The Meaning of Taghut
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Q334: The questioner asks: What is taghut? And is every taghut a disbeliever?
A334: Linguistically, taghut is derived from taghyyan (transgression), which means exceeding the limit; such as exceeding the truth to falsehood, or exceeding faith to disbelief, and the like. Every taghut is a disbeliever, and there are many taghuts, and their heads are five. The scholar Ibn al-Qayyim and others mentioned this. The first is Iblis, may Allah curse him; for he is the head of the taghuts, and he is the one who calls to misguidance, disbelief, atheism, and to the Fire. The second is one who is worshipped other than Allah, and he is pleased with that; for whoever is pleased that people worship him other than Allah, he becomes a taghut, as the Exalted said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:60]
So, whoever is worshipped other than Allah and he is pleased with that, he is a taghut; but if he is not pleased with that, then it is not so. The third: whoever claims something of the knowledge of the unseen, so whoever claims that he knows the unseen, he is a taghut, because the unseen is not known except by Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). He said, the Exalted:[An-Naml 27:65] So, whoever claims that he knows the unseen, he makes himself a partner for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in the knowledge of the unseen, so he is a taghut. The fourth: whoever calls people to worship himself, so whoever calls people to worship him, and wants to be a god, even if he does not say that he is a god, but if he calls people to draw near to him through worship, and claims that he heals their sick, and that he fulfills their needs which none can fulfill except Allah (Mighty and Majestic),
or harms them with what none can do except Allah, and that he controls people, and if they do not worship him he will harm them, and that whoever among them worships him, he will benefit him, then this is a taghut; because he calls people to take him as a god to be worshipped other than Allah, and this is what some of the people of the Sufi paths and the corrupt ones do, who control the servants of Allah, and make for themselves the station of divinity, and claim that they benefit and harm, so that they humiliate the servants, and lead them with falsehood. The fifth: whoever judges other than what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has revealed; because Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says:[An-Nisa 4:60] So, whoever judges other than what Allah has revealed, and thinks that his judgment other than what Allah has revealed is more beneficial for the people, and better for the people, or that it is equal to what Allah has
revealed, or that he has a choice between judging by what Allah has revealed and other than that, or that judging other than what Allah has revealed is permissible; then this is considered a taghut, and a disbeliever in Allah (Mighty and Majestic). These are the heads of the taghut.
A334: Linguistically, taghut is derived from taghyyan (transgression), which means exceeding the limit; such as exceeding the truth to falsehood, or exceeding faith to disbelief, and the like. Every taghut is a disbeliever, and there are many taghuts, and their heads are five. The scholar Ibn al-Qayyim and others mentioned this. The first is Iblis, may Allah curse him; for he is the head of the taghuts, and he is the one who calls to misguidance, disbelief, atheism, and to the Fire. The second is one who is worshipped other than Allah, and he is pleased with that; for whoever is pleased that people worship him other than Allah, he becomes a taghut, as the Exalted said:
Say, "Shall I inform you of [what is] worse than that as penalty from Allah? [It is that of] those whom Allah has cursed and with whom He became angry and made of them apes and pigs and slaves of Taghut. Those are worse in position and further astray from the sound way."
قُلْ هَلْ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِشَرٍّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَثُوبَةً عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ لَعَنَهُ اللَّهُ وَغَضِبَ عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهُمُ الْقِرَدَةَ وَالْخَنَازِيرَ وَعَبَدَ الطَّاغُوتَ أُولَئِكَ شَرٌّ مَكَانًا وَأَضَلُّ عَنْ سَوَاءِ السَّبِيلِSo, whoever is worshipped other than Allah and he is pleased with that, he is a taghut; but if he is not pleased with that, then it is not so. The third: whoever claims something of the knowledge of the unseen, so whoever claims that he knows the unseen, he is a taghut, because the unseen is not known except by Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). He said, the Exalted:
Say, "None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected."
قُلْ لاَ يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَor harms them with what none can do except Allah, and that he controls people, and if they do not worship him he will harm them, and that whoever among them worships him, he will benefit him, then this is a taghut; because he calls people to take him as a god to be worshipped other than Allah, and this is what some of the people of the Sufi paths and the corrupt ones do, who control the servants of Allah, and make for themselves the station of divinity, and claim that they benefit and harm, so that they humiliate the servants, and lead them with falsehood. The fifth: whoever judges other than what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has revealed; because Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says:
Have you not seen those who claim to have believed in what was revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you? They wish to refer legislation to Taghut, while they were commanded to reject it; and Satan wishes to lead them far astray.
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَتَحَاكَمُوا إِلَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَقَدْ أُمِرُوا أَنْ يَكْفُرُوا بِهِ وَيُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ يُضِلَّهُمْ ضَلاَلاً بَعِيدًاrevealed, or that he has a choice between judging by what Allah has revealed and other than that, or that judging other than what Allah has revealed is permissible; then this is considered a taghut, and a disbeliever in Allah (Mighty and Majestic). These are the heads of the taghut.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.