By Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan

So when there is so much misguidance, differing and disbelief and there is no escape from the
continuance of this Muslim group.

[Q.1]: ‘Muhammad Qutb says in his book, Hawla Tatbeeqish-Sharee’ah concerning the meaning of Laa ilaaha illallaah (There is no deity worthy of worship besides Allaah), that it means, ‘There is no deity besides Allaah, nor is there any ruler besides Allaah.’ [2] So is this tafseer (exegesis) correct?’

[A.1]: “Allaah the Glorified and Exalted has explained the meaning of Laa ilaaha illallaah in His Book and Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) has clarified it.  Allaah the Exalted said,

“And worship Allaah and do not associate anything with Him.” [Sooratun-Nisaa‘ 4:36] And Allaah the Exalted said,

“And indeed We sent a Messenger to every nation saying: Worship Allaah and avoid the false deities (taaghoot).” [Sooratun-Nahl 16:36]

And Allaah the Exalted said,

“And you were not commanded, except to worship Allaah and to make the Religion purely for Him.” [Sooratul-Bayyinah 98:5]

And Allaah the Exalted said about His close friend (khaleel) Ibraaheem,

“Verily I am free from what you worship, except He who created me.” [Sooratuz-Zukhruf 43:26-27]

This is the meaning of Laa ilaaha illallaah.  Allaah the Exalted said,

“And I have not created the Jinn, nor the mankind, except to worship Me.” [Sooratudh-Dhaariyaat 51:56]

The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘I was commanded to fight the people until they say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah,” and in a narration, “until they single out Allaah.” [3] So the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) explained that the meaning of Laa ilaaha illallaah is to single out Allaah the Exalted with all acts of worship, not haakimiyyah (sovereignty) only.  So the meaning of Laa ilaaha illallaah is that there is no deity worthy of worship [besides Allaah].  This is true worship of Allaah alone and ruling by the Sharee’ah enters into it.  However, the meaning of Laa ilaaha illallaah is more general than that.  It is wider and more important than ruling by the Book in the affairs of about which there is difference.  It is more important than that, it is eradicating Shirk from the earth and sincerely worshipping Allaah the Glorified.  So this is the correct tafseer.  As for explaining it with al-Haakimiyyah, then this is a deficient tafseer that does not give the meaning of Laa ilaaha illallaah.  As for explaining it to mean, ‘There is no creator besides Allaah,’ then this tafseer is not only deficient, it is false!  It has not come to affirm that ‘there is no creator besides Allaah,’ because this was confirmed by the idolaters.  So if the meaning of it was that ‘there is no creator besides Allaah,’ then all of the idolaters would become people of Tawheed.  Allaah the Exalted said,

“And if you were to ask them who created them, they would say: Allaah.” [Sooratuz-Zukhruf 43:87]

This means that Abaa Jahl and Abaa Lahab were upon Tawheed.  So to explain it as ‘There is none to be worshipped besides Allaah,’ is also a false tafseer, because it necessitates wahdatul-wujood (oneness of existence).  So there are many deities that are worshipped in terms of idols and graves.  So is worship of them to be counted as worship of Allaah?  So it is obligatory to say, ‘There is no true deity worthy of worship besides Allaah,’ as Allaah the Exalted said,

“That is because Allaah is the truth.  And whatever is called upon besides Him is falsehood.” [Soorah Luqmaan 30].” [4]

[Q.2]: ‘It is the term ‘jaahiliyyah’ (pre-Islaamic times of ignorance) unrestrictedly upon the present day Islaamic societies?’

[A.2]: “The general jaahiliyyah went away when the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) was sent.  So it is not permissible to employ it upon the Islaamic societies in a general sense. [5] As for applying something from its affairs upon individuals or upon some groups and societies, then this is permissible and allowed.  Indeed, the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said to some of his Companions, “Verily you are a man who has jaahiliyyah in him.” [6] And he (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “My Ummah will not leave off four affairs of jaahiliyyah: [i] pride in noble descent; [ii] cursing the lineage; [iii] seeking rain through the stars; [iv] and wailing over the dead.” [7]

[Q.3]: ‘What do you say concerning the one who applies the term ‘ghaa‘ibah’ (absent) upon the present day Ummah of Islaam?’

