Al-Hindī, Malikūshā the Babylonian, Ibn Wahshiyyah, Abū Maʿshar al-Balkhī, Thābit ibn Qurrah, and others of their ilk fell into this same idolatry, believing in al-jibt and al-ṭāghūt all the while laying claim to the People of the Scripture. The Exalted says:
“Have you not seen those who were given a share of the Book yet believe in al-jibt and al-ṭāghūt, and who say to the disbelievers, ‘These are more rightly guided than the believers’? They are the ones whom Allah has cursed; and whomever Allah curses, you will never find for him a helper.” (Sūrat al-Nisāʾ, 51–52)
Several of the early scholars explained: “Al-jibt means sorcery and al-ṭāghūt means idols,” while others said, “It refers to Satan”—both explanations are correct.
These people thus combine al-jibt, namely sorcery, with shirk, which is the worship
(1) MS Aṭ reads: “maklushan.”
(2) I could not locate any biographical notice for him.
(3) Ahmad ibn Ali ibn al-Mukhtar ibn Abd al-Karim ibn Jarthiya al-Kaldani, a Sufi charlatan who claimed mastery of magic and talismans. See Ibn al-Nadim, al-Fihrist, p. 433; al-Zirikli, al-Aʿlam 1:170–71.
(4) Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad al-Balkhi, a famous astronomer and astrologer with many works; d. 247 AH/861 CE, b. 206 AH/821 CE. See Ibn al-Nadim, al-Fihrist, p. 386; al-Zirikli, al-Aʿlam 2:127.
(5) Thabit ibn Qurra ibn Marwan ibn Thabit ibn Kuraya, b. 221 AH/836 CE; originally a money-changer and sailor, later a noted figure in geometry, medicine, astronomy, astrology, and philosophy; favoured by al-Muʿtadid; a Sabian polytheist; d. 288 AH/901 CE. See Ibn al-Nadim, al-Fihrist, p. 380; al-Zirikli, al-Aʿlam 2:98.
(6) The word “hadha” (this) is omitted in MS D.
(7) The word “ahl” is missing from MSS Aj, D, and T; the printed edition reads “ahl al-Islam.”
(8) Quran, Surat al-Nisaʾ, 4:51–52.
(9) See Tafsir Ibn Jarir 5:83–84.
(10) MS T adds: “and between shirk.”