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Meaning of Kufr Bit Taghut By Ibn Al Qayyim

Detailed Explanation from Shaykh Salih Al Uthaymeen

Allah made Kufr bil taghut obligatory together with belief in Allah

Allah made it obligatory upon all servants, from jinn and humans, to reject al taghut (false objects of worship and false authorities) and to believe in Allah. Tawhid (affirming Allah alone in worship) is not complete except by worshipping Allah alone without any partner, and by keeping away from a taghut (false objects of worship and false authorities). The first obligation upon the mukallaf (legally responsible person) is al tawhid, and the reality of tawhid (affirming Allah alone in worship) is built upon these two pillars, rejection and affirmation.

Meaning Of Taghut In Seeking Judgement, Worship, Following, And Obedience

“The taghut is everything by which a servant goes beyond his proper limit, whether it is something worshipped, followed, or obeyed.”

Taghut includes whoever is taken as a judge besides Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, whoever is worshipped besides Allah, whoever is followed without clear guidance from Allah, and whoever is obeyed in matters where obedience is not known to be obedience to Allah.

Turning away from ʿibadah of Allah to ʿibadah of the taghut, and turning away from seeking judgement from Allah and His Messenger ﷺ to seeking judgement from the taghut, is a wide spread reality among people. (Aʿlam al Muwaqqiʿin 1/103–104)

Every Nation Was Sent A Messenger To Worship Allah Alone And Avoid Taghut

Every nation received a messenger, from Nuh عليه السلام to Muhammad ﷺ, commanding worship of Allah alone and forbidding worship of the taghut. “There was no nation except that a warner passed among them.” (Surah Fatir: 24) “We certainly sent in every nation a messenger, saying: Worship Allah and avoid the taghut.” (Surah an Nahl: 36) The meaning of “La ilaha illa Allah” is carried by this call: worship for Allah alone, and avoidance of taghut. (Sharh Thalathat al Usul pg 150–159)

Tawhid Is Not Complete Without Rejecting Taghut

Rejection of taghut is not a small matter, because Tawhid is not complete unless worship is for Allah alone and the taghut is avoided.

The word taghut comes from tughyan, going beyond the limit. “When the water rose beyond its limit, We carried you in the sailing ship.” (Surah al Haqqah: 11)

In technical use, the best definition remains the definition of Ibn al Qayyim (d. 751 AH): “Everything by which a servant goes beyond his limit, whether something worshipped, or something followed, or something obeyed.” (Sharh Thalathat al Usul pg 150–159)

Tawaghit In Worship, Following, And Obedience

Idols worshipped besides Allah are tawaghit. Ulama of evil who call to misguidance and kufr, or call to innovations, or call to making permissible what Allah made forbidden, or making forbidden what Allah made permissible, are tawaghit.

Those who beautify for rulers leaving the Sharia by imported systems that oppose the Sharia are tawaghit, because the limit of the alim is to follow what Muhammad ﷺ came with, and departing from that limit is tughyan. (Sharh Thalathat al Usul by Muhammad ibn Salih al ʿUthaymin pg 150–159)

Obedience also enters this door. Rulers are obeyed by the Sharia when commanding what does not oppose Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, and that obedience is obedience to Allah. “O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you.” (Surah an Nisa: 59) Obedience that becomes worship is obedience in opposing Allah’s ruling, because humility and compliance are given to other than Allah in what is not permissible. (Sharh Thalathat al Usul by Muhammad ibn Salih al ʿUthaymin pg 150–159)

The Tawaghit Are Many, And Their Heads Are Five

The tawaghit are many, and their heads are five:

• Iblis
• Whoever is worshipped besides Allah while pleased with that worship
• Whoever calls people to worship himself
• Whoever claims knowledge of the unseen
• Whoever rules by other than what Allah sent down.

Claiming the unseen is kufr, because none knows the unseen except Allah, except what Allah informs to a messenger. “None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah.” (Surah an Naml: 65) “Knower of the unseen, so He does not disclose His unseen to anyone, except to a messenger whom He is pleased with.” (Surah al Jinn: 26–27) “I do not know the unseen. I only follow what is revealed to me.” (Surah al Anʿam: 50) (Sharh Thalathat al Usul by Muhammad ibn Salih al ʿUthaymin pg 150–159)

Ruling By Other Than What Allah Sent Down And The Reality Of Al kufr Bit Taghut

Ruling by what Allah sent down is from Tawhid ar rububiyyah, because judgement belongs to Allah alone, and accepting that judgement is part of servitude.

