Heads of the Tawagheet !

Know, may Allah have mercy on you, that the first thing Allah obligated on the Son of Adam is to reject the Taghout and believe in Allah. The proof for this is Allah’s saying:

"And We have indeed sent to every nation a messenger (saying to his people): ‘Worship Allah alone and avoid the Taghout (false deities)." [16:36]

As for the description of rejecting the Taghout, then it is that you believe in the futility of worshipping other than Allah, and that you abandon doing so and hate it, and that you reject and make enmity with who does it. And as for the meaning of believing in Allah, then it is that you believe that Allah is the only true God who deserves to be worshipped alone, apart from everything else besides Him. And it is that you make all types of worship – every act – sincerely for Allah alone, while negating and rejecting that from everything else that is worshipped besides Him.

It also entails that you love and show friendship to the people of Ikhlaas (i.e. Islam), while hating and showing enmity to the people of shirk. This is the Religion of Ibrahim, of which those who turn away from it only fool themselves. And this is the good example that Allah informs us of in His saying:

"There has indeed been an excellent example for you in Ibrahim and those with him, when they said to their people: ‘Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allah. We have rejected you and there has commenced between us and you, enmity and hatred forever, until you believe in Allah alone.’" [60:4]

The word Taghout is general. So everything that is worshipped besides Allah, while being pleased with this worship – whether it is something worshipped, someone followed, or someone obeyed in the absence of obedience to Allah and His Messenger, then that is considered Taghout. The Tawagheet are many, but their heads are five:

The First: The shaytaan who calls the people to worship other than Allah. The proof for this is Allah’s saying:

"Did I not command you O children of Ādam, that you should not worship the shaytaan. Verily, he is a plain enemy to you." [36:60]

The Second: The tyrannical and oppressive ruler who changes Allah’s rulings. The proof for this is Allah’s saying:

"Have you not seen those (hypocrites) who claim to believe in that which has been revealed to you, and that which was revealed before you, and they wish to go for judgement (in their disputes) to the Taghout, when they have been ordered to reject them? But the shaytaan wishes to lead them far astray." [4:60]

The Third: The one who judges by other than what Allah has revealed, and the proof for this is Allah’s saying:

"And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, then they are the disbelievers." [5:44]

The Fourth: The one who claims to have knowledge of the Unseen, apart from Allah. The proof for this is Allah’s saying:

"He alone is the All-Knower of the Unseen, and He does not disclose His Unseen matters to anyone." [72:26-27]

And He says:

"And with Him lie the keys to the Unseen, no one knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls except that He knows about it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry, but that it is written in a Clear Record." [6:59]

The Fifth: The one who is worshipped apart from Allah, while being pleased with being worshipped. The proof for this is Allah’s saying:

"And whoever amongst them says: ‘Verily, I am a god besides Him (Allah)’, then this person’s recompense will be the Hellfire. That is the way we recompense the wrongdoers." [21:29]

And know that man will never become a believer in Allah unless he rejects and disbelieves in the Taghout. The proof for this is Allah’s saying:

"There is no compulsion in the Deen, the right path has become distinct from the wrong path. So whoever disbelieves in the Taghout and believes in Allah, then he has taken hold of the firmest handhold, that will never break. And Allah is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.” [2:256]

The “right path” here refers to the Religion of Muhammad (saws), while the “wrong path” refers to the Religion of Abu Jahl. The “firmest handhold” refers to the testimony that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah (Laa Ilaaha IllAllah). This testimony consists of a negation and an affirmation. It negates all types of worship from those worshipped besides Allah, while affirming all types of worship done for Allah alone, free from any partner.

[By Shaykhul Islam Muhammad ibnu ‘Abdul Wahhab (rahimahUllah) - His short treatise “Ma’anaa at-Taaghoot wa Ru’oos Anwaa’ihi”]