مَعْنَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَرُؤُوسُ أَنْوَاعِهِ
The Meaning of Tâghût and Its Main Types1
Muhammad bin Abd'il Wahhâb Rahimahullâh
In the name of Allâh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
May Allâhu Taâlâ have mercy upon you, know that the first thing Allâhu Taâlâ made Fardh (obligatory) upon the son of Âdam (i.e., mankind) is rejecting the Tâghût and having Îmân in Allâh, and the evidence is Allâhu Taâlâ's statement,
"And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): Worship Allâh (Alone), and avoid (worshipping) the Tâghût." (an-Nahl 16/36)The Description of Rejecting the Tâghût
When it comes to the Description of Rejecting the Tâghût it is,
- That you believe worshipping other than Allâhu Taâlâ is vain,
- That you abandon worshipping other than Allâhu Taâlâ,
- That you have Bughdh (hatred) towards worshipping other than Allâhu Taâlâ,
- That you declare Takfîr upon those who worship other than Allâhu Taâlâ, and
- That you have enmity towards them.The Meaning of Having Îmân in Allâhu Taâlâ
When it comes to the Meaning of Having Îmân in Allâhu Taâlâ, it is,
- That you believe that Allâh is the Ilâh who is worshipped (and deserves to be worshipped) - alone, apart from everything else besides Him,
- That you make all types of worship sincerely for Allâhu Taâlâ alone,
- That you negate worship from everything worshipped besides Him,
- That you love the Ahl'ul Ikhlâs (people of sincerity),
- That you befriend them,
- That you have Bughdh (hatred) towards the Ahl'ush Shirk (people of Shirk), and
- That you have enmity towards them.
This is the Millah (religion) of Ibrâhîm Alayh'is Salâm which those who turn away from it only fool themselves.2 And this is the excellent example that Allâhu Taâlâ informs us of in His statement,
"Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibrâhîm and those with him, when they said to their people, "Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allâh, we have rejected you, and there has started between us and you, hostility and hatred for ever, until you believe in Allâh Alone." (al-Mumtahinah 60/4)
Tâghût is general (regarding everything that is worshipped besides Allâh). According to this, everything that is worshipped besides Allâhu Taâlâ and is pleased with being worshipped, whether it is a Ma'bûd (that which is worshipped), someone followed, or someone obeyed in the absence of obedience to Allâhu Taâlâ and His Rasûl is a Tâghût.
The Tawâghît (pl. of Tâghût) are numerous, and their main types are five:
1. The Shaytân, the caller to worship other than Allâhu Taâlâ. And the evidence is the statement of Allâhu Taâlâ,
"Did I not ordain for you, O Children of Âdam, that you should not worship shaytân (satan). Verily, he is a clear enemy to you." (Yâ-Sîn 36/60)
2. The tyrant ruler who changes the rulings of Allâhu Taâlâ. And the evidence is the statement of Allâhu Taâlâ,
"Have you not seen those who claim that they believe in what was revealed to you and that which was revealed before you, and they wish to go for judgement (in their disputes) to the Tâghût while they have been ordered to reject them? But shaytân (satan) wishes to lead them far astray." (an-Nisâ 4/60)
3. The one who judges with other than what Allâhu Taâlâ has revealed. And the evidence is statement of Allâhu Taâlâ,
"And whosoever does not judge by what Allâh has revealed; such are the Kâfirûn (disbelievers)." (al-Mâ'idah 5/44)
4. The one who claims the knowledge of al-Ghayb (the Unseen), apart from Allâh. And the evidence is the statement of Allâhu Taâlâ,
"He is the Knower of the Ghayb (Unseen), and He does not disclose His Ghayb to anyone. Except to a Rasûl (Messenger) whom He has chosen, where after He appoints guards who go before him and behind him." (al-Jinn 72/26-27)
And He Taâlâ stated,
"And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darkness of the earth and no moist or dry (thing) but that it is (written) in an evident book." (al-An'âm 6/59)
5. The one who is worshiped other than Allâhu Taâlâ, while being pleased with being worshipped. And the evidence is the statement of Allâhu Ta'âlâ,
"And if any of them should say, "Verily, I am an Ilah (Deity) besides Him"- that one We would recompense with Jahannam (Hell). Thus do We recompense the Dhalimûn (wrongdoers)." (al-Anbiyâ 21/29)
And know that a person will never become a believer in Allâhu Taâlâ except by rejecting the Tâghût, and the evidence is statement of Allâhu Taâlâ,
"There is no compulsion in the Dîn (religion). Ar-Rushd (the right path) has become clear from al-Ghayy (the wrong path).3 So whoever disbelieves in the Tâghût and believes in Allâh has grasped the unbreakable Urwat'ul Wuthqâ (firmest handhold). And Allâh is as-Samî (Hearing) and al-Alîm (Knowing)." (al-Baqarah 2/256)
Ar-Rushd (the right path) is: the Dîn (religion) of Muhammad Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam.
Al-Ghayy (the wrong path) is: the Dîn of Abû Jahl.
Al-Urwat'ul Wuthqâ (the firmest handhold) is: the testimony of Lâ Ilaha Illallâh (there is no -true- deity -worthy of worship- except Allâh).
Lâ Ilaha Illallâh consists of an-Nafy (negation) and al-Ithbât (affirmation).
It {Lâ Ilaha} negates all types of worship from those worshiped besides Allâhu Taâlâ, and
{Illallâh} affirms all types of worship completely for Allâh alone, who has no partners.
1- This Pamphlet before you is given this title in the 1st volume of the compilation of Shaykh Rahimahullâh's works named, "Mu'allafât'ush Shaykh Muhammad bin Abd'il Wahhâb", between the pages 376-378. This is the copy we used in our translation. It was also mentioned in the 1st volume of "ad-Durar'us Saniyyah" between the pages 161-163 without a title. There isn't any major difference to mention between the copies.
2- The author Rahimahullâh points out the following Âyah,
"Whoever turns away from "the Religion of Ibrâhîm (i.e., Islamic Monotheism)" except him who befools himself? Truly, We chose him in the Dunyâ (worldly life) and verily, in the Âkhirah (Hereafter) he will be among the Sâlihûn (pl. Sâlih; righteous)." (al-Baqarah 2/130)
3- Although the author Rahimahullâh gave room in the text to explain the meaning of "Rushd" and "Ghayy", he only mentioned the latter part of the Âyah. In order to complete the subject, we also gave room in the text for the former part of the Âyah.
