Taaghut

Taghut (ar. طاغوت)

It may be Satan and/or anyone who is worshipped other than Allah and is pleased and/or calls for it. [See Appendix]. Here I relate a very important benefit explaining the issue of Taaghut which is often misunderstood by enthusiastic young Muslims and it is by Shayekh Sulaimaan Ibn Samhaan (rahimahullaah: may Allaah’s Mercy be upon him). He said: “It should be known that the one who seeks judgments from the Taaghut, or rules by other than Allaah’s rule while believing that (these) judgments are more perfect and better than the Judgment of Allaah and His Messenger, then this is disbelief (Kufr ‘aqadi: pertaining to creed) that takes the person out of the fold of Islam-as it is mentioned in the ten nullifiers of Islam. However, as to the one who does not believe as such but resorted to the Taaghut judgment while believing that it to be false, then this is of the practical type of disbelief (Kufr’amali: lesser type that does not take the person from Islam). [See Irshaadut-Taalib Ilaa Ahamadil-Mataalib, p. 19.] In addition, anyone (ruler or ruled) who equates the judgment of Allaah and His Messengers to that of man, or believes that the rules of man are more fitting to our times than the Islamic laws, commits Kufr [See Shayekh bin Baaz’s (rahimahullaah) details on this matter in Qadiyyatu-t-Takfeer bayna ahlis-sunnah wa ffiraqu-d-Dalaal, by Shayekh Sa’eed Ibn Wahf Al-Qahtaani, pp. 72-73.]

It is, therefore, concluded that the term Taaghut in itself does not necessarily translate into major disbelief and apostasy, since every Kufr is Taaghut, but not every Taaghut is Kufr. Imaam Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullaah) considered that figurative interpretations of Allaah’s Names and Attributes through scholastic ways, and giving precedence to the intellect over the legal texts as Taaghuts (in as-Sawaa’iq alMursalah, v.2, 632-633). Certainly, none considers every level of these distortions as a major Kufr!!