Part 77

Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, rahimahullaah, said, concerning those who took their learned men and their Rabbis as Lords besides Allaah, that they are of two sorts: (1) Those who knew that they had changed the Religion of Allaah, and yet they followed them upon that distortion; and they believed in the permissibility of for bidden things, and in the forbiddence of things made lawful by Allaah - due to their following their heads, even though they knew that they had gone against the Religion of the Messengers, then this is unbelief and it is declared to be shirk by Allaah and His Messenger. (2) That their belief and their faith in the allowance of forbidden things, and in the prohibition of lawful things - these are the words reported from him - is con firmed, but they just obeyed them in disobedience to Allaah just as the Muslim may commit sins, but whilst believing them to be sins. So they carry the ruling of their like from the people of sin. There is a distinction between those matters that are counted as a general and universal law, and a particular case about which a judge gives judgement by other than that which Allaah sent down. This is because matters that are considered general and universal laws are not covered by the previous classification. Rather it is from the first category only because this person who is laying down a system of laws contrary to Islaam only lays it down due to his belief that it is better than Islaam and more beneficial for the servants - as has already been indicated. This affair, i.e. the matter of judging by other than that which Allaah sent down is a very great affair which has become a trial for the rulers of this time. A person should not be hasty in passing judgement upon them with that which they do not deserve, until the truth becomes clear to him, because it is a very dangerous matter, and we ask Allaah, the Most High - to rectify for the Muslims those in authority over them and their advisors. It is also upon a person to whom Allaah has given knowledge that he makes the matter clear to those rulers in order that the proof is established upon them and the truth is clear, and in order that those who go to destruction do so having had the affair made clear to them, and that those who live may do so upon clear proof. One should not belittle himself and so fail to make it clear, nor should he fear any person in that regard for indeed might and honour are for Allaah, and for His Messenger and the Believers. “The proof [164] is the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, “No one is to be compelled to enter the Religion, [165] true guidance has been made clear and distinct from falsehood. So whoever rejects at-taaghoot (all that is worshipped besides Allaah) - and truly believes and worships Allaah alone, [166] then he has grasped the firmest handhold that will never break" [167] [surah al-Baqarah (2):256] ____________________________________________________________________ i.e. the obligation of judging by that which Allaah sent down, and for rejecting at-Taaghoot. There is to be no compulsion upon people to enter the Religion since its proofs and clear signs are manifest, therefore Allaah says after this, "True guidance has been made clear and distinct from falsehood." [surah al-Baqarah (2):256] Since true guidance has been made clear and distinct from falsehood, then sincere souls must choose and prefer true guidance to error. Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic - mentioned rejection of at-taaghoot before mentioning eemaan in Allaah because in order for anything to be fully complete everything that stands in its way and prevents it must be removed before estab lishing it. That is he firmly and fully clings to it, and the firmest handhold is Islaam; and consider how Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: qadistamsaaka "has grasped" and He did not just say: tamassaka "he has caught hold of because al-istimsaak "firmly grasping" is stronger than at-tamassuk "holding on to", since a person may be holding on to something but has not firmly grasped it. and this is the meaning of laa ilaaha illallaah (None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah). And in the hadith: The head of the affair is al-Islaam, [168] and its supporting pillar is the Prayer, [169] and its highest part is jihaad in Allaah's cause. [170] [171] ___________________________________________________________ what the author, rahimahullaah ta'aalaa, intends is to use this hadith to prove that everything has a head, and the head of the affair that Muhammad came with is al-lslaam. That is because it cannot stand without it, therefore upon the most correct saying one who abandons the Prayer is an unbeliever and is not within Islaam. That is its highest and most perfect part is jihaad fought in Allaah's cause. This is because when a person has rectified himself he tries to rectify others by jihaad in Allaah's cause in order for Islaam to be established and so that Allaah's Word is the Highest. Whoever fights in order that Allaah's Word is the highest, then he is fighting in Allaah's cause, and it is the highest part since through it Islaam is given ascendancy over everything else.