[A.3]: “The statement that the Ummah of Islaam is ghaa‘ibah (absent) necessitates takfeer upon every single one of the Islaamic states, because it means that there is no Islaamic state in existence. [8] This opposes the statement of the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) that, “There shall always remain a group from my Ummah, apparently victorious upon the truth.  They will not be harmed by those who oppose them, nor by those who oppose them, until the Command of Allaah, the Blessed and Exalted, is established, whilst they are upon that.” [9] So when there is so much misguidance, differing and disbelief and there is no escape from the continuance of this Muslim group.  So there is no absence for the Ummah of Islaam – and the praise is for Allaah – nor is it a condition that the Islaamic society – or even the Victorious Group – be completely void of disobedience, because disobedience was found in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) and his Caliphs.  However, it was strongly opposed.” [10]

Endnotes:

[1] The following is taken from al-Ajwibatul-Mufeedah (p. 140-142); Shaykh Saalih Ibn Fawzaan said on (p. E) of this book, “The praise is for Allaah, and may Prayers and Peace be upon our Prophet, Muhammad, and upon his Family and his Companions. To Proceed: So I approve the publishing of al-Ajwibatul-Mufeedah ’an As‘ilatil-Manaahijil-Jadeedah which contains my answers and notes from the brother, Jamaal Ibn Fareehaan al-Haarithee. And I hope that it is of benefit in explaining aspects of the truth which have been hidden from some of the people today. And may the Prayers and Peace of Allaah be upon our Prophet, Muhammad, his Family and his Companions. Signed: Saalih Ibn Fawzaan Ibn ’Abdullaah al-Fawzaan 18/4/1417.”

[2] He affirmed this in more than two places within the aforementioned book, (p. 20-21).  Then, he also affirms this meaning in his book, Waaqi’unal-Mu’aasir (p. 29).  So he says, “However, it is because they,” that is to say, the jaahiliyyah of this age, as has been recorded from him, “rejected the most essential requirement of Laa ilaaha illallaah in this time, and that is ruling by the Sharee’ah of Allaah and implementing the manhaj (methodology) of Allaah.”

[3] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 1335-2786) and at-Tirmidhee (no. 2606).

[4] This section was taken from al-Ajwibatul-Mufeedah (p. 67-69)

[5] This unrestricted takfeer of the Islaamic societies goes back to what Sayyid Qutb mentions in his books.  So as an example, and not to be exhaustive, I shall present some of his statements so it is not said that we gossiped about him.  Sayyid Qutb says in his book Ma’aalim fit-Tareeq (p. 101), “That which falls under the framework of the jaahilee (being upon pre-Islaamic ignorance) societies are these societies that claim for themselves that they are Muslim. So these societies do not enter into this framework because they believe in the divinity of someone other than Allaah, and not because they also give precedence to the acts of worship that are directed to other than Allaah.  However, they will enter into this framework when they fail to judge in servitude (’uboodiyyah) of Allaah alone in their system of living.  So if they do not believe in the uloohiyyah (divinity) of anyone besides Allaah, giving the most important qualities of uloohiyyah to other than Allaah, then they have judged by the haakimiyyah (sovereignty) of other than Allaah...  So when this has been designated, then the position of Islaam towards these societies of jaahiliyyah is that they are all limited one mode of expression (i.e. that of jaahiliyyah).”  And he says in his book, al-’Adaalatul-Ijtimaa’iyyah (p. 250), “So when we examine the face of the entire earth today in light of the divine affirmation for understanding the Religion of Islaam, we do not find this Religion in existence...  This existence has been halted since the last group of Muslims left off singling out Allaah the Glorified with haakimiyyah in human life...  So it is obligatory upon us to affirm this grave reality and we must make it public.  We should fear the dissapointed hopes held by the hearts who would love that they be Muslims...  So if this reality of theirs is certain, then how can they be Muslims?”  And Sayyid Qutb says in his book, Fee Dhilaalil-Qur‘aan (2/1057), “Indeed, this era has returned to how it was before the Religion came to mankind.  And mankind has returned to the likes of the position they were in when the Qur‘aan was revealed upon the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam)...  Indeed, the era today has returned to how it was when this Religion just came to mankind, without Laa ilaaha illallaah.  Indeed, mankind has apostated to the worship of servants, and they have returned to the deviant religion, and they have turned away from Laa ilaaha illallaah.  Groups from amongst them repeat Laa ilaaha illallaah upon the minarets without knowing its true meaning...in general as it relates to mankind.  These people repeat the words, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah,’ upon the minarets in the eastern and western parts of the earth without knowing their meaning, nor their reality...  So these ones will be heaviest in sin and gravest in punishment upon the Day of Judgement, because they apostated to the worship of servants after the guidance had been laid plain in front of them and after they had settled into the Religion of Allaah.”

So Yoosuf al-Qardaawee testified to Sayyid Qutb’s takfeer of the Islaamic societies in his book, Awlawiyyaatul-Harakatil-Islaamiyyah (p. 110).  So he says, “So it was in this period that the books of the martyr, Sayyid Qutb appeared.  These were the books that represented his final thoughts.  These were thoughts that justified takfeer upon entire societies...the breaking of all sentimental attachments to society, breaking off all ties with others, and the announcement of a destructive jihaad against the whole of mankind.  The demonstrated contempt for all of the callers that called for softness and leniency, accusing them of idiocy and being defeatist in front of the western civilization.  He made this manifest in the most clearest manner in the tafseer, Fee Dhilaalil-Qur‘aan, and in the second edition of Ma’aalim fit-Tareeq, and the bulk of it is taken from adh-Dhilaal and al-Islaam wa Mushkilatil-Hadaarah and others...”  Likewise, Fareed ’Abdul-Khaaliq – one of the leaders of al-Ikhwaanul-Muslimeen – testified to this in his book, al-Ikhwaanul-Muslimoon fee Meezaanil-Haqq (p. 115), “We have pointed out in what has preceded that the ideology of takfeer occurred amongst the youth of the Ikhwaan who were imprisoned in the late fifties and the early sixties, and they were all influenced by the ideology of the martyr, Sayyid Qutb and his writings.  They derived from these books that the society had fallen into jaahiliyyah, and that he had performed takfeer of the rulers who had rejected the haakimiyyah (sovereignty) of Allaah by not ruling by what Allaah has revealed, and also takfeer of the ruled when they became satisfied with this.”

[6] The meaning of this hadeeth is found in what is related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 30).  So from Waasil Ibnul-Ahdab, from al-Ma’roof who said, ‘I met Abaa Dharr at Rabbadhah and he had a garment and his servant-boy had a garment as well.  So I asked him about that.  So he said, ‘I cursed a man, so I reviled him through his mother.”  So the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “O Abaa Dharr, did you revile his mother?  Verily you are a man who has jaahiliyyah in him.”

[7] Saheeh: Related by Ahmad (5/344).

[8] It is with great regret that one of those who are attributed to the da’wah (call to Allaah) – from amongst those who claim that they are leading the alleged ‘revival’ – made a lecture some time ago in the city of Taa‘if under the title of al-Ummatul-Ghaa‘ibah (‘The Absent Ummah’ by Salmaan al-’Awdah).

[9] Related by Muslim (no. 1920).

[10] This section was taken from al-Ajwibatul-Mufeedah (p. 148-151).

Prepared by Jamaal Ibn Fareehaan al-Haarithee
Translated by Maaz Qureshi [1]