Part 73

Ibnul-Qayyim, rahimahullaah, said: "At-taaghoot is anyone regarding whom the servant goes beyond the due bounds, whether it is someone worshipped, obeyed, or followed.” [157] ____________________________________________________________ Meaning that Allaah sent a Messenger to every nation, calling them to the worship of Allaah alone, and forbidding them from shirk, and the proof is the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, "And there was no nation except that We sent a warner to them, warning of Our punishment for those who disbelieve." [surah Faatir (35):24] "We sent a messenger to every nation ordering them that they should worship Allaah alone, obey Him and make their worship purely for Him, and that they should shun everything worshipped besides Allaah." [surah an-Nahl (16):36] Means by this is that tawhid will not be established except by worshipping Allaah alone, attributing no share of worship to any besides Him, and by shunning attaaghoot. This is something which Allaah has made obligatory upon the servants. The word taaghoot is derived from tughyaan, and tughyaan means to go beyond the bounds, as occurs in the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, "When the water of the flood rose beyond the normal bounds (taghaa) We carried you in the Ark." [surah al-Haaqqah (69):11] Then the best explanation of the usage of the term in the Religion is what IbnulQayyim, rahimahullaah, mentions, that at-t_aaghoot is "Anyone, regarding whom the servant goes beyond the due bounds, whether it is someone worshipped, obeyed or followed." What he means by "someone worshipped, obeyed or followed" is other than the righteous and pious people. As for the righteous folk, then they are not taaghoots even if the evil doers coming after their deaths began to direct worship to them, or if they are followed or obeyed by the people. But the idols which are worshipped besides Allaah are taaghoots; and the evil scholars - that is: those who call to misguidance and unbelief, or call to innovation, or to making lawful that which Allaah has forbidden, or forbidding that which Allaah has made lawful, and those who present it as being acceptable - to those in authority - that they should abandon the Sharee'ah of Islaam in favour of systems introduced from outside that are contrary to the system of the Religion of Islaam; then they are Taaghoots since they have gone beyond their bounds. This is because the scholars limit is that he should be one who follows that which the Prophet (|g£) came with, because the scholars are truly the inheritors of the prophets. They inherit from them, with regard to their Ummah, in knowledge, action, manners, in their call, and in teaching. So if they go beyond this limit and began to present it as acceptable to the rulers that they can move away from the Sharee 'ah of Islaam in favour of the like of these systems, then they are taaghoots. They have gone beyond what it was binding upon them to restrict themselves to, that they should follow the Sharee'ah. As for his, ratiimahuHaah, saying: "or one obeyed", then what is meant by that is those rulers who are obeyed due to that being required by the Sharee'ah, or due to something decreed necessitating that. So the Sharee'ah requires that rulers be obeyed if they command that which is not contrary to the command of Allaah and His Messenger. In this condition the description of taaghoot does not apply to them, and the people should hear and obey them. Obedience to those in authority in this situation, with this condition, is obedience to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. So because of this when we carry out what the ruler has ordered, from those matters in which he must be obeyed, we should bear in mind that we are therefore worshipping Allaah, the Most High, through this act and drawing closer to Him through this obedience. Thus our carrying this matter out will be something that draws us closer to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. It is fitting that we are conscious of this due to the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, "O you who believe, obey Allaah, and obey the Messenger, and those of you in authority." fSoorah an-Nisaa (4):59] As for obedience to rulers due to necessity and something decreed, then if the rulers are strong in their authority then the people will obey them due to the strength of authority they possess, even if they are not motivated to do so by eemaan. So it is the case that obedience to the ruler should be due to the motivation of eemaan, this is beneficial obedience. This is the obedience that will benefit the ruler and the people also. But obedience may come about because of the rulers authority and strength such that the people fear him and are intimidated by him due to the punishment he metes out to those who oppose him. Therefore we say that the peoples situations with regard to their rulers vary: (i) That the motivation of eemaan is strong, and the rulers authority is strong - then this is the most complete and highest situation. (ii) That the motivation of eemaan is weak, and the rulers authority is weak - then this is the lowest state and the one most dangerous for the society.