"...but people are like donkeys carrying books!"

Before talking about Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah I would like to correct a historical issue. Ibn Taymiyyah did not witness the Tartār who were occupying Baghdad the first time, the Tartār had two invasions on the Islamic state, the first invasion was when they were still Kuffaar Asliyyeen, the first invasion was with Genghis Khan and Hakaw and they were Kaafir aslī, they had not accepted Islam but when they came they were Kuffaar Asliyyeen and they occupied the lands of the Muslimeen. They were defeated in the battle of ‘Ayn Jalut in 658 and at that time Ibn Taymiyyah was not born yet because he was born on Monday afternoon in the year 661. But Ibn Taymiyyah witnessed the Tartar who were murtaddun. When these Tartar mixed with the Muslimeen, they claimed to be believers and accepted (Islam). Some of them strengthened their soldiers and their armies and then attacked Baghdad and entered up to Halab in ash-Sham. They were ruling the lands that they had invaded with a book called al-Yasiq which means that they had annulled the Islamic Shari’ah. They said (by their actions): We are Muslimeen and we perform Salaah but we do not want the Shari’ah. We want to rule with the book that was written by our grandfather Genghis Khan called al-Yasiq.

Oh my honorable brother, it is surprising that some people who claim to belong to Salafiyyah and they claim that Ibn Taymiyyah is their Imām and Scholar that they refer to, though they are not taking the same position of Ibn Taymiyyah concerning the man-made laws. Ibn Taymiyyah did not face America but he faced apostate rulers. Ibn Taymiyyah did not face Kuffaar Asliyyeen who had occupied the lands of the Muslimeen, but he faced Kazan in the battle of Sharhab in 702 and he was amongst its leaders and pioneers and we shall see. He faced Kazan who was claiming Islam and all he did was cancel Islamic Shari’ah and this itself is Kuffr and apostasy, he (Kazan) was ruling with another (law) called al-Yasiq. Ibn Taymiyyah faced situations that were (at their worst) less dangerous than our situations now. We are facing Kuffr and a national Kuffr. We are facing rogue disbelievers and local disbelievers who are ruling the Muslim lands with other than Islam. This is why the opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah and his students; there is no library of a jurist or an Islamic researcher or a student of knowledge which does not contain Tafsir Ibn Kathir, they all have Tafsir Ibn Kathir, there is none of those who do not know his Tafsir and I want you brothers to go back home and open Tafsir Ibn Kathir Vol. 2 pg. 67 and look at his Tafsir of the Saying of Allah in Ayah 50 Sūrah Al-Ma’idah. 

"Then is it the hukm of jahiliyyah that they desire? But who is better than Allah in judgement for a people who have certain Imaan" 

Oh Kazan! You prefer the hukm of jahiliyyah of your grandfather Genghis Khan? And who is better is better in judgment than Allāh if you were a true believer? As far as you ruling with the law of your grandfather Genghis Khan and giving up ruling by the Shari’ah, you are Kaafir. Ibn Kathir said in his Tafsir of the Ayah: “He, the Most High, objects to those who leaves from under the ruling (Hukm) of Allah, which encompasses all of what is good and which forbids evil, and goes to other than that, from the opinions and desires and terminologies, which are fabricated by men with no basis in the Shari’ah of Allah. Such as the people of jahiliyyah who used to rule in accordance with misguidance and ignorance, from which they would fabricate with their opinions and their desires. And likewise, what the Tartar rule in, according to the kingdom-oriented politics that have been taken from their king, Genghis Khan, who fabricated for them ‘al-Yasiq’, which is a phrase that refers to a book assembled from rulings he took from several legislations from those of the jews and the christians and the Millah (Islam) and other than them. And in it are also several rulings, which he took from his own views and desires. So it became a followed legislation amongst his descendants, which they put ahead of the ruling (Hukm) of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (saws). 

So whoever does that, then he is a Kaafir whose fighting is wajib (obligatory) until he returns to the Hukm of Allāh and His Messenger (saws) such that he does not rule by other than it neither a little nor a lot.” 

This is the Fatwa of the great Scholars of that time. This is Ibn Kathir, but people are like donkeys carrying books; they read this book of Ibn Kathir but then they are a mufti for a secular regime. Some of them have Ibn Kathir’s books in there library while they are part of a secular system. They are ‘fuqaha’. Ibn Kathir says al-Yasiq is a book which is goes against Qur’an and whoever follows it and judges by it and rules by it then he is a disbeliever that must be killed. This is what Ibn Kathir was saying. 

Similar to what Ibn Kathir said the staunch spokesman of truth among the Scholars in our era Muhammad al-Amin ash-Shanqiti, the companion of Tafsir said he has a book called Adwa al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an bil-Qur’an and who was a teacher in the Islamic University of Madīnah, Muhammad al-Amin ash-Shanqiti. He says when interpreting this Ayah: 
"He shares not his legislation with anyone" 
“This is in Surah al-Kahf (the cave) and people know Ayah 110 of Surah al-Kahf; 'do not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.' But Ayah 26 of Surah al-Kahf says; 'He shares not in His legislation with anyone.'” Where is this Ayah situated? What does it mean? 'He shares not his legislation with anyone' Where are the enlightened scenes? Where is the enlightened scenes in our judgement nowadays? Is there any Muslim that fears Allah? Is there any believer who knows that this Speech is from Allah? And that this Speech is from Allah and it was sent down to him as advice and a Message from Him and that he will be asked about it? Is there any Muslim who asked himself what is the meaning of; 'He shares not in His legislation with anyone.' 

After ash-Shanqiti in volume number 6 page 573 said: 'He shares not His legislation with anyone' and it as He says 'those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed – those are the disbelievers' And it is as He says 'But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.' and it is as He says 'And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.' and it is as He says 'And His is the [final] decision, and to Him you will be returned.' and it is as He says 'The decision is only for Allah; upon Him I have relied, and upon Him let those who would rely [indeed] rely.' and it is as He says 'Legislation is not but for Allah. He has commanded that you worship not except Him, that is the correct deen but most people do not know' and it is as He says 'And Allah decides; there is no adjuster of His decision. And He is swift in account.'” 

After he mentioned all these (and other) Ayaat which state that Allah is the only Judge and the One who disputes about this has committed shirk that takes him out of the Millah, after this he says: “And with these Heavenly texts that we have mentioned, it becomes quite clear that the ones who follow the fabricated laws, which the shaytān has legislated upon the tongues of his ‘Awliya and which oppose that which Allah, has legislated upon the tongues of His Messengers, that no one doubts their Kuffr and their shirk except him who Allah has removed his sight and has blinded them to the light of the revelation.” 

And before Ibn Taymiyyah, and before Ibn Kathir, and before ash-Shanqiti; Imam Ibn Hazm said in his book al-Ahkam fi Usul al-Ahkam: “Our Lord says; 'But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they make you judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in full submission'. This is enough for one who is cultured and uses reason. Let every one of you search into himself, if he sees himself taking as a judge or a ruling with someone other than Allah and His Messenger (saws), whether it be a Sahabi, a Tabi’i, or Malik or ash-Shafi’i or al-Awza’i, then know that Allah swore by Himself that he is not a believer and if he is not a believer then he is a Kaafir, there is no third.”

[By Dr. Muhammad ‘Alī al-Jazūlī]