The first and the last to be the obligation for a Muslim is Tawheed; and the first pillar of Tawheed is kufr bi thaghut, or rejecting thaghut. Undoubtedly, one cannot be a Muslim unless he rejects all forms of thaghut, whether it be in the form of a concept, an object or a person (like the ruler who does not apply the Islamic law, or the ulama's who allow what Allah SWT forbids).

At-thaghut had been defined by the Sahabahs and earlier ulama's who followed the manhaj of the salafus soleh, as follows: “Something that is worshipped, adhered to, or followed other than Allah SWT.”

Imam Malik bin Anas rhm. said:

“At-thaghut is something that is worshipped besides Allah SWT.” (Al-Jaami’ li Ahkam Al-Qur’an, Imam al-Qurthubi)

Imam Ibnu Qayim rhm. said:

“At-thaghut is someone who respects a person exceeding the proper limitation, whether that someone is worshipping, obeying or following.” (Thalaathatul Usul)

Sheikhul Islam, Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab rhm. said:

“And thaghut, in general, is something/someone that is worshipped besides Allah, and he agrees to be worshipped, followed or obeyed.” (Risalatun fii Ma’naa at-thaghut by Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahaab)

Someone could spend half of his life to talk about Islam, Jihad, Hajj, Solat, Da'wah, Qur’an, Sunnah, Siyaam, etc., but if he does not reject thaghut, then there is no point. This is because rejecting thaghut is the first requirement to be a Muslim. This covers the first part of the kalimah of Tawheed:

1. Laa ilaaha (an- Nafie – rejecting the thaghuts and false gods)

2. Illallah (Al-Ithbaat – establishing to believe)

At-Takhalii qablat Tahalii is something very well-known among the ulama's and thalabul ilmi (students/seekers of knowledge) which means: ‘rejecting before establishing’. A person cannot establish faith in Allah SWT and believe in His Rasul, His Book, until he rejects all forms of kufr, shirk and bid’ah.

The Key To Understand The Kalimah Of Tawheed

Allah SWT says:

“…So whoever rejects Thaghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it.…” (QS Al Baqarah (2): 256)

Understanding the kalimah is the first precondition of Tawheed and an obligation for every Muslim. Allah SWT has informed us in the above verse that only by rejecting thaghut and then believing in Allah, that success in the hereafter will be achieved.
Rasulullah SAW said:

“A person who dies and understands the laa ilaaha illaallah will go to heaven.” (HR.Muslim)

Next, the secret to understanding the kalimah is in rejecting thaghut. It is very important for us to learn how to reject thaghut – if we are to have a proper understanding of how to understand the Laa ilaaha illallah.

How To Reject Thaghut

There are five ways to reject thaghut:

1. Declaring that the Thaghut is Batil

The first way of rejecting requires the belief that all tawaghit (all types of thaghut) are null and not useful in the slightest to be obeyed or worshipped. Some people may not worship the thaghut, but they do not believe that it is something that is absolutely wrong, that thaghut is kufr just as a Muslim must believe that Islam is the only true religion, while all other religions are wrong, and that Allah SWT is the only true God and all other gods are batil. Allah SWT says:

“And [mention, O Muhammad], when We designated for Ibrahim the site of the House, [saying], "Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate."” (QS Al-Hajj : 26)

2. Staying away from the Thaghut

Allah SWT says that He has sent Messengers to the entire human race with the same message: worshipping and obeying Allah alone, and avoiding thaghut:

“And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allah and avoid Thaghut." And among them were those whom Allah guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers (of the Messengers).” (QS An-Nahl (16): 36)

The commandment to “avoid” has a greater implication than to simply “not supporting”. This is because the command to avoid is greater than the command to not doing (in usul fiqh).

As an example, Allah SWT commands us to avoid or stay away from alcohol (khamr); for a greater reason we are not allowed to carry a bottle of beer. The same thing with Allah SWT commanding us to avoid thaghut. If being near thaghut itself is prohibited, what to say about allowing a person to be the thaghut's assistant, ally, minister or mufti (fatwa giving ulama'), moreover Rasulullah SAW said:

“Anyone who worships (obeys or follows) tawaghit are tawaghit.” (HR. Muslim no. 182)

Based on this hadith, we can take a principle: someone who worships, follows or adhers to the thaghut is a thaghut.

Thus, the mufti (ulama') of the thaghut is a thaghut, the ally of the thaghut is a thaghut, the helper of the thaghut is a thaghut, the supporter of the thaghut is a thaghut, the minister of the thaghut is a thaghut, the representative the thaghut is a thaghut, the police of the thaghut is a thaghut, and the army of the thaghut is a thaghut.

This is the same as the general rule: ‘Anyone who is allied with the kafir is kafir’ and ‘Anyone who joins the army of the Kuffaar is a Kuffaar.’ (based on surah Al-Ma’idah (5) : 51).

Umar bin Khattab said: “The thaghut is satan.” To make the above principle more easily understood and more undeniable, the term thaghut can replaced with satan. Isn't that a kufr akbar, or even shirk, to become a mufti of satans (that could take the form of jin and human)? Wouldn't it be murtad to join the army and police of satan? Wouldn't it be kufr to become the representative of satan? Only someone who doesn't have a good understanding of the laa ilaaha ilallah would say no.

This is something shocking for the people of Murji’ah (people who dissociate iman from deeds) who make some dispensations for the mufti of the thaghut and give them the ‘dubious advantage’ but they do not make a dispensation for the ulama's who are haq and have the walaa’ with the Muslims and have the baraa’ah with the Kuffar.

They spend hours to talk about ‘the goodness’ of the thaghut muftis and the people who are allied with the murtad rulers, but they couldn't find even a single good thing about those who obey the commandments of Allah and avoid the thaghut. At its peak, these ulama's who are haq have the courage to blame, criticize and do takfir (giving the status of kafir) on those who justify the existence of thaghut, and then supporting them by making fatwa. This concept of “Irjaa” is a deviation and hypocrisy that needs to be removed from the Muslims.

Someone who does takfir (giving the status of kafir) on the supporters, mufti, or minister of satan (thaghut) will never be blamed by a Muwahid (someone who possesses a true Tawheed).

3. Declaring the Abhorrence of Thaghut

We must declare that all the thaghuts (tawaghit) are our enemies just as they are the enemies of Allah SWT. If someone does not declare that they (the tawaghit) are batil, and he does not stay away and declare the abhorrence of them, it means that he is not rejecting the thaghut. Naturally, if someone understands that the thaghut is his enemy, he would not ally with him or become the mufti of his kufr regime. Allah SWT says:

“There has already been for you an excellent pattern in Ibrahim and those with him, when they said to their people, "Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever you worship other than Allah. We have denied you, and there has appeared between us and you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone"…” (QS Al-Mumtahanah (60): 4)

Yaa Allah... give Your blessings to Ibrahim AS and also to the family of Ibrahim! Indeed, they are the true Muwahideen, they stayed away from the thaghuts and declared hatred against them.

The Anbiyaa’ and Saliheen did not tolerate the ulama's to be at the doors of the tyrants. Moreover, it is not allowed to be at the doors of the thaghut rulers who have been allied with the people who are fighting the Muslims, and rejecting the Shari’ah.

4. Hating the Thaghut

After we have declared that the thaghut is batil, stayed away from it and declared it as our enemy, we should then hate the thaghut. In Islam, There is no concept of “liking the enemy”. The fact is, it is forbidden to love the enemies, and if we do it, then it is is a folly.

“There has already been for you an excellent pattern in Ibrahim and those with him, when they said to their people, "Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever you worship other than Allah. We have denied you, and there has appeared between us and you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone"…” (QS Al Mumtahanah (60) : 4)

It is forbidden to show the love or affection to the thaghuts, or to their forces, supporters, assistants, muftis, ministers and so on.

5. Declaring that the Thaghut is Kafir (Takfir)

After declaring that the thaghut is batil, avoiding it, declaring hatred against it and hating the thaghut, one must then carry out takfir (declaring kafir) against the thaghut (satan). It is something impossible if the thaghut is Muslim, because a thaghut is what is worshipped or adhered to other than Allah SWT.

“…So whoever rejects Thaghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it.…” (QS Al-Baqarah (2): 256)

A person who does not declare satan (thaghut) as kafir, then he is kafir. This is because Allah SWT declares satan as kafir in the Qur’an. Furthermore, Allah SWT also declares a person who worships a thaghut as kafir:

“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 Thaghut, while they were commanded to reject it; and Satan wishes to lead them far astray.” (QS An Nisa (4) : 60)

It is is something highly desirable by satans to make us become kafir like them, by luring us to approach the thaghut which should be shunned. Next, this becomes the essence for us to understand the Tawheed and how to reject the thaghut, rejecting the thaghut is a key to understanding the kalimah of Tawheed and achieving paradise.

Seeking Knowledge from the Ulama's of the Rulers

It is something not good to read the books of the ulama's of the rulers, the muftis (ulama's) of thaghut or the Ulama's who contradict the Qur’an and Sunnah. Allah SWT says:

“And do not incline toward those who do wrong, lest you be touched by the Fire, and you would not have other than Allah any protectors; then you would not be helped.” (QS Huud (11): 113)

Who is more wrong than the one who defends satans or the people who create dispensations for their kufr? If one does not reject the thaghut (in reality, not just in theory) how can we trust him for the affairs of our dien (religion)? Tawheed is the major issue that must be heeded.

May Allah SWT show us to apply what we've learned, for those who do not want to be like the donkey that carries volumes of books:

“The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah and then did not take it on is like that of a donkey who carries volumes [of books]. Wretched is the example of the people who deny the signs of Allah. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.” (QS Al-Jumu’ah (62): 5)

Wallahu’alam bis sowab!

Source: Risalah Dakwah Al-Muhajirun (Exclusive Edition)

Translated and Submitted by a Mujahid

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