The Tâghût of Judgement and Seeking Judgement from the Tâghût1
Shaykh Sulaymân bin Sahmân (1349 H)
Rahimahullâhu Taâlâ
Shaykh Sulaymân bin Sahmân Rahimahullâhu Taâlâ also said:[The Definition of Tâghût and Refraining from the Tâghût]In the name of Allâh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
These are a few words clarifying the Tâghût as well as the obligation of refraining from it. Allâhu Taâlâ said,ﵟلَآ إِكۡرَاهَ فِي ٱلدِّينِۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشۡدُ مِنَ ٱلۡغَيِّۚ فَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِٱلطَّٰغُوتِ وَيُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِٱلۡعُرۡوَةِ ٱلۡوُثۡقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌﵞ [البقرة: 256]
"There is no compulsion in the religion. The right path has become clear from the wrong path. So whoever disbelieves in the Tâghût and believes in Allâh has grasped the unbreakable, firmest handhold. And Allâh is as-Samî (Hearing) and al-Alîm (Knowing)." (al-Baqarah, 2/256)
Allâhu Taâlâ has clarified in this verse that the one who grasps al-Urwat'ul Wuthqâ (firmest handhold) is the one who rejects the Tâghût. In this verse, Allâhu Taâlâ preceded rejecting the Tâghût over believing in Allâh, since it is possible that a person alleges that he believes in Allâh while he does not reject the Tâghût, and his claim will be a lie.
Allâhu Taâlâ said,ﵟوَلَقَدۡ بَعَثۡنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٖ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجۡتَنِبُواْ ٱلطَّٰغُوتَۖﵞ [النحل: 36]
"And verily, We have sent among every nation a Messenger (proclaiming), "Worship Allâh (Alone), and refrain (worshipping) the Tâghût." (an-Nahl, 16/36)
In this verse, Allâh informs us that all messengers were sent with refraining from the Tâghût. Therefore, whoever does not refrain from the Tâghût is opposing all the messengers. Allâhu Taâlâ said,ﵟوَٱلَّذِينَ ٱجۡتَنَبُواْ ٱلطَّٰغُوتَ أَن يَعۡبُدُوهَا وَأَنَابُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ لَهُمُ ٱلۡبُشۡرَىٰۚﵞ [الزمر: 17]
"And those who refrain from worshipping the Tâghût and turn fervently to Allâh, for them there is good news." (az-Zumar, 39/17)
There are many arguments from many aspects in these verses denoting the obligation of refraining from the Tâghût. What is intended by refraining is hating and showing enmity towards it with the heart, insulting and rebuking it with the tongue, and when capable of doing so, putting an end to it by hand and separating from it. Whoever claims to refrain from the Tâghût and has not done these, then he is not truthful.
As for the reality of the Tâghût and what is intended by it, then there are numerous expressions from the Salaf regarding them. The best that has been stated with this regard is the statement of Ibn'ul Qayyim Rahimahullâhu Taâlâ, when he said,
"Tâghût is whatever a human exceeds his limit by worshipping, following or obeying (besides Allâh). Therefore, the Tâghût of every nation is whom they appeal to for judgment instead of Allâh and His Messenger, whom they worship besides Allâh, whom they follow without insight coming from Allâh, or whom they obey in matters that they do not know to be obedience to Allâh. All of these are the Tawâghît (pl. of Tâghût) of the universe. When you ponder upon the Tâghût and ponder upon the condition of people with the Tâghût, you will find that most of them are those who have turned away from worshipping Allâh to the worship of the Tâghût, they have turned away from the obedience of Allâh and following His Rasûl to the obedience of and following the Tâghût."
End quote from Ibn'ul Qayyim.2
Ibn'ul Qayyim's statement in brief is that the Tâghût is of three types:
1) Tâghût of Judgment,
2) Tâghût of Worship, and
3) Tâghût of Obedience and Following.
1- Ad-Durar'us Saniyyah, 10/502-511.
2- Ibn'ul Qayyim, I'lâm'ul Muwaqqi'în, Dâr'ul Kutub'il Ilmiyyah, 1/40.