Part 76

(iii) That when a calamity comes upon them due to the evil they have committed, and it may be that their action has been uncovered, then they come swearing that they only intended good and reconciliation - like the case of those who reject the ruling of Islaam these days and judge by laws contrary to them, claiming that this is something good and in accordance with the modern age. He, the Most Perfect, warned those claimants to eemaan who have these characteristics that He knows what is in their hearts and whatever they conceal, with regard to affairs that are contrary to their Lords. Then He commanded His Prophet to cause them to fear, and to admonish them sternly in private. The he made clear that the wisdom in sending a messenger is that he should be obeyed and followed; him and not someone else from the people - no matter how strong their thinking and how far-reaching their understanding. Then He, the Most High, swore by His Lordship of His Messenger, that being the most particular and special part of His Lordship, and which contains an indication of the correctness of his (s||) Messengership, He swore by this an emphatic oath that eemaan will not be correct except along with three matters: (1) That judgement in every disagreement be referred back to Allaah's Messenger (£g). (2) That the hearts welcome and accept his judgement, and that no resist ance or dislike is found in their souls towards it. (3) That there is full submission and acceptance of his judgement, and that it is applied without slackness and without distorting it at all. (ii) As for the second category, then such as the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, "And whoever does not judge by what Allaah has sent down, then they are the ones guilty of unbelief." [surah al-Maa'idah (5):44] "And whoever does not judge by what Allaah has sent down, then they are the transgressors." [surah al-Maa'idah (5):45] "And whoever does not judge by what Allaah has sent down, then they are the disobedient." [surah al-Maa'idah (5):47] So are these three descriptions to apply to a single person all at once? Meaning: Is it the case that everyone who does not judge by what Allaah has sent down is one guilty of unbelief, and is a transgressor, and is a disobedient evildoer, since Allaah, the Most High, has described the unbelievers with transgression and disobedience (elsewhere in the Qur'aan), so He, the Most High, says, "And the unbelievers they are the wrongdoers/oppressors." [surah al-Baqarah (2):254] "They (the hypocrites) have rejected the taw^eed of Allaah and the Messengers hip of His Messenger and have died outside Is la am as evildoers, disobeying the commands and prohibitions of Allaah." [surah at-Tawbah (9):84] So every Unbeliever is therefore a transgressor/oppressor, and disobedient evildoer. Or is it that these characteristics are such that each applies to a separate class of person, applying it in accordance with the reason that lead him to leave judging by that which Allaah sent down? This is more correct in my view, and Allaah knows best. Whoever does not judge by that which Allaah has sent down, whilst mocking or belittling it, or whilst believing that something other than it is better and more beneficial for the creation, or is like it, then he is an unbeliever who has left the Religion. From these are those who lay down systems of law contrary to the Islamic system of laws - in order for that to be a way of life for the people to proceed upon. They do not lay down such systems that contradict the Islamic Sharee'ah except due to their belief that they are better and more beneficial for the creation. This is because it is known necessarily by the intellect and by inborn nature that man does not turn away from one whole way of life to another that is contrary to it unless he believes that the one he turns to is more excellent, and that the one he leaves is deficient. But whoever does not judge by that which Allaah has sent down, but he does not mock it, or belittle it, nor does he believe that something else is better and more beneficial for him, or the like of it, then he is a transgressor and is not an unbeliever. The level of his transgression will vary according to the judgement given and how it was reached. As for one who does not judge by that which Allaah sent down, but he does not mock or belittle Allaah's judgement, nor does he believe that something other than it is better and more beneficial for the creation, or is like it. Rather he judges by other than it due to bias towards the one in whose favour he passes judgement, or due to having been bribed, or due to other worldly motives - then this is a disobedient sinner and is not an unbeliever. The level of his sin will be in accordance with the judgement given and how it was reached.