What is the ruling on one who judges by other than what Allah has revealed?
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Question:
What is the ruling on one who judges by other than what Allah has revealed?
Answer:
If he judges by other than what Allah has revealed, it is disbelief less than full disbelief, as long as he does not consider it permissible: whether to secure his position in authority, or to please so-and-so, or for the sake of so-and-so, not knowing that he is wrong and unjust. It is a sin less than disbelief as long as he does not consider it permissible, so it is disbelief less than full disbelief. If he considers it permissible, it is major disbelief. And so with zina; if a man commits zina with a hundred women, he does not become a disbeliever until he considers it permissible. And if he kills a hundred people and does not consider it permissible, he does not become a disbeliever, like the story of the one who killed ninety-nine and then completed the hundred.
Q: Is the one who considers it permissible to judge by other than what Allah has revealed considered a taghut?
A: A disbeliever, a taghut, a disbeliever. He is called: a taghut, even if he does not consider it permissible. If he judges by other than what Allah has revealed, even if he does not consider it permissible, but a taghut is sometimes a major taghut.
Q: Who argued that judging by other than what Allah has revealed differs from zina and other rulings based on verses and hadiths?
A: It is not our concern. Just as the Companions—Ibn 'Abbas and others—explicitly stated it is disbelief less than full disbelief. If a person judges for his brother, or his mother, or his father, or his friend, and leans in the ruling, and knows that he is leaning, does he become a disbeliever? No, he does not become a disbeliever.
Q: O Shaykh, at the level of states?
A: States, but the sin becomes greater: if he judges for two, it is greater, or if he judges for three in a day, it is greater, and if he judges for ten, it becomes greater.
Q: Is it greater than major sins?
A: Yes.
Q: Ibn 'Abbas's statement: "disbelief less than full disbelief, and injustice less than full injustice," what is meant by it?
A: It means judging by other than what Allah has revealed without considering it permissible.
Q: And if he commits zina and if he steals?
A: Likewise, if he commits zina and if he steals, does he become a disbeliever? No, it only contradicts the perfection of faith.
Q: But the act itself indicates that he considers it permissible: establishing courts and calling for them?
A: If he commits zina, is he ruled to be one who considers it permissible? What takes him out of that? If he commits zina, or engages in indecency, or drinks intoxicants, is he told: you have disbelieved?
What is the ruling on one who judges by other than what Allah has revealed?
Answer:
If he judges by other than what Allah has revealed, it is disbelief less than full disbelief, as long as he does not consider it permissible: whether to secure his position in authority, or to please so-and-so, or for the sake of so-and-so, not knowing that he is wrong and unjust. It is a sin less than disbelief as long as he does not consider it permissible, so it is disbelief less than full disbelief. If he considers it permissible, it is major disbelief. And so with zina; if a man commits zina with a hundred women, he does not become a disbeliever until he considers it permissible. And if he kills a hundred people and does not consider it permissible, he does not become a disbeliever, like the story of the one who killed ninety-nine and then completed the hundred.
Q: Is the one who considers it permissible to judge by other than what Allah has revealed considered a taghut?
A: A disbeliever, a taghut, a disbeliever. He is called: a taghut, even if he does not consider it permissible. If he judges by other than what Allah has revealed, even if he does not consider it permissible, but a taghut is sometimes a major taghut.
Q: Who argued that judging by other than what Allah has revealed differs from zina and other rulings based on verses and hadiths?
A: It is not our concern. Just as the Companions—Ibn 'Abbas and others—explicitly stated it is disbelief less than full disbelief. If a person judges for his brother, or his mother, or his father, or his friend, and leans in the ruling, and knows that he is leaning, does he become a disbeliever? No, he does not become a disbeliever.
Q: O Shaykh, at the level of states?
A: States, but the sin becomes greater: if he judges for two, it is greater, or if he judges for three in a day, it is greater, and if he judges for ten, it becomes greater.
Q: Is it greater than major sins?
A: Yes.
Q: Ibn 'Abbas's statement: "disbelief less than full disbelief, and injustice less than full injustice," what is meant by it?
A: It means judging by other than what Allah has revealed without considering it permissible.
Q: And if he commits zina and if he steals?
A: Likewise, if he commits zina and if he steals, does he become a disbeliever? No, it only contradicts the perfection of faith.
Q: But the act itself indicates that he considers it permissible: establishing courts and calling for them?
A: If he commits zina, is he ruled to be one who considers it permissible? What takes him out of that? If he commits zina, or engages in indecency, or drinks intoxicants, is he told: you have disbelieved?
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.