The Da’wah To Islam by Sheikh Ahmad Mahmoud

Islam has determined that referring for judgment to anyone other than Allah 􀀬 constitutes referring to the Taghut. He 􀀬 said; “Have you seen those (hypocrites) who claim that they believe in that which has been sent down to you, and that which was sent down before you, and they wish to go for judgment (in their disputes) to the Taghut while they have been ordered to reject them.

But Shaytan wishes to lead them far astray.” [TMQ 4:60] The rule of Taghut is the rule of Jahiliyyah. It is every rule that contradicts the rule of Allah 􀀬 and His Messenger 􀁕. Ibn al-Qayyim says in his book, A’laam al-muwaqqi’een; “Taghut is everything with which the servant exceeds the bounds, in terms of something that is worshipped, someone followed or obeyed. Thus, the Taghut of every people is the one whom they refer to for judgment other than Allah and His Messenger, or the one they worship other than Allah, or follow without a proof from Allah, or obey in what they do not know as being from the obedience to Allah.” The Qur’an considers the Imaan of the one who refers to Taghut as a claim or pretense and not a reality. Also the Qur’an has made Taghut a rival to Imaan when He 􀀬 said; “Whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold.” [TMQ 2:256] Thus, the Islamic Ummah must be a witness over mankind after the Messenger until the Day of Judgment. The Ummah should say to mankind what the Qur’an has said; “Worship Allah (alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghut.” [TMQ 16:36] Therefore, the idea of separating religion from life, and the thoughts that emanate from it, such as Democracy, are thoughts of Taghut. Islam has commanded us to discard and reject them.

This is Democracy and this is the opinion of Islam regarding it. As for the results produced by applying all of this on the earth, is it an honorable and beautiful system under which we would like to live or is it an evil system, which burns the people with its fire whilst they live a life of emptiness and loss due to its application?