And many students of jurisprudence, soldiers in the service of kings, followers of judges, and ordinary people who follow them associate partners with Allah in obedience. When the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—recited to ‘Adī ibn Hātim:

“They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah, and also the Messiah, the son of Mary,”

‘Adī said, “O Messenger of Allah, they did not worship them.” He replied, “They did not worship them, but they made unlawful things lawful for them, and they obeyed them; and they made lawful things unlawful for them, and they obeyed them.”

Thus, you find a person who has gone astray treating as obligatory whatever his leader makes obligatory, as unlawful whatever he prohibits, as lawful whatever he permits, and as religion whatever he prescribes—whether for religious purposes, worldly purposes, or both. He then intimidates anyone who refuses this association of partners with Allah, while he himself has no fear of having associated something with Allah in obedience without any authority from Allah. This excludes those whom Allah has commanded people to obey, such as a messenger, a ruler, a scholar, a parent, a shaykh, and others.

As for the third form of associating partners with Allah, many followers of speculative theologians and philosophers—indeed, even some students of jurisprudence and Sufis, and even some followers of kings and judges—accept their leader’s statements concerning beliefs about matters of fact: his judgments that certain views are sound and others unsound, his praise of certain views and some who hold them, and his condemnation of others, without any authority from Allah. Such a person fears the one whom he has made a partner in belief and acceptance, yet does not fear having associated a person with Allah by believing in him and accepting his word without any authority from Allah. This excludes those whom Allah has prescribed that people believe, such as the messengers, scholars who convey their teachings, truthful witnesses, and others.

Thus, obedience to human beings and acceptance of their statements may be either prescribed or unprescribed. As for worship, seeking assistance, and adoration, human beings have no claim to any of these under any circumstances. For, as someone said, “I have never put my hand into anyone’s bowl without becoming subservient to him.” There is no doubt that whoever supports you and provides for you