The Meaning of Taghut and Those Who Worshipped Other Than Allah Without His Approval
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, taghut is everything that is worshipped other than Allah. Does that include what is worshipped other than Allah without their consent and without their knowledge?
Answer:
The intended meaning of "worshipped other than Allah" is one who is pleased with that. As for the one who forbids it and prevents it and is not pleased with it, he is not included. The prophets worshipped the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous, but they are not pleased with that, and they strive against their people in their lifetimes.
Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said, when the disbelievers heard[Al-Anbya 21:98-99], they rejoiced in it and said, "If 'Isa, who is worshipped, is in the Fire, then we are pleased with that." So Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said, "Indeed, those who have preceded us in good deeds [Al-Anbya 21:101-102]." And He (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [Az-Zukhruf 43:57-58]?
This means that Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) informed that 'Isa did not approve of that and did not command it, and on the Day of Resurrection he will disavow it in the presence of all witnesses[Al-Ma'idah 5:117].
So the one who is not pleased with this does not fall under the verse. Yes. And he does not become a taghut. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, taghut is everything that is worshipped other than Allah. Does that include what is worshipped other than Allah without their consent and without their knowledge?
Answer:
The intended meaning of "worshipped other than Allah" is one who is pleased with that. As for the one who forbids it and prevents it and is not pleased with it, he is not included. The prophets worshipped the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous, but they are not pleased with that, and they strive against their people in their lifetimes.
Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said, when the disbelievers heard
(98) Indeed, you [disbelievers] and what you worship other than Allah are the firewood of Hell. You will be coming to [enter] it. (99) Had these [false deities] been [actual] gods, they would not have come to it
إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنتُمْ لَهَا وَارِدُونَ لَوْ كَانَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ آلِهَةً مَّا وَرَدُوهَاthey are from it far removed. (102) They will not hear its sound, while they are, in that which their souls desire, abiding eternally.
أُولَٰئِكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُونَ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ حَسِيسَهَا وَهُمْ فِي مَا اشْتَهَتْ أَنفُسُهُمْ خَالِدُونَ(57) And when the son of Mary was presented as an example, immediately your people laughed aloud. (58) And they said, "Are your gods better, or is he?"
وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ وَقَالُوا أَآلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَThis means that Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) informed that 'Isa did not approve of that and did not command it, and on the Day of Resurrection he will disavow it in the presence of all witnesses
I said not to them except what You commanded me - to worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them
مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْSo the one who is not pleased with this does not fall under the verse. Yes. And he does not become a taghut. Yes.
Source
شرح كتاب المنتقى من أخبار المصطفى صلى الله عليه وسلم، بداية من باب اتخاذ متعبدات الكفار ومواضع القبور إذا نبشت مساجد — islamhouse.com (47:25)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.