The Qur’an’s negation of faith for anyone who refuses to judge by what Allah has revealed shows that submitting to the divine law is itself an act of faith, a doctrinal commitment, and worship of Allah to which every Muslim must devote himself. One must not enforce Allah’s law merely because it happens to be more beneficial for society or more effective in maintaining security. Some people fixate on that utilitarian side and forget the first principle. Allah, exalted is He, has reproached those who accept His ruling only when it serves their own interests and do not do so as an act of devotion to Him. He says, “When they are called to Allah and His Messenger so that he may judge between them, a party of them turns away; but if they are in the right, they come to him in willing submission” (al-Nūr 48–49). Such people care only for what suits their desires; whatever runs counter to their whims they reject, because they do not worship Allah by referring matters to His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him.

The ruling on someone who judges by other than what Allah has revealed: Allah the Exalted says, “Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed—such people are the disbelievers” (al-Māʾidah 44). This noble verse declares that judging by anything other than what Allah has revealed constitutes disbelief. At times this disbelief is major, taking a person out of the religion; at other times it is minor, not expelling him from the fold of Islam,