The Ruling on Exalting Disbelievers and Using the Title "Great of the Romans"

The Shaykh:
The sects and factions are planning methodologies for them. O, Glorified is Allah, you are Muslims. The only methodology is Islam, the Qur'an, and the Sunnah. How are you planning methodologies that you yourselves establish, when the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) are before you, along with what the righteous Salaf were upon? What is the need for these plans? Yes.

The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, is it permissible to exalt disbelievers, such as saying, for example, "Great of the Romans"?

The Shaykh:
"Their Great One" means their leader. This is not exalting him; it is a description of his position. They call him by this name; it is a statement of the reality.

The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. He says: If there is a scholar among the scholars.

The Shaykh:
For example, Heraclius, the Great of the Romans, and Kisra, the Great of the Persians, meaning their leader. Yes.