Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuHu,

Jahl basit perhaps we may translate as simple ignorance and jahl murakkab complex or compounded ignorance.

Jahl murakkab is ignorance by which one believes something to be different than what it really is. In Sharh al-Waraqat p. 59, Mahalli mentioned the example of philosophers who believe that the world is ancient. This is jahl murakkab. And jahl basit is not having information regarding something, and thus being ignorant of it. Again in Sharh al-Waraqat p. 60, Mahalli gives the example of one not knowing just what is on the bottom of the ocean.

And Allah knows best.

Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.