Following authorities against Allah’s ruling becomes a form of taking lords besides Allah. “They took their rabbis and their monks as lords besides Allah, and the Messiah, son of Maryam عليه السلام.” (Surah at Tawbah: 31) The explanation includes following them when they make the halal forbidden and the haram permissible.

The Qur’an gives three descriptions for whoever does not judge by what Allah sent down: al kafirun (the disbelievers), al dhalimun (the wrongdoers), and al fasiqun (the defiantly disobedient). (Surah al Maʾidah: 44) (Surah al Maʾidah: 45) (Surah al Maʾidah: 47)

The closer explanation ties the ruling to the motive: Rejecting Allah’s ruling out of belittling, contempt, or believing other systems better or equal is kufr that takes a person out of Islam, while abandoning it for desire, favouritism, or bribery can be dhulm or fisq without that major kufr, with varying degrees.

Ibn Taymiyyah distinguished between following leaders in changing the religion with belief in that change, and obeying in sin while believing it is sin.

Tashriʿ al ʿamm (general legislation) that opposes the Sharia is treated as the first type, because legislating against Allah’s ruling rests on preferring it over the Sharia. (Sharh Thalathat al Usul by Muhammad ibn Salih al ʿUthaymin pg 150–159)

Qur’an Verses Making Seeking Judgement To The Messenger ﷺ A Condition Of True Iman

Allah negated true iman from those who claim belief while wanting judgement from the taghut. “Have you not seen those who claim that they believe … yet they wish to seek judgement from the taghut … But no, by your Lord, they do not truly believe until they make you judge in what has arisen between them … and submit with full submission.” (Surah an Nisa: 60–65)

Three matters define sound iman:

• Seeking judgement in disputes must return to the Messenger ﷺ
• The heart must accept his judgement without discomfort
• Submission must be complete in acceptance and practice. (Sharh Thalathat al Usul by Muhammad ibn Salih al ʿUthaymin pg 150–159)

The Evidence For Rejection Before Belief And Holding To The Strongest Handhold

“There is no compulsion in the religion. Guidance has become clear from misguidance. So whoever rejects the taghut and believes in Allah has held to the strongest handhold.” (Surah al Baqarah: 256)

Rejection of taghut comes before belief in Allah, because removing barriers comes before adorning. “Has held firmly” points to strong attachment, not weak attachment. (Sharh Thalathat al Usul by Muhammad ibn Salih al ʿUthaymin pg 150–159)

The Hadith Evidence And The Order Of The Religion

“The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is salah, and the highest part of its hump is jihad in the path of Allah.” (Ahmad 231/5, 237) (al Tirmidhi 13/5, 2616) (Ibn Majah 1394/2, 3973)

Islam stands only by its head, and the highest completion comes through jihad that raises the word of Allah. Rejecting taghut remains tied to this foundation, because the religion begins with Tawhid, and Tawhid begins with al kufr bit taghut joined to al iman billah. (Sharh Thalathat al Usul by Muhammad ibn Salih al ʿUthaymin pg 150–159)

Purifying The Heart Through Kufr Bit Taghut Before Al iman billah

Allah began with rejection before belief, because rejection empties the heart, frees it, and purifies it from shirk, then belief fills the heart with what completes servitude to Allah. Belief in Allah is not upright unless the heart becomes pure from impurity of disbelief and shirk, then concern becomes directed to Allah alone, with the qualities of soundness and returning to Allah. (Sharh Thalathat al Usul by Muhammad ibn Salih al ʿUthaymin pg 87)

Complete Translations

Meaning of Kufr Bit Taghut By Ibn Al Qayyim

Ibn Al Qayyim said: He, the Most Perfect, informed us that whoever seeks judgement, or refers judgement, to other than what the Messenger ﷺ brought has judged by the ṭāghūt (false object of worship, followed authority, or obeyed authority) and has sought judgement from it.

The ṭāghūt is everything by which a servant goes beyond his proper limit, whether it is something worshipped, followed, or obeyed. So the ṭāghūt of every people is whoever they seek judgement from besides Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, or whoever they worship besides Allah, or whoever they follow without clear guidance from Allah, or whoever they obey in matters where they do not know that such obedience is obedience to Allah.

These are the ṭawāghīt (false objects of worship and false authorities) of the universe.

When these are considered carefully, and the condition of people with them is also considered, it becomes clear that most people have turned away from ʿibādah (worship) of Allah to ʿibādah of the ṭāghūt, from seeking judgement from Allah and His Messenger ﷺ to seeking judgement from the ṭāghūt, and from obeying Allah and following His Messenger ﷺ to obeying the ṭāghūt and following it.

These people have not followed the path of the saved and successful ones from this ummah, namely the Sahābah and those who followed them. Nor did they aim for what they aimed for. Rather, they opposed them both in the path they took and in the aim they sought.

Aʿlam al Muwaqqiʿin ʿan Rabb al ʿAlamin, 1/103–104

Detailed Explanation from Shaykh Salih Al Uthaymeen

This is the final section of this blessed treatise, Thalathat al Usul (The Three Foundations), by the reviver imam, Shaykh Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al Wahhab (d. 1206 AH), may Allah have mercy on him greatly and grant him abundant reward and recompense, where the author mentioned that Allah “made it obligatory upon all servants to disbelieve in taghut and to believe in Allah.”

The meaning of “made it obligatory” is that Allah, Glorified and Exalted, made it obligatory upon all servants. “Servants” here includes, and falls under it, all servants of Allah Mighty and Majestic who were addressed and made responsible, from jinn and humans.

So Allah عز وجل made it obligatory upon all His servants to disbelieve in taghut and to believe in Allah. The author intended by this to clarify that tawhid (worshipping Allah alone) is not complete except by worshipping Allah alone with no partner, and keeping away from taghut.

The bold text in the translation below are the words of Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab, the rest is the words of Shaykh Al Uthaymeen

Every Nation Was Sent a Messenger

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab said: Every nation, Allah sent to it a messenger, from Nuh عليه السلام to Muhammad ﷺ, commanding them to worship Allah alone, and forbidding them from worshipping the ṭāghūt (false object of worship). Meaning: Allah sent in every nation a messenger calling them to worship Allah alone and forbidding them from shirk (associating partners with Allah).

The evidence for that is Allah the Exalted saying: “وَإِنْ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلَّا خَلَا فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ”
“There was no nation except that a warner passed among them.” (Surah Fatir: 24)

He also said: “وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ”
“And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, saying: Worship Allah and avoid the ṭāghūt.” (Surah an Nahl: 36)

The evidence is His saying the Exalted:

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ

“We certainly sent in every nation a messenger, saying: Worship Allah, and avoid the taghut.” (Surah an Nahl: 36) This is the meaning of “La ilaha illa Allah”.

Allah made obligatory upon all servants rejection of the taghut and belief in Allah. Ibn al Qayyim (d. 751 AH) said: “The taghut is whatever a servant goes beyond his limit with, whether something worshipped, or something followed, or something obeyed.”

Shaykh Salih Al Uthaymeen said: Shaykh al Islam meant by this that tawhid (singling Allah out in worship) is not complete except by worshipping Allah alone, with no partner, and by avoiding the taghut.

Allah made that obligatory upon His servants. The word taghut comes from tughyan, meaning going beyond the limit. From that is His saying the Exalted: “إِنَّا لَمَّا طَغَى الْمَاءُ حَمَلْنَاكُمْ فِي الْجَارِيَةِ” “When the water rose beyond its limit, We carried you in the sailing ship.” (Surah al Haqqah: 11), meaning when the water increased beyond the usual limit, We carried you in the jariyah, meaning the ship.

In technical use, the best definition is what Ibn al Qayyim said, that the taghut is: “Everything by which a servant goes beyond his limit, whether something worshipped, or something followed, or something obeyed.” What he meant by what is worshipped, followed, and obeyed is other than the righteous. As for the righteous, they are not tawaghit, even if they are worshipped, or followed, or obeyed.

So idols that are worshipped besides Allah are tawaghit. Ulama of evil who call to misguidance and kufr, or call to innovations, or call to making permissible what Allah made forbidden, or making forbidden what Allah made permissible, are tawaghit.

Those who beautify for the rulers leaving the Sharia by imported systems that oppose the system of the Islamic religion are tawaghit, because they went beyond their limit.

The limit of the alim is to follow what the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came with, because the ulama are truly the inheritors of the prophets, inheriting from them, within their Ummah, knowledge, action, character, calling, and teaching. If they go beyond this limit and begin to beautify for rulers leaving the Sharia with such systems, then they are tawaghit, because they went beyond what they were obligated to be upon, namely following the Sharia.

As for his saying: “or something obeyed”, then what is meant is the rulers who are obeyed by the Sharia, or by force. Rulers are obeyed by the Sharia when they command what does not oppose the command of Allah and His Messenger. In this case, it is not true to call them tawaghit.

What is obligatory for the subjects is hearing and obeying. Their obedience to the rulers, with this condition, is obedience to Allah. For this reason, when an order from the ruler is carried out, in what obedience is obligatory, it should be noticed that worship of Allah the Exalted and drawing near to Him is intended by obeying him,

so that carrying out this order becomes a means of drawing near to Allah. This should be noticed because Allah the Exalted says:

“يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ”
“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you.” (Surah an Nisa: 59).

As for obedience to rulers by force, then if rulers are strong in their authority, people obey them through the strength of authority, even if it is not from the motive of iman.

Obedience to the ruler may be through the motive of iman, and this is the beneficial obedience, beneficial for the rulers, and beneficial for the people. Obedience may also be through the motive of authority, when he is strong, so people fear him and are in awe of him, because he punishes whoever opposes his order.

For this reason it is said that people, with their rulers in this matter, have states:

1. The motive of iman is strong, and the deterrent of authority is strong. This is the most complete and highest state.
2. The motive of iman is weak, and the deterrent of authority is weak. This is the lowest state, and the most dangerous upon society, upon its rulers and subjects, because if the motive of iman and the deterrent of authority become weak, intellectual, moral, and practical chaos occurs.
3. The motive of iman is weak, and the deterrent of authority is strong. This is a middle state, because if the deterrent of authority is strong, it becomes better for the Ummah in outward appearance. If the strength of authority disappears, then do not ask about the state of the Ummah and the badness of its actions.
4. The motive of iman is strong, and the deterrent of authority is weak. Its outward appearance is lower than the third state, but between the servant and his Lord it is more complete and higher.

The Tawaghit Are Many, and Their Heads Are Five

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab said: The tawaghit are many, and their heads are five.

Tawaghit is the plural of taghut, and its explanation has already preceded.

1. Iblis, may Allah curse him. Meaning: Iblis is the accursed shaytan. Allah said to him: “وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ لَعْنَتِي إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ”
   “And indeed, My curse is upon you until the Day of Judgement.” (Surah Sad: 78). Iblis was with the angels, doing their deeds. When he was commanded to prostrate to Adam عليه السلام, what was within him of filth, refusal, and arrogance became clear, so he refused and was arrogant, and he was from the disbelievers. So he was expelled from the mercy of Allah. Allah the Exalted said: “وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ”
   “And when We said to the angels: Prostrate to Adam, they all prostrated except Iblis. He refused and was arrogant, and he was from the disbelievers.” (Surah al Baqarah: 34)
2. Whoever is worshipped besides Allah while he is pleased with being worshipped besides Allah. Meaning: whoever is worshipped besides Allah, while he is pleased with being worshipped besides Allah, is from the heads of the tawaghit, and this is the case whether he is worshipped in his life or after his death, if he dies while pleased with that.
3. Whoever calls the people to worship himself. Meaning: whoever calls the people to worship himself, even if they do not worship him, is from the heads of the tawaghit, whether the people respond to what he calls to or do not respond.
4. Whoever claims anything from knowledge of the unseen. The unseen is what is hidden from a person, and it is 2 types: present and future. The unseen of the present is relative, being known to one person and unknown to another. The unseen of the future is real and is not known to anyone except Allah alone, or to whom Allah informs from the messengers.Whoever claims knowledge of it is a disbeliever because he denies Allah and His Messenger. Allah the Exalted said: “قُل لَّا يَعْلَمُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ”
   “Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah, and they do not know when they will be resurrected.” (Surah an Naml: 65)If Allah commands His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to announce to the people that none in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah, then whoever claims knowledge of the unseen has lied against Allah and His Messenger in this report.

It is said to such people: How can knowledge of the unseen be known while the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ does not know the unseen. Are they more honourable or is the Messenger. If they say: “We are more honourable than the Messenger”, then they disbelieve by this statement. If they say: “He is more honourable”, then it is said: Why is the unseen kept from him while they know it. Allah the Exalted said about Himself:

“عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًا”
“Knower of the unseen, so He does not disclose His unseen to anyone, except to a messenger whom He is pleased with, then He places before him and behind him guards.” (Surah al Jinn: 26–27)

This is a second Qur’an verse showing the kufr of whoever claims knowledge of the unseen. Allah also commanded His Prophet to announce to the people:

“قُل لَّا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ”
“Say: I do not say to you that I have the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me.” (Surah al Anʿam: 50)

5. Whoever rules by other than what Allah sent down. Ruling by what Allah sent down is from tawhid ar rububiyyah (lordship), meaning singling Allah out in lordship, because it is carrying out the ruling of Allah, which is required by His rububiyyah and the perfection of His dominion and control. For this reason, Allah named those who are followed in other than what Allah sent down as lords, and He named their followers as worshippers, because they humbled themselves to them and obeyed them in opposing the ruling of Allah. Allah the Exalted said:“اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَالْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ عليه السلام وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ سُبْحَانَهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ””They took their rabbis and their monks as lords besides Allah, and the Messiah, son of Mary عليه السلام, while they were not commanded except to worship one God. There is no deity except Him. He is far above what they associate with Him.” (Surah at Tawbah: 31).

ʿAdi ibn Hatim said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: “They did not worship them.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Rather, they made the halal forbidden for them, and they made the haram permissible for them, so they followed them, and that is their worship of them.” Narrated by al Tirmidhi (d. 279 AH), and he graded it hasan, Book of Tafsir, Surah at Tawbah, 262/5.

If this is understood, then know that whoever does not rule by what Allah sent down, and wants seeking judgement to be to other than Allah and His Messenger, then Qur’an verses came negating iman from him, and Qur’an verses came with his kufr, his dhulm, and his fisq.

The First Type

Like His saying the Exalted:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَحَاكَمُوا إِلَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَقَدْ أُمِرُوا أَن يَكْفُرُوا بِهِ وَيُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُضِلَّهُمْ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ وَإِلَى الرَّسُولِ رَأَيْتَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَنكَ صُدُودًا فَكَيْفَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ جَاءُوكَ يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَدْنَا إِلَّا إِحْسَانًا وَتَوْفِيقًا أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُ اللَّهُ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَعِظْهُمْ وَقُل لَّهُمْ فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ قَوْلًا بَلِيغًا وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ جَاءُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللَّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُوا اللَّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

“Have you not seen those who claim that they believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you, yet they wish to seek judgement from the ṭāghūt, while they were commanded to reject it, and the shayṭān wants to lead them far astray. And when it is said to them: Come to what Allah has sent down and to the Messenger, you see the hypocrites turning away from you completely.

So how will it be when a disaster strikes them because of what their hands have sent forward, then they come to you swearing by Allah: We intended nothing but good and reconciliation. Those are the ones whom Allah knows what is in their hearts, so turn away from them, advise them, and speak to them about themselves with a penetrating word.

And We did not send any messenger except that he should be obeyed by the permission of Allah. And if, when they wronged themselves, they had come to you and asked forgiveness from Allah, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah accepting of repentance, merciful. But no, by your Lord, they do not truly believe until they make you judge in what has arisen between them, then they find no discomfort within themselves from what you have decided and submit with full submission.” (Surah an Nisa: 60–65)

Allah described these claimants of iman, while they are munafiqun, with attributes:

1. They want seeking judgement to be to the ṭāghūt, and it is everything that opposes the ruling of Allah and His Messenger, because whatever opposes the ruling of Allah and His Messenger is ṭughyān (transgression), meaning transgression and an assault against the ruling of the One who has the ruling, and to Him all matters return, and He is Allah. Allah the Exalted said: “أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ”
   “Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command. Blessed is Allah, Lord of the universe.” (Surah al Aʿraf: 25)
2. When they are called to what Allah sent down, and to the Messenger, they turn away and refuse.
3. If a calamity strikes them because of what their hands sent ahead, including that their action is discovered, they come swearing that they only intended goodness and success, like the condition of whoever rejects today the rulings of Islam and rules by laws opposing them, claiming that this is goodness matching the conditions of the era.

Then He warned these claimants of iman, described by those attributes, that Allah knows what is in their hearts and what they hide of matters opposing what they say. He commanded His Prophet to admonish them and to say to them, within themselves, a strong statement.

Then He clarified that the wisdom in sending the Messenger is that he is the one to be obeyed and followed, not other than him from people, no matter how strong their thoughts and how wide their understanding. Then Allah swore by His rububiyyah for His Messenger, which is the most specific type of rububiyyah and includes pointing to the truthfulness of his message, swearing an emphasised oath that iman is not sound except with 3 matters:

1. Seeking judgement in every dispute must be to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
2. The chests must open to his judgement, and there must not be constriction or tightness in the selves because of it.
3. Submission must occur, by accepting what he judged and carrying it out with no delay and no deviation.

The Second Type

Like His saying the Exalted:

وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ
“And whoever does not judge by what Allah has sent down, then they are the disbelievers.” (Surah al Maʾidah: 33)

وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
“And whoever does not judge by what Allah has sent down, then they are the wrongdoers.” (Surah al Maʾidah: 45)

وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
“And whoever does not judge by what Allah has sent down, then they are the defiantly disobedient.” (Surah al Maʾidah: 47)

Do these three descriptions apply to one described person, meaning everyone who does not rule by what Allah sent down is a kafir, a dhalim, and a fasiq, because Allah described the disbelievers with dhulm and fisq,

saying: “وَالْكَافِرُونَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ”
“And the disbelievers, they are the wrongdoers.” (Surah al Baqarah: 254)

and saying: “إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَمَاتُوا وَهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ” (Surah at Tawbah: 84)

“Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger, and they died while they were defiantly disobedient.”

So every kafir is a dhalim and a fasiq, or do these descriptions apply to two described persons, depending on what carries them to not rule by what Allah sent down. This is what is closer, and Allah knows best.

It is said:

Whoever does not rule by what Allah sent down, out of belittling it, or contempt, or belief that other than it is better than it and more beneficial for creation, or equal to it, then he is a kafir with kufr that takes a person out of Islam. From these are those who put for the people legislations that oppose Islamic legislations, to be a path people walk upon.

They only put these legislations opposing the Sharia while believing they are better and more beneficial for creation. This is because it is necessarily known by sound intellect and natural disposition that a person does not turn from a path to another path that opposes it except that he believes superiority in what he turned to, and deficiency in what he turned away from.

Whoever does not rule by what Allah sent down, while he did not belittle it, did not hold it in contempt, and did not believe other than it is better than it for himself, or what resembles that, then he is a dhalim (evildoer) and not a kafir. The degrees of his dhulm (injustice) differ according to what he ruled with and the means of ruling.

Whoever does not rule by what Allah sent down, not out of belittling the ruling of Allah, not out of contempt, and not out of believing other than it is better and more beneficial for creation or equal to it, but he ruled by other than it out of favouring the one ruled for, or because of a bribe, or other than that from the gains of the dunya, then he is a fasiq and not a kafir. The degrees of his fisq differ according to what he ruled with and the means of ruling.

Shaykh al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH) said about those who took their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah that they are two cases:

The first: that they know that they changed the religion of Allah, then they follow them upon the change, believing making permissible what Allah made forbidden, and making forbidden what Allah made permissible, following their leaders, while knowing they opposed the religion of the messengers. This is kufr, and Allah and His Messenger made it shirk.

The second: that their belief and iman in making forbidden the halal and making permissible the haram remains firm, but they obey them in disobedience to Allah, like what a Muslim does from sins while believing they are sins. These have the ruling of their likes from the people of sins.

There is a difference between matters that are considered general legislation, and a specific matter in which a judge rules by other than what Allah sent down, because matters that are general legislation do not accept the earlier division. Rather, they are from the first type only, because this legislator who legislates what opposes Islam only legislated it due to his belief that it is better than Islam and more beneficial for the servants, as has already been pointed out.

This issue, meaning the issue of ruling by other than what Allah sent down, is from the great issues that the rulers of this time have been tested with. A person should not rush in judging them with what they do not deserve until the truth becomes clear to him, because the matter is dangerous. Allah is asked to rectify for the Muslims their rulers and their close advisors.

A person whom Allah has given knowledge should clarify it to these rulers, so that the proof is established against them, and the path becomes clear, so that whoever perishes perishes upon clarity, and whoever lives lives upon clarity. A person should not see himself too small to clarify it, and should not fear anyone in it, because honour belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers.

The Evidence

The evidence is His saying the Exalted: Meaning: evidence for the obligation to rule by what Allah sent down, and rejection of the taghut.

لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ

“There is no compulsion in the religion. Guidance has become clear from misguidance.” Meaning: there is no compulsion upon the religion because its proofs and clarification and clarity have appeared. For this reason He said after it: “Guidance has become clear from misguidance”. When guidance becomes clear from misguidance, then every sound self must choose guidance over misguidance.

فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَى

“So whoever rejects the taghut and believes in Allah has held to the strongest handhold.” (Surah al Baqarah: 256) This is the meaning of “La ilaha illa Allah”.

The Hadith

In the hadith: “The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is salah, and the highest part of its hump is jihad (striving) in the path of Allah.”

Allah began with rejection of the taghut before belief in Allah, because from completeness is removing barriers before establishing the fixed matters. For this reason it is said: removing comes before adorning.

Meaning: he has held to it with complete holding, and the strongest handhold is Islam. Consider how Allah said: “فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ”
“Then he has held firmly.”

and He did not say: “He held”, because holding fast is stronger than holding. A person may hold but may not hold fast.

The author intended to use this hadith as evidence that everything has a head, so the head of the matter that Muhammad ﷺ came with is Islam.

Because it does not stand except by it. For this reason, the stronger view is the kufr of the one who leaves salah, and that he has no Islam.

Meaning: its highest and most complete is jihad in the path of Allah, because when a person rectifies himself, he tries to rectify others by jihad in the path of Allah, so that Islam stands and so that the word of Allah is the highest. Whoever fights so that the word of Allah is the highest, then he is in the path of Allah. It became the highest part of the hump because by it Islam rises over other than it.

Narrated by Ahmad (d. 241 AH) 231/5, 237; al Tirmidhi (d. 279 AH) 13/5, number 2616; and Ibn Majah (d. 273 AH) 1394/2, number 3973.

Sharh Thalathat al Usul by Muhammad ibn Salih al ʿUthaymin pg 150–159

Dr Khalid al Muslih said: Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Whhab, may Allah have mercy on him, began with disbelieving in taghut before believing in Allah, because Allah سبحانه وتعالى began with them in His saying:

لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَى لَا انْفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

““There is no compulsion in religion. Right guidance has become clear from error. So whoever disbelieves in taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the firm handhold that will never break. And Allah is All Hearing, All Knowing.”” (Al Baqarah: 256).

So He began with disbelieving in taghut before believing in Allah, because disbelieving in taghut is emptying the heart, freeing it, and purifying it from every evil, then after that comes filling it with believing in Allah Mighty and Majestic. Believing in Allah Mighty and Majestic is not upright unless the heart becomes pure and free from every stain of impurity, disbelief, and shirk.

So when it is purified and cleansed, its strength becomes free and its concern becomes fully directed towards believing in Allah.

So the servant must be keen upon these two meanings: disbelieving in taghut, meaning emptying the heart from every stain of shirk, whether subtle or major, then believing in Allah, meaning filling the heart with everything that beautifies it, completes it, fulfills its servitude to Allah Mighty and Majestic, and brings into it the two qualities of soundness and returning to Allah.

Allah Mighty and Majestic attached salvation on the Day of Resurrection to soundness and returning, so whoever comes with a sound heart, and whoever comes with a heart that returns to Allah, will attain success in this life and the next.

Sharh al Usul al Thalathah by Dr Khalid al Muslih pg 87