyyah" in Shiʿa hadiths. Findings revealed that "Mītat Jāhiliyyah" is closely associated with phrases such as "laysa lahu imām" ("he has no Imam"), "lā yaʿrif imāmah" ("he does not recognize his Imam"), "baghḍ ʿAlī" ("enmity toward Ali"), "lam yashhad bi al-wilāyah" ("he does not testify to the guardianship"), and "ikhtilāf fīmā baynahum" ("disunity among them"). These associations documented that recognizing the Imam and affirming his guardianship are fundamental prerequisites for avoiding a death in a state of ignorance. Moreover, the results identified "obedience to the Imam" ("yasmaʿ wa yuṭīʿ"), "pledging allegiance" ("bayʿah"), and "testifying to his guardianship" ("shahādah bi wilāyah") as salvific elements that protect against a "Jāhiliyyah death." Analysis of paradigmatic relationships further indicated that expressions like "māta kāfiran" ("he died in a state of disbelief") and "māta mītata kufr wa nifāq" ("he died a death of disbelief and hypocrisy") are linked to "Mītat Jāhiliyyah" in certain narrations. This shows that, within Shiʿa hadiths, "Jāhiliyyah" denotes a form of misguidance and deviation that may culminate in disbelief and hypocrisy.
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