Jahiliyya is an Islamic term referring to the time before Islam. The term means "ignorance", "barbarism", and generally denotes a period of no morals or order. The jahiliyya period occured before Muhammad received the word of God and told the people about Islam. The pre-Islamic times were regarded as a time of debauchery, lawlessness, and low morals. The time following and under the rule of Islam is considered to be the time of light, knowledge, and morality under "divine law".
Alternate spelling: Jahiliya.