Imām ibn Bāz (رحمه الله) mentioned:¹ The praise is due to Allāh alone. May prayers and peace be upon the one who has no prophet after him, and upon his family, and his companions. As for what proceeds:

So verily Allāh the Glorified and Exalted only created the creation to worship Him alone, not to associate anything with Him. He revealed His books and sent His messengers to command that and to call to it. So Allāh the Glorified said:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ‎﴿٥٦﴾

“And I did not create the Jinns or the Mankind, except to worship Me.”
[al-Dhāriyāt, 51:56]

Allāh the Glorified said:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ‎﴿٢١﴾

“O you people, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you so that you may become god-fearing.”
[al-Baqarah, 2:21]

Allāh the Mighty and Majestic said:

الر ۚ كِتَابٌ أُحْكِمَتْ آيَاتُهُ ثُمَّ فُصِّلَتْ مِن لَّدُنْ حَكِيمٍ خَبِيرٍ ‎﴿١﴾‏ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّنِي لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ ‎﴿٢﴾

“Alif Lām Rā. A book whose verses are perfected and then presented in detail from the One who is Wise and Well-Acquainted. ‘Do not worship except Allāh. Indeed, I am to you a warner from Him, and a bringer of glad tidings.'”
[Hūd, 11:1-2]

Allāh the Exalted said:

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلَالَةُ ۚ فَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ ‎﴿٣٦﴾

“And We sent in every nation, a messenger, that they may worship Allāh, and avoid ṭāghūt.”², to the end of the verse.
[al-Naḥl, 16:36]

Allāh the Glorified said:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ ‎﴿٢٥﴾‏

“And We did not send a messenger before you except that We revealed to him that there is none worthy of worship except Me, so worship Me.”
[al-Anbiyāʾ, 21:25]

So these verses and their like, all show that Allāh – the Mighty and Majestic – only created the two worlds (our world, and that of the jinn) to worship Him alone, not associating any partners with Him. They also show that this was done in Wisdom, as they show that Allāh the Mighty and Majestic only revealed books and sent messengers out of Wisdom.

So worship is submission to Him, and humility towards His Greatness by doing what He commanded, and avoiding what He forbade. All of this occurs by having faith in Allāh the Glorified, and faith in His messengers, and sincerity towards Him in good deeds, and believing in everything that His messenger (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) informed of. This is the basis of the Religion, and the foundation of the methodology, and it is the meaning of the statement: ‘lā ilāha illā-Allāh’. So verily it means that there is no true deity worthy of worship except Allāh.

So it is obligatory to make all the various forms of worship such as supplication, and fear, and hope, and prayer, and fasting, and sacrifice, and the taking of oaths for Allāh alone, and one cannot direct anything from those to anyone else due to the preceding verses, and also due to the statement of Allāh the Mighty and Majestic:

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ ‎﴿٥﴾

“And you have not been commanded except to worship Allāh, and to make the Religion purely for Him.”
[al-Bayyinah, 98:5].

To the end of the verse.

Allāh the Mighty and Majestic said:

وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا ‎﴿١٨﴾

“And verily the mosques are for Allāh, so do not call upon anyone along with Him.”
[al-Jinn, 72:18]

Allāh the Glorified said:

يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لِأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِن قِطْمِيرٍ ‎﴿١٣﴾‏ إِن تَدْعُوهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ ۖ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ ۚ وَلَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ ‎﴿١٤﴾‏

“He causes the night to enter the day, and He causes the day to enter the night, and He has subjugated the sun and the moon – each running for a specified term. That is Allāh, your Lord. To Him belongs sovereignty and those whom you call upon other than Him do not even possess the membrane of a date seed. If you call upon them, they do not hear your supplication, and if they heard, they would not be able to respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will deny your association. And none can inform you like the One who is Well-Acquainted.”
[Fāṭir, 35:13-14]

Allāh the Exalted said:

وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَن لَّا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَهُمْ عَن دُعَائِهِمْ غَافِلُونَ ‎﴿٥﴾ وَإِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُوا لَهُمْ أَعْدَاءً وَكَانُوا بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كَافِرِينَ ‎﴿٦﴾‏‏

“And who is more misguided than he who calls upon other than Allāh, those who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection, and they are unaware of his supplication. And when the people are gathered, they will be enemies to them, and they will reject their worship.”
[al-Ahqāf, 46:5-6]

Allāh the Mighty and Majestic said:

وَمَن يَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ لَا بُرْهَانَ لَهُ بِهِ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الْكَافِرُونَ ‎﴿١١٧﴾

“And whoever calls upon anything along with Allāh, he has no proof for it. So verily his reckoning will be with his Lord, and indeed the disbelievers will not succeed.”
[al-Muʾminūn, 23:117]

So Allāh the Glorified explains in these verses that He is the Master of everything, and that worship is His Right. He also explains that everything which is worshipped besides him from the prophets, or righteous people, or idols, or trees, or stones, or other than them, they do not have power over anything. They do not hear the supplication of those who call upon them, and even if they could hear the supplication, then they would not be able to answer them. Allāh informs us that this is shirk with Him the Mighty and Majestic, and He negates success from its people.

So Allāh the Glorified informs us that there is no one more misguided than one who calls upon other than Allāh. He informs us that the one called upon besides Allāh, will not respond to his caller until the Day of Judgement, and that he will be neglectful of the supplication directed towards him. On the Day of Resurrection, he will rebuke his worship, and he will declare himself free of it, and he will return it to the worshipper. So this is sufficient as a repulsion from shirk, and a warning from it, and an exposition of the utter loss of its people, and their evil end. So these verses inform us that the worship of anything besides Allāh is false (bāṭil), and that worship is the Right of Allāh alone. The correctness of this is supported by the statement of Allāh the Mighty and Majestic:

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ هُوَ الْبَاطِلُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ ‎﴿٦٢﴾

“That is because Allāh is the Truth, and those whom you call upon besides Him are falsehood.”
[al-Ḥajj, 22:62]

Allāh the Glorified mentions in another place in His Book that from the Wisdom in creating the creation is so that they may come to know about His complete Knowledge, and perfect Decree, and so that Allāh the Mighty and Majestic may reward His slaves for their good deeds. Allāh the Mighty and Majestic has said:

اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الْأَمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا ‎﴿١٢﴾‏

“It is Allāh who created the seven heavens and the earth, and the like of them. The Command descends amongst them so that you may know that Allāh is over all things, capable and that Allāh has encompassed all things in Knowledge.”
[al-Ṭalāq, 65:12]

Allāh the Exalted says:

أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن نَّجْعَلَهُمْ كَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَوَاءً مَّحْيَاهُمْ وَمَمَاتُهُمْ ۚ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ ‎﴿٢١﴾‏ وَخَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ وَلِتُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ ‎﴿٢٢﴾‏

“Or do those who commit evil think We will make them like those who have believed and done righteous deeds – [Make them] equal in their life and their death? Evil is that which they judge. Allāh created the heavens and the earth in truth, and so that every soul may be recompensed for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged.”
[al-Jāthiyah, 45:21-22]

So the obligation upon everyone possessing an intellect is to see what they were created for, and to take themselves into account, and to struggle for the sake of Allāh until they have fulfilled His Right, and the rights of His slaves, and until they become cautious of what Allāh has forbidden for them, and then they will have achieved a praiseworthy result in this world and in the Hereafter. This science is the most beneficial of sciences, and the most important of them, and the greatest of them, because it is the foundation of the Religion, and the essence of what the messengers – may prayers and peace be upon them all – came with, and the focus of their call. This is not complete, and salvation cannot be achieved by it, except after having faith in the messengers – may prayers and peace be upon them all – and at their head is their leader, and superior, and the last of them, our Prophet, Muḥammad (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam). It is a prerequisite of faith to believe in the truthfulness of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam), his news, and to obey his command, and to abandon what he prohibited, and Allāh should not be worshipped, except by his law which he came with. May prayers and peace be upon him.

So Allāh has sent to every nation a messenger. Their Islām is not correct, and their faith is not complete, and they will not be able to attain happiness and salvation, except by the Oneness of Allāh, and by purifying their worship for Him – the Mighty and Majestic, and by following the messengers, and by refusing to abandon His Law. This is the Islām that Allāh is pleased with for His slaves, and it is known that this is His Religion, as He said:

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا ۚ ﴿٣﴾

“Today, I have perfected your Religion for you, and have completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen Islām as your Religion.”
[al-Maʾidah, 5:3]

Allāh the Mighty and Majestic said:

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ ۗ ‎﴿١٩﴾‏

“Verily the Religion with Allāh is Islām.”
[Ālī ʿImrān, 3:19]

So from this it becomes clear to those possessing wisdom that the basis of the Religion, and its foundations is of two matters:

The First of Them: None is to be worshipped except Allāh alone, and this is the meaning of the testification that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh.

None is to be worshipped except Allāh alone, and this is the meaning of the testification that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh.

Secondly: Allāh is not to be worshipped except by the law of His Prophet, Muḥammad (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam).

Allāh is not to be worshipped except by the law of His Prophet, Muḥammad (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam).

So the first falsifies all of the worshipped gods besides Allāh, and it is known that the only true deity to be worshipped is Allāh alone. The second falsifies worship with opinions and innovations for which Allāh has not sent down an authority, such as the clear falsehood of the inferior rules and human opinions. It is known that it is obligatory to rule by the Law of Allāh in everything.

So the slave will not be a Muslim unless he has these two matters in him together, as Allāh the Mighty and Majestic said:

ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَىٰ شَرِيعَةٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْرِ فَاتَّبِعْهَا وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ‎﴿١٨﴾‏ إِنَّهُمْ لَن يُغْنُوا عَنكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا ۚ وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۖ وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ ‎﴿١٩﴾

“Then We put you [O Muḥammad] on an ordained way concerning the matter. So follow it and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know. Indeed they will never avail you against Allāh at all. And Indeed the wrongdoers are allies of one another, but Allāh is the protector of the righteous.”
[al-Jāthiyah, 45:18-19]

Allāh the Glorified said:

فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا ‎﴿٦٥﴾‏

“But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they make you [O Muḥammad] judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves, and find in themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in willing submission.”
[al-Nisāʾ, 4:65]

Allāh the Exalted said:

أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ ۚ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْمًا لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ ‎﴿٥٠﴾‏

“Then is it the judgement of the times of ignorance that they desire? Who is better than Allāh in judgement for a people who are certain?”
[al-Maʾidah, 5:50]

Allāh the Mighty and Majestic said:

وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ ‎﴿٤٤﴾

“And whoever does not judge by what Allāh revealed, then they are the disbelievers.”
[al-Maʾidah, 5:44]

وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ ‎﴿٤٥﴾‏

“And whoever does not judge by what Allāh revealed, then they are the oppressors.”
[al-Maʾidah, 5:45]

وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ ‎﴿٤٧﴾‏

“And whoever does not judge by what Allāh revealed, then they are the disobedient.”
[al-Maʾidah, 5:47]³

So these verses provide a sufficient warning and deterrent against ruling by other than what Allāh revealed. They guide the ummah – its government and common folk – to the obligation upon everyone to judge by what Allāh revealed, and to submit to the judgement, and to be pleased with it, and to warn against whatever opposes it.

Likewise, they clearly prove the validity of the Judgement of Allāh the Glorified as being the best and most just. Then they show that ruling by other than that is disbelief, and oppression, and disobedience, and that it is the judgement of the times of ignorance that the Law of Allāh came to falsify and negate.

The communities are not righteous, and they cannot have happiness, nor security, or stability, until they judge their affairs by the Law of Allāh, and carry out His Judgement amongst His slaves, and until they purify action and speech for Him, and set the limits He has set for His slaves. By doing this, they will collectively achieve salvation and honour in this world, and in the Hereafter, such as becoming victorious by the Help of Allāh over their enemies, and achieving success upon an honourable path, and the respect of the olden times, as Allāh the Glorified said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن تَنصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ ‎﴿٧﴾

“O you who believe, if you help Allāh, He will help you, and establish your feet.”
[Muḥammad 47:7]

Allāh the Mighty and Majestic said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن تَتَّقُوا اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًا وَيُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ ‎﴿٢٩﴾

“O you who believe, if you fear Allāh, He will make a criterion for you, and recompense your sins for you, and forgive you.”
[al-Anfāl, 8:29]

Allāh the Glorified said:

وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ ‎﴿٤٠﴾‏ الَّذِينَ إِن مَّكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ ۗ ﴿٤١﴾‏

“And Allāh will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allāh is powerful and Exalted in Might. These are those who if We give them authority in the land, establish prayer, and give charity, and enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong.”
[al-Ḥajj, 22:40-41]

Allāh the Glorified warns against taking the disbelievers as friends instead of the believers, and He informs us that the disbelievers will spare no effort in causing confusion among the Muslims and that they will bring a calamity upon themselves by doing that, and He says after that:

إِن تَمْسَسْكُمْ حَسَنَةٌ تَسُؤْهُمْ وَإِن تُصِبْكُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَفْرَحُوا بِهَا ۖ وَإِن تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئًا ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ ‎﴿١٢٠﴾

“And if you are patient and fear Allāh, their plot will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allāh knows well what they do.”
[Sūrah Āli ʿImrān, 3:120]

So this is the most fundamental principle, and the greatest understanding. It is the first thing that the writers should write about, and it is what the callers to guidance, and what the supporters of the truth should focus on. It is the most important science that they should grab onto with their molar teeth, and it should be spread amongst all societies, until they know its reality, and until they distance themselves from whatever opposes it.

So we ask Allāh to return the Muslims to this, a praiseworthy return, and to rectify their affair, and to establish all of them upon adherence to the Law of Allāh, and to make them travel upon it, and to rule by it, and to govern by it, and to be satisfied with it, and to be pleased with it, and to warn against whatever opposes it. Verily Allāh is the Supporter of this, and the Master of it. May Allāh’s Prayers and Peace be upon His slave and Messenger, Muḥammad, and his family, and his companions, and whoever travels upon their path, and those who are guided by his guidance until the Day of Judgement.

Endnotes:

1. This article was originally published in the year 1395H, we have taken it from a recent reprint in the al-Hikmah quarterly; (issue no. 1). All endnotes in this article are by the translator, unless otherwise stated.
2. Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Ibn Ḥasan āl-al-Shaykh said: “ṭāghūt: it is derived from ‘oppression’ (tughyān), and it also means to exceed the limits. ʿUmar Ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (radyAllāhu ʿʿʿanhu) said: ‘Taaghoot is shayṭān.’ Jābir (radyAllāhu ʿʿʿanhu) said: ‘The ṭawāghīt (pl. of ṭāghūt) are the fortune-tellers whom the satans reveal things to.’ Ibn Abī Ḥātim relates both of these narrations. Mālik said: ‘A ṭāghūt is anything that is worshipped besides Allāh.'” [Fatḥ al-Majīd (p. 16)]
3. It is related from Ibn ʿAbbās through many paths, and from Ṭāwūs, and from ‘Aṭāʾ who all said that these verses referred to disbelief which is less than disbelief (kufr dūna kufr). .” [See Silsilah al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah of shaykh al-Albānī (6/1/113-115) for a complete discussion of all the narrations regarding these verses.] Ibn al-Qayyim said [al-al-Ṣalāh wa Tārikuhā (p. 57)]: “This is explained in the Qurʾān for whoever understands it. So verily Allāh the Glorified named the one who rules by other than what Allāh revealed a disbeliever, and He named the one who rejects what He revealed upon His messenger (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam), a disbeliever, but the two are not disbelievers in the same manner.” Shaykh al Islām Ibn Taymīyyah said: “Indeed Aḥmad Ibn Ḥanbal and other than him from the imāms of the salaf were established upon that.” [al-Īmān (p. 312), and Majmūʿ al-Fatāwá /7]. Shaykh Ibn Bāz’s verdict on this matter is in accordance with what is mentioned here, the reader is advised to refer to the book, ‘al-Taḥdhīr min Fitnah al-Takfīr’.