The Five Tyrants
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question: What is the meaning of *taghut*? And is every *taghut* a disbeliever?
Answer: *Taghut* in language: it is derived from *taghyyan* (transgression), which is exceeding the limit, such as exceeding the truth to falsehood, or exceeding faith to disbelief, and the like of that.
And the *taghut* are many, and every *taghut* is a disbeliever without doubt. The *taghut* are many, but their heads are five, as mentioned by the scholar Ibn al-Qayyim and others.
The first: Iblis, may Allah curse him, for he is the head of the *taghut*. He is the one who calls to misguidance, disbelief, and atheism, and he calls to the Fire, so he is the head of the *taghut*.
And the second: Whoever is worshipped other than Allah and is pleased with that. Indeed, whoever is pleased that people worship him other than Allah,He becomes a *taghut* as Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ma'idah: 60] , so the one who is worshipped other than Allah and is pleased with that is a *taghut*. But if he is not pleased with that, then he is not so.
And the third: Whoever claims something of the knowledge of the unseen. So whoever claims that he knows the unseen is a *taghut*; for the unseen is not known except by Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He: [Al-Naml: 65] , so the one who claims that he knows the unseen makes himself a partner for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, in the knowledge of the unseen, so he is a *taghut*.
And the fourth: Whoever calls people to worship himself. The one who 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 - and that he is able to harm them with what none can
harm except Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and that he controls people, and if they do not worship him he will harm them, and whoever among them worships him, he will benefit them, then this is also a *taghut*; because he calls people to take him as a god other than Allah - Mighty and Majestic -.
And this is what some of the people of the Sufi paths and the corrupt ones do, who control the servants of Allah, and assign for themselves the status of divinity in that they benefit and harm, and that they and they.. and so on, to humiliate the servants and lead them with falsehood.
And the fifth: Whoever judges by other than what Allah - Mighty and Majestic - has revealed;Because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, says: [Al-Nisa: 60] , so the one who judges by other than what Allah has revealed, and he thinks that his judgment by other than what Allah has revealed is better for the people, and more beneficial for the people, and that it is equal to what Allah has revealed, and that he has a choice between judging by what Allah has revealed, or judging by other than it, or that judging by other than what Allah has revealed is permissible, then this is considered a *taghut* and he is a disbeliever in Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
These are the heads of the *taghut*, and Allah the Exalted knows best.
Answer: *Taghut* in language: it is derived from *taghyyan* (transgression), which is exceeding the limit, such as exceeding the truth to falsehood, or exceeding faith to disbelief, and the like of that.
And the *taghut* are many, and every *taghut* is a disbeliever without doubt. The *taghut* are many, but their heads are five, as mentioned by the scholar Ibn al-Qayyim and others.
The first: Iblis, may Allah curse him, for he is the head of the *taghut*. He is the one who calls to misguidance, disbelief, and atheism, and he calls to the Fire, so he is the head of the *taghut*.
And the second: Whoever is worshipped other than Allah and is pleased with that. Indeed, whoever is pleased that people worship him other than Allah,He becomes a *taghut* as Allah the Exalted said:
and made of them apes and pigs and slaves of Taghut
وَجَعَلَ مِنْهُمُ الْقِرَدَةَ وَالْخَنَازِيرَ وَعَبَدَ الطَّاغُوتَAnd the third: Whoever claims something of the knowledge of the unseen. So whoever claims that he knows the unseen is a *taghut*; for the unseen is not known except by Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He:
Say, "None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah
قُلْ لَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُAnd the fourth: Whoever calls people to worship himself. The one who 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 - and that he is able to harm them with what none can
harm except Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and that he controls people, and if they do not worship him he will harm them, and whoever among them worships him, he will benefit them, then this is also a *taghut*; because he calls people to take him as a god other than Allah - Mighty and Majestic -.
And this is what some of the people of the Sufi paths and the corrupt ones do, who control the servants of Allah, and assign for themselves the status of divinity in that they benefit and harm, and that they and they.. and so on, to humiliate the servants and lead them with falsehood.
And the fifth: Whoever judges by 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 ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًاThese are the heads of the *taghut*, and Allah the Exalted knows best.