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After mentioning these evident verses that clarify
the obligation of rejecting taghuts and that this is the basic pillar of the
pillars of Tawheed, it is thus obligatory upon us to know what taghut is in
order that we may reject it.
Taghut:
is everything that dissuades and deviates one from the worship of Allah and also
prevents one from faithfully and sincerely obeying Allah and His messenger;
whether it be the shaitaan of jinn, shaitaan of man, trees, stones, women,
husband, a grave; or an oppressive dictator or an outstanding group that people
selected, an assembly, a group of scientists that enacts laws other than
Allah’s laws. It may be a custom, a habit, or an ideology that has not
originated from the Book of Allah and one who ascribes to himself the right of
enacting laws and setting limits.
Entering
into this meaning without a doubt is ruling by foreign laws and abandoning Islam
and its legislations, enacting laws and setting limits like permitting interest,
fornication and adultery and intoxicants. The laws that these people legislate
and enact are taghuts itself and those people that legislate and lay down these
laws are also taghuts.
Taghut
is every nation that seeks judgment from other than Allah and His messenger or
follows the taghut or obeys it in that which he does not know is obedience to
Allah alone.
Allah
azza wa jalla says:
...and
He makes none to share in His decision and His rule. (18:26)
As
well as:
...The
judgment is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him.
That is the (true) straight religion, but most men know not.
(12:40)
So
how do we disbelieve in taghut: it is by believing in the invalidity of
worshipping other than Allah, to leave the taghut, to disbelieve in the taghut
and the people of taghut and to fight them.
In
order to understand the concept of taghut more clearly lets take examples from
our present society:
Allah
subhana wa ta’ala says in His noble Book:
As
for the thief, both male and female, cut off their hands as a recompense for
that which they committed, a punishment by way of example from Allah. And Allah
is All-Powerful, All-Wise. (5:38)
Allah
subhana wa ta’ala commands us in this noble verse to a clear order, wherein
there is no obscurity nor vagueness, that whoever steals male or female then it
is incumbent to cut off their hands as a reward for what they did. This is the
order of Allah concerning the thief (male or female) which will remain until the
day of judgment. After this order if someone, no matter what his status,
delivers another verdict thereby preventing the cutting of the thief’s hand,
then he has given himself the attribute that belongs only to the Creator, which
is the right of ruling. Thus such a person has exceeded his limits and become a
taghut.
Likewise
if he said that it is necessary that the thief be locked up because the cutting
of the hands is inappropriate for this age of ours; or if he claimed that the
ruling of the cutting of the hand of the thief is not a deterrent and that the
appropriate ruling would be killing of the thief or some other ruling, then such
a person has exceeded his limits and become a taghut.
Indeed
whoever renders a judgment other than the judgment of Allah for the thief,
whether by decreasing or increasing the punishment, even if he did not clearly
declare that the judgment of Allah is incorrect or that he does not accept the
judgment of Allah, he has indeed put himself in the place of Allah and given
himself an attribute that is only for the Creator of the universe, which is the
right to judge and rule between the people. He has thereby set himself up as a
deity besides Allah even if he did not claim that and even if he did not say:
“I am a deity besides Allah” or “Worship me for I am a deity’’.
For
indeed this person has given himself a right which belongs only to Allah alone
without any partner and has thereby exceeded his limits and become a taghut.
Whoever
obeys these types of people or does not takfeer (call or consider someone to be
a disbeliever) them or does not takfeer those that do not takfeer them, then he
has indeed disbelieved and has invalidated his Imaan even if he fasts, prays,
performs the hajj and claims that he is a muslim. The reason for the disbelief
of these people is that they did not takfeer the taghut which Allah ordered them
to takfeer and they did not fulfill the condition of rejecting and disbelieving
in taghut which is necessary before the entering into Imaan and without which
Imaan, Islam and actions are of no benefit.
Here
is another example that clarifies the meaning of taghut:
Allah
azza wa jalla says:
...Allah
has permitted trading and forbidden Riba (usury, interest)...
(2:275)
This
verse shows that interest is forbidden (haram). If a ruler of a certain
country permits interest or legislates a law for the banks to work with interest
and permits the banks to continue their work in the country and permits trade
with interest then this ruler, although he does not openly claim that
‘interest is not forbidden’, he has by his mere action opposed the command
of Allah. He has permitted what Allah has forbidden and has ascribed to himself
a right that belongs to no one except the Lord and Creator of the worlds which
is the right to judge between the people.
Allah
jalla wa ‘alaa says:
...the
judgment is for none but Allah… (12:40)
Therefore
this ruler, although he did not clearly say: ‘I am a deity besides Allah’ as
Pharaoh said, he has by this action of his exceeded his limits and claimed
Lordship thereby becoming a taghut. It is incumbent to fight him and takfeer
(call him a disbeliever) him and to takfeer those that do not takfeer him.
Whoever obeys, supports and follows this ruler or does not reject him and call
him a disbeliever (takfeer him) or does not takfeer those that do not consider
him a disbeliever, then they have indeed disbelieved like him as they did not
fulfill the condition of disbelief in taghut which is necessary for the entrance
into faith.
Another
example that clarifies the meaning of taghut:
Allah
azza wa jalla says:
And
tell the believing women to draw their veils over their juyub.
(24:31)
In
this verse Allah subhana wa ta’ala clearly orders a believing woman to draw
her veil over her bosoms and shoulders. If a ruler legislates a law that allows
the women to walk around uncovered and says that it is a matter of choice,
whoever wants to cover may do so and those that don’t want to are free not to,
then this ruler by his saying and his action has legislated a law besides the
law of Allah subhana wa ta’ala.
He
has rejected the order of Allah by legislating a law opposed to the law of
Allah. Thus by his action he has made himself a legislator like Allah. This
ruler has exceeded his limits and become a taghut even if he prays, fasts,
performs hajj and claims that he is muslim. By his actions he has ascribed to
himself a right that belongs to no one but Allah alone, the creator of the
heavens and the earth. This right is the right of legislating laws for man.
Whoever
obeys this type of ruler or supports him or does not (takfeer him) call him a
disbeliever and does not takfeer those that do not takfeer him then he has
disbelieved because he did not fulfill the condition of disbelief in taghut
which Allah has made a fundamental condition for the entrance into faith.
Another
example would be Allah’s saying:
And
with Him are the keys of the Ghaib (all that is hidden), none knows them
but He. And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea...
(6:59)
Allah
subhana wa ta’ala also says:
(He
Alone is) the All-Knower of the Ghaib (unseen), and He reveals to none
His Ghaib (unseen).”
Except
to a Messenger (from mankind) whom He has chosen (He informs him of
unseen as much as He likes), and then He makes a band of watching guards (angels)
to march before him and behind him. (72:26-27)
Allah
subhana wa ta’ala explains to us in these verses that the unseen and knowledge
thereof is with Allah alone and nobody has the ability to know the unseen except
if Allah informs him of that. Allah subhana wa ta’ala has revealed some of the
events of the unseen to some of the messengers. Even the messengers cannot know
the events of the unseen except by the power of Allah. Allah has protected this
revelation from Shaitaan’s effect.
After
clarifying this divine reality we say that if a person claims that he knows the
unseen or what are in peoples’ hearts, or that he knows the happenings of the
future then this person has either claimed that revelation has come to him from
the sky thus he has claimed he is a messenger or prophet thereby rejecting that
the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is the seal of
the prophets and that there is no prophet after him, hence he has disbelieved in
the message of the Prophet Muhammad; or he is claiming that he knows the unseen
without revelation from Allah thus claiming that he possesses an attribute which
belongs to Allah alone thereby announcing himself as a deity besides Allah, even
if he did not openly say that.
Indeed
whoever claims knowledge of the unseen has exceeded his limits and become a
taghut. Therefore such a person, no matter how much he claims that he is a
muslim and that he prays, fasts, performs hajj and fulfills all the pillars of
Islam, he has indeed disbelieved by claiming knowledge of the unseen.
Whoever
believes him or obeys him or does not (takfeer him) call him a disbeliever or
does not call disbelievers those that consider him a muslim then he has
disbelieved even if he fasts, prays and claims that he is muslim because he did
not fulfill the condition of disbelief in taghut. No one enters Imaan without
fulfilling this condition. Fulfilling this condition in words only is of no
benefit. It is incumbent that it be fulfilled in belief, words and action.
These
are a few examples which I cited in order to clarify the meaning of taghut so
that the layman as well as the learned may understand it in order that every
person can ascertain where he stands concerning the rejection of taghut and the
belief that Allah requires of him.
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