Rafʿ al-Malām - Ibn Taimiya - (88)

And this abandonment leads to misguidance and to joining the ways of the People of the Two Scriptures—those who “took their rabbis and monks as lords instead of Allah, and (also) the Messiah, son of Mary.” For the Prophet ﷺ explained: “They did not worship them; rather, when the rabbis declared something forbidden to be lawful, they obeyed them, and when they forbade what was lawful, they obeyed them.” (1)

It likewise brings one to obey a created being in disobedience to the Creator, and it ends in an evil outcome and a reprehensible interpretation, as is understood from the purport of His words, exalted is He: “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. If you dispute over anything, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger, if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day; that is better and yields the best interpretation.” (2)

Moreover, the scholars differ greatly. If, every time a report containing a stern warning was opposed by someone, we were to abandon affirming that warning or to stop acting on it altogether, the resulting danger would be greater than words can describe: unbelief itself and a complete departure from the religion.

(1) Reported by Imam Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Jarir through several chains from Adi ibn Hatim, may Allah be pleased with him: he entered upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while the Prophet was reciting the verse, “ittakhadhu ahbarahum wa-ruhbānahum arbāban min duni Allāh” (They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords instead of Allah). I said, “They did not worship them.” He replied, “Indeed they did: they declared unlawful for them what was lawful and lawful what was unlawful, and the people obeyed them—such obedience was their act of worship.” (2) Surah al-Nisa, 4:59

وَهَذَا التَّرْكُ يَجُرُّ إلَى الضَّلَالِ. وَاللُّحُوقِ بِأَهْلِ الْكِتَابَيْنِ ﴿الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَالْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ﴾ فَإِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ: ﴿لَمْ يَعْبُدُوهُمْ, وَلَكِنْ أَحَلُّوا لَهُمْ الْحَرَامَ, فَاتَّبَعُوهُمْ, وَحَرَّمُوا عَلَيْهِمْ الْحَلَالَ, فَاتَّبَعُوهُمْ﴾ (١) . وَيُفْضِي إلَى طَاعَةِ الْمَخْلُوقِ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ الْخَالِقِ. وَيُفْضِي إلَى قُبْحِ الْعَاقِبَةِ وَسُوءِ التَّأْوِيلِ الْمَفْهُومِ مِنْ فَحْوَى قَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا﴾ (٢) . ثُمَّ إنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ يَخْتَلِفُونَ كَثِيرًا. فَإِنْ كَانَ كُلُّ خَبَرٍ فِيهِ تَغْلِيظٌ خَالَفَهُ مُخَالِفٌ تُرِكَ الْقَوْلُ بِمَا فِيهِ مِنْ التَّغْلِيظِ أَوْ تُرِكَ الْعَمَلُ بِهِ مُطْلَقًا, لَزِمَ مِنْ هَذَا مِنْ الْمَحْذُورِ مَا هُوَ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يُوصَفَ: مِنْ الْكُفْرِ, وَالْمُرُوقِ مِنْ الدِّينِ.

(١) رواه الإمام أحمد، والترمذي، وابن جرير، من طرق عن عدي بن حاتم ﵁، أنه دخل على رسول الله ﷺ وهو يقرأ هذه الآية: (اتخذوا أحبارهم ورهبانهم أرباباً من دون الله) فقلت: إنهم لم يعبدوهم، فقال: (بلى إنهم حرموا عليهم الحلال، وأحلوا لهم الحرام، فاتبعوهم، فذلك عبادتهم إياهم) . (٢) سورة النساء ٥